Author: Gormley W and McCaffery J

Project: CapacityPlus

Date: 2013

Description: Many countries have committed to a process of decentralizing a range of human resources for health (HRH) responsibilities, decisions, and authorities to subnational or district levels. Such decentralization requires political and organizational adjustments in the way the health care workforce is managed at the subnational level. Health leaders and managers in a decentralized system need to be skilled in such areas as workforce planning, recruitment, deployment, performance management, and retention. Uganda is one country that has embarked on a program to strengthen HRH leadership and management at the district level. This report shares lessons learned from Uganda and—using this experience as a foundation—offers selected suggestions for how other countries might develop and implement HRH professional development programs at subnational levels.