Overview of Oromia Regional Health Bureau's Implementation of KAIZEN for Work Environment Improvement

Prior to the implementation of KAIZEN, the office was overcrowded and poorly equipped, leading to poor customer service to health workers. The office was congested, with paper files and office furniture not properly arranged, making it difficult to clean, and a poorly functioning air conditioning system. Tesfaye Dadi, a human resource management professional, spearheaded an effort to improve Oromia RHB's productivity and ability to provide customer-oriented, timely, and employee-friendly human resource management services. With technical and financial support from the USAID-funded Strengthening Human Resources for Health (HRH) Project, the RHB applied principles from KAIZEN. The first step involved developing a plan of action for advocacy to obtain the support of the RHB leadership, which was successful. The RHB leadership agreed to proceed with using KAIZEN as an approach. The HRH Project supported the RHB to train 86 staff members between February 2015 to June 2016, including management officials, middle-level managers, and experts from all work process units. At the end of each training, an action plan was developed to apply KAIZEN principles. The team conducted follow-up and coaching aimed at strengthening the work climate. As a result of the training and implementation of KAIZEN principles, the RHB is now a much more pleasant working environment. The seating arrangements were changed to best meet the staff needs and customer service delivery. New furniture and metal sliding shelves for storing filing were procured, and a fresh coat of paint was applied. Staff members no longer complain about the lack of fresh air. They have also improved their document and personnel filling systems. The improvements have enabled staff members to respond more efficiently to health workers' needs and provide them with the HR support required to complete their jobs in health facilities. Tesfaye Dadi was recently promoted to Motivation and Retention Unit Head, and he and his colleagues are now enjoying their new office setup and feel much more efficient at work. The implementation of KAIZEN principles has enabled the RHB to provide customer-oriented, timely, and employee-friendly human resource management services, leading to improved productivity and efficiency.