Workshop: Using HR Data to Make Effective Decisions

The Capacity Project will be conducting a participatory skills workshop in Kampala, Uganda, on June 20 and 21. The workshop is intended for members of the Health Workforce Advisory Board and other human resource policy planners in Uganda. It will be facilitated by HRIS Strengthening team members Ummuro Adano, Pam McQuide and Dykki Settle, and will be the first activity conducted by the team in the area of strengthening data-driven decision making.

Participants in the workshop will explore and strengthen the approaches, skills and techniques needed to interpret HR data, overcome disagreements and build consensus when addressing critical HRH policy questions. Reports illustrating the actual nursing workforce picture in Uganda, compiled from real data from the iHRIS Qualify system installed at the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council, will be used by participants to identify challenges they face now and how they might address them.

This workshop marks a critical step forward in strengthening human resources information systems in Uganda. While it is important to strengthen the infrastructure, install good HRIS software and capture high quality data, the HRIS only has value if it directly impacts HRH policies and management practices in the country. The results of the workshop will be reported here, and if successful, we hope to replicate it in other countries where HRIS strengthening activities are taking place.