COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HEALTH MANPOWER ISSUES IN LATIN AMERICA

THIS REVIEW WAS TO CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS BASIC TO THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A.I.D."S PROGRAMS. IT WAS ALSO TO IDENTIFY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WHICH WOULD BENEFIT FROM FURTHER RESEARCH, IN-DEPTH FIELD STUDIES, OR SECTOR ANALYSES. FIFTEEN A.I.D. PROJECT PAPERS AND CAPITAL ASSISTANCE PAPERS CONCERNED WITH HEALTH MANPOWER WERE ANALYZED. ISSUES WERE EXAMINED IN EIGHT FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES: (1) TASK ANALYSIS AND DEFINITION; (2) STAFFING PATTERNS; (3) RECRUITMENT MECHANISMS AND SELECTION REQUIREMENTS; (4) TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION; (5) ACCEPTABILITY OF STAFF TYPES BY OTHER PROFESSIONALS; (6) SUPPORT SYSTEMS; (7) MARKETS FOR MANPOWER; AND (8) EFFICIENCY OF MANPOWER. THE STUDY CONCLUDED THAT THE MANPOWER COMPONENTS OF A.I.D.-SUPPORTED HEALTH PROGRAMS APPARENTLY OPERATE UNDER A NUMBER OF UNPROVEN ASSUMPTIONS, THOUGH IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE PROJECT PAPERS REFLECT ACTUAL FIELD CONDITIONS, A.I.D. HEALTH PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING COMMUNITY-LEVEL AUXILIARY WORKERS, CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED AND IMPLEMENTED WITH A GREAT DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY CONCERNING MANPOWER COSTS, PRODUCTIVITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS. A GOOD DEAL OF THIS UNCERTAINTY COULD BE ELIMINATED BY THREE COMPLIMENTARY APPROACHES: RESEARCH, MORE THOUGHTFUL AND DETAILED PROGRAM PLANNING, AND PROJECT REVIEW. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND IDENTIFIED ISSUES DEVELOPED IN THIS REPORT COULD SERVE BOTH AS GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH MANPOWER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT REVIEW.