Promoting Human Workforce Development to Improve Health Care Services

Around the world, overloaded health care workers and understaffed facilities struggle to care for rising patient loads. URC strengthens human resource systems by focusing on engagement, productivity, and retention. Delivering complex services in low resource settings involves retooling how care is organized, including shifting tasks—such as voluntary counseling and testing for HIV—from clinics to the community. To achieve and sustain these changes, workers require motivation and a sense of control over their work to increase their productivity and the quality of care they provide. URC applies quality improvement methods which train and empower health workers to make changes, measure improvements in health care and outcomes, and increase health workers’ sense of professionalism and job satisfaction. Jobs aids, checklists, and other provider tools measure post-training compliance.

In Niger, HCI is working with the Ministry of Health and Regional Health Directorate in the Tahoua region to improve health worker engagement, productivity, and retention. An assessment in 20 health facilities found very low levels of motivation, performance, and productivity. Most clinical indicators improved, including a 12.4% to 31% increase in assisted deliveries by qualified personnel.