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Table 1 The six components of the health workforce framework, definitions thereof and the key elements in each

From: Addressing the health workforce crisis: towards a common approach

Component

Definition

Subcomponents

Policy

Rules, regulations & legislation for conditions of employment, work standards and development of the health workforce

• Professional standards, licensing, accreditation

• Authorized scopes of practice for health workforce categories

• Political, social & financial decisions that affect HRH

• Employment law and rules for civil service

Health workforce management

Integrated use of data, policy and practice to plan for necessary staff, recruit, hire, deploy and develop health workers

• Personnel systems: workforce planning, recruitment, hiring, deployment.

• Work environment & conditions: employee relations, workplace safety, job satisfaction, career development.

• HRH information system

• Performance management: performance appraisal, supervision, productivity.

• Staff retention: financial & non-financial incentives.

Finance

Obtaining, allocating and dispersing adequate funding for human resources

• Salary and allowances

• Budget for HRH

• National HRH accounts with HRH information

• Mobilizing financial resources (e.g, government, Global Fund, PEPFAR, donors)

Education

Production and continuous development of an appropriately skilled workforce

• Pre-service education tied to health needs

• In-service training (e.g. distance and blended, continuing education)

• Capacity of training institutions

• Training of community health workers and non-formal care providers

Partnerships

Formal and informal linkages aligning key stakeholders, e.g. service providers, sectors, donors, to maximize use of human resources

• Community mobilization: supporting care and treatment, governance of health services.

• Public – private sector agreements

• Mechanisms and processes for multi-stakeholder cooperation (interministerial committees, health worker advisory boards, donor coordination groups)

Leadership

Capacity to provide direction, to align people, to mobilize resources and to reach goals

• Identify, select & support health workforce champions and advocates

• Leadership development for health workforce managers at all levels

• Capacity for multisector & sector-wide collaboration Modernizing & strengthening associations