Tanzania Human Resource Capacity Project—Quarterly Report, July—September 2011

Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to strengthen the human resource capacity of the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) and other key stakeholders in the health sector. The project's primary objective is to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of health services in Tanzania. The project is implemented by IntraHealth International, in partnership with the MOHSW, the Public Service Management and Personnel Secretariat (PSMPS), and other key stakeholders. The project's scope includes the development of a comprehensive human resource information system (HRIS), the strengthening of district-level human resource management, and the development of a cadre of para-social workers. The project's quarterly report for July-September 2011 highlights several key achievements. At the national level, the project supported the MOHSW in reviewing the draft staffing guidelines document, which identified a need to strengthen the quality of the information and harmonize simultaneous efforts to present staffing guidelines. The project also continued to support two seconded consultants to the MOHSW, who undertook a training needs assessment for human resource management (HRM) team leadership and identified areas for improvement. The project facilitated the training of 16 additional HRM district strengthening trainers in Mwanza, with support from Management Sciences for Health (MSH). In terms of HRIS development, the project reviewed the data quality in four districts in Iringa and introduced several ways to strengthen the potential for accurate data entry. The project also deployed LGHRIS in the Coast and Dar es Salaam regions in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam and the Public Service Management and Personnel Secretariat (PSMPS). The project also made significant progress in developing a cadre of para-social workers. A total of 506 new para-social workers (PSWs) and 105 PSW supervisors were trained in Njombe, Ludewa, and Makete districts. The project also assisted Measure Evaluation in conducting DQA visits to Mwanza and Dodoma to assess PSW program data collection and reporting within the local government authority (LGA) system. In addition, the project conducted two annual dissemination meetings for the MVC program, which aimed to raise awareness and expand understanding of the need for basic social welfare services in the community provided by a PSW in the absence of other professionally trained social workers. The meetings were attended by representatives from the LGA, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Overall, the project's quarterly report highlights significant progress in achieving its objectives, including the strengthening of district-level human resource management, the development of a comprehensive HRIS, and the development of a cadre of para-social workers.