Recruitment, deployment and retention by Tim Martineau (T.Martineau@liv.ac.uk) Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK Meeting on the Regional Strategy.

Recruitment, deployment and retention

by Tim Martineau(T.Martineau@liv.ac.uk)

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK

Meeting on the Regional Strategy and Initiatives on Human Resources for Health 24-26 August 2009, WPRO, Manila

There are a high number of vacant posts in the health service, especially

in rural areas

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Far

West

Mid

West

West Central East

Number

Posts

We can’t just solve the problem by ‘scaling up’

Systems for staffing posts are often ineffective and outdated

But we must make the best of the current and potential supply of staff

We need better systems

for filling vacant posts

First we need to appreciate

the main concepts of workforce dynamics

The workforce flows can be

represented as route from

recruitment to resignation

High SchoolHealth training

institute

Other training

Pool of qualified health

workers

Adapted from: Vujicic et al, 2004

Out of labour force

Employed

Unemployed Non-health sector

Health sector

Migration

Immigration

High SchoolHealth training

institute

Other training

Pool of qualified health

workers

Adapted from: Vujicic et al, 2004

Out of labour force

Employed

Unemployed Non-health sector

Health sector

Migration

Immigration

We need appropriate systems to

manage the flows

effectively

The labour market is an

important part of workforce dynamics

Public

NGO

FBO

PFP

Other sectorNot employed

Other countries

Then we turn to the systems for influencing the workforce dynamics and

the challenges

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

Recruitment

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

Filling a vacancy can be a complex business!

Source: Report of the Joint Design Mission to the Kenyan Health Sector, 2007.

Deployment

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

I can’t find your file!

Good systems can be distorted

Retention

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

We can learn how to

improve our systems from innovations

tried by others

Recruitment examples

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

Streamlining the recruitment process (Kenya Emergency Hiring Programme)

Deployment examples

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

Retention examples

Recruitment

DeploymentRetention

Zambian Health Workers Retention Scheme (c.2005)

Hardship allowance

Education allowance (children)

Accommodation upgrade

Eligible for PG training

Terminal benefit $$ for training

Interest-free loan (house or car)

Annual appraisal and TNA

Diagnose problems with recruitment, deployment and retention systems

Search for innovative solutions to reduce the number of vacant posts

Make sure you monitor the implementation and impact of your

improved systems