Revised Workforce Development Plan for PSCM and PV in Support of the Department of Health’s Devolution Transition Plan

The program is implemented by a consortium of global and local partners, led by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health nonprofit. The MTaPS Program focuses on improving access to essential medical products and related services, as well as ensuring the appropriate use of medicines to achieve better health outcomes for all populations. The program is implemented in the Philippines, where it supports the Department of Health's (DOH) Procurement Supply Chain Management Team (PSCMT) in its efforts to strengthen the country's pharmaceutical systems. The PSCMT is responsible for managing the procurement and supply chain of essential medicines and health products in the country. The MTaPS Program provides technical assistance and capacity building to the PSCMT to enhance its capabilities in procurement supply chain management (PSCM) and pharmacovigilance (PV). A competent, capable, and supported supply chain management (SCM) and pharmacovigilance (PV) workforce is essential for protecting and improving the health and wellness of the public and responding to major health threats. The revised Workforce Development Plan (WFDP) for PSCM and PV in Support of the DOH's Devolution Transition Plan aims to update the plan and align it to new developments in the health sector, including the procurement supply chain management (PSCM) universal health coverage (UHC) implementation plan and the DOH devolution transition plan. The WFDP contains a description of current and future workforce development needs and competencies, as well as specific skills and core competencies at various levels of service delivery for the specific workforce. The plan proposes strategies to address gaps, including capacity building through several channels, recruitment of new staff with key skills, understudying, and on-the-job training, depending on the new and expanded roles. The plan highlights mechanisms for managing training, communication, and monitoring and evaluation to track the progress of implementation in alignment with the DOH's performance management system. The goal of the plan is to ensure that an adequate, competent, and well-supported SCMS and PV workforce is available to successfully implement the PSCM UHC agenda and the 2022-2024 devolution and transition plan. The revised WFDP contains goals that align to the ongoing transition at the DOH, such as the implementing rule and regulations of the UHC act and the DOH devolution transition plan. Other DOH plans and strategies for strengthening SCM and comprehensive PV systems in the country are included. The plan documents a process to assess and identify the core competency level of the supply chain management services (SCMS) and PV workforce and a plan to increase the core competency levels of staff. The MTaPS Program has partnered with various organizations, including Boston University, FHI 360, Overseas Strategic Consulting, Results for Development, International Law Institute-Africa Centre for Legal Excellence, NEPAD, and others, to support the implementation of the WFDP. The program has also collaborated with local government units (LGUs), the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB), and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the plan. The revised WFDP is a critical component of the MTaPS Program's efforts to strengthen the pharmaceutical systems in the Philippines and ensure the availability of essential medicines and health products to the public. The plan will help to address the gaps in skills, knowledge, and abilities of the SCMS and PV workforce and ensure that they are competent and capable of implementing the PSCM UHC agenda and the 2022-2024 devolution and transition plan.