Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Hum Resour Health. 2013 Jul 18;11:35. doi: 10.1186/1478-4491-11-35.
To address the shortage of health information personnel within Botswana, an innovative human resources approach was taken. University graduates without training or experience in health information or health sciences were hired and provided with on-the-job training and mentoring to create a new cadre of health worker: the district Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer. This article describes the early outcomes, achievements, and challenges from this initiative.
Data were collected from the district M&E Officers over a 2-year period and included a skills assessment at baseline and 12 months, pre- and post-training tests, interviews during stakeholder site visits, a survey of achievements, focus group discussions, and an attrition assessment.
An average of 2.7 mentoring visits were conducted for M&E Officers in each district. There were five training sessions over 18 months. Knowledge scores significantly increased (p < 0.05) during the three trainings in which pre/post tests were administered. Over 1 year, there were significant improvements (p < 0.05) in self-rated skills related to computer literacy, checking data validity, implementing data quality procedures, using data to support program planning, proposing indicators, and writing M&E reports. Out of the 34 district M&E Officers interviewed during site visits, most were conducting facility visits to review data (27/34; 79%), comparing data sets over time (31/34; 91%), backing up data (32/34; 94%), and analyzing data (32/34; 94%). Common challenges included late facility reports (28/34; 82%), lack of transportation (22/34; 65%), inaccurate facility reports (10/34; 29%), and colleagues' misunderstanding of M&E (10/34; 29%). Six posts were vacated in the first year (6/51; 12%). A total of 49 Officers completed the achievements survey; of these, common accomplishments related to improvements in data management (35/49; 71%), data quality (31/49; 63%), data use (29/49; 59%), and capacity development (26/49; 53%).
The development of a cadre of district M&E Officers has contributed positively to the health information system in Botswana. In the absence of tertiary training related to health information, on-the-job training and mentoring of university graduates can be an effective approach for developing a new professional cadre of M&E expertise and for strengthening capacity within a national health system.
为了解决博茨瓦纳卫生信息人员短缺的问题，采取了一种创新的人力资源方法。聘请了没有卫生信息或卫生科学方面培训或经验的大学毕业生，并为他们提供在职培训和指导，以创建一个新的卫生工作者群体：地区监测和评价（M&E）官员。本文介绍了这一举措的早期成果、成就和挑战。
在两年的时间里，从地区 M&E 官员那里收集了数据，包括基线和 12 个月的技能评估、培训前后测试、利益相关者现场访问期间的访谈、成就调查、焦点小组讨论和离职评估。
每个地区平均为 M&E 官员进行了 2.7 次辅导访问。在 18 个月内进行了五次培训。在进行了三次培训并进行了前后测试后，知识得分显著提高（p<0.05）。在一年的时间里，与计算机素养、检查数据有效性、实施数据质量程序、使用数据支持规划、提出指标和编写监测和评价报告相关的自我评估技能有了显著提高（p<0.05）。在现场访问期间接受采访的 34 名地区 M&E 官员中，大多数都在进行设施访问以审查数据（27/34；79%）、比较随时间变化的数据集（31/34；91%）、备份数据（32/34；94%）和分析数据（32/34；94%）。常见的挑战包括设施报告延迟（28/34；82%）、缺乏交通工具（22/34；65%）、设施报告不准确（10/34；29%）和同事对监测和评价的误解（10/34；29%）。第一年有 6 个职位空缺（6/51；12%）。共有 49 名官员完成了成就调查；其中，与数据管理改进（35/49；71%）、数据质量（31/49；63%）、数据利用（29/49；59%）和能力发展（26/49；53%）相关的共同成就是常见的。
地区 M&E 官员队伍的发展对博茨瓦纳的卫生信息系统产生了积极影响。在缺乏与卫生信息相关的高等培训的情况下，对大学毕业生进行在职培训和指导是培养新的专业监测和评价专家和加强国家卫生系统能力的有效方法。
