USAID/Tanzania Public Sector Systems Strengthening Plus | Success Story | October 2021

This effort began in 2020, with the collaboration of USAID and the University of Dar es Salaam. The initiative focuses on teaching students the National Health Accounts (NHA) and the Facility Financial Account and Reporting System (FFARS) tools for health resource tracking. The training modules on resource tracking and financial management have been integrated into undergraduate and graduate programs at four Tanzanian institutions of higher learning: the University of Dar es Salaam, Mzumbe University, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, and the Local Government Training Institute. Since 2020, more than 500 students have been trained in the resource tracking module through programs in economics, health systems management, development studies, and local government accounting and financing. The incorporation of NHA and FFARS training has been beneficial for students, providing them with relevant job skills prior to entering the job market. This has resulted in students requiring minimal orientation time to undertake their duties when employed, subsequently lowering on-the-job training costs. Lecturers from participating institutions have praised the integration of FFARS into the health resource tracking module, highlighting its ability to link theoretical and practical aspects of health sector resource allocation and accountability. Graduates who have completed the training have expressed appreciation for the knowledge and skills gained. For example, Madalaine Marco, a recent graduate with a master's in economics from the University of Dar es Salaam, stated that the module enabled her to understand how the government finances the health sector and how these outcomes benefit community members in Tanzania. Similarly, Mary Tarimo, a graduate student in applied economics at the University of Dar es Salaam, noted that the module has enabled her to know how resources are distributed from various sources to final beneficiaries and will continue to utilize the knowledge to identify gaps between distributed resources and actual expenditures. The PS3+ activity is working with other academic institutions in Tanzania to incorporate these modules into their curricula, with the goal of equipping graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for working with the public sector.