DDDM at the GHC: Using Better Data, Making Better Decisions

In addition to showcasing the HRIS strengthening process and work, our auxiliary event, “Health Workforce: Using Better Data, Making Better Decisions” offered great opportunity to receive feedback from the global health community. I was ideally situated at the back of the room covering the data-driven decision-making (DDDM) table. While talking to a colleague from Tanzania I noted you can walk through the strengthening process as you stroll the length of the room. First you passed the HRIS Toolkit booth where you could receive a flash drive with the entire contents. The Toolkit covers all of the lessons learned and tools developed over the last five years of HRIS strengthening work in ten different countries. Immediately across you could demo the iHRIS software suite and talk to the lead developer. As you continue deeper into the room you passed several tables with example reports produced by an HRIS. There were great maps at the GIS table and fantastic illustrative charts at the Uganda booth. Finally, you reach the back of the room where you encounter the data-driven decision-making booth, which is the “so what” of the process. Once you’ve identified your HRIS strengthening needs, implementation plan, software, data collection and entry, and able to produce reports, now you must know how to utilize those reports for better decision-making.

Many who stopped at the DDDM table requested documentation of the core curriculum included in the DDDM workshops. Although each workshop is customized according to customer needs and requests, there are certain elements we always work to maintain and incorporate in the program. A workshop report is produced for each and includes an overview of each session and the Capacity Project Technical Brief 11 : Building the Bridge from Human Resources Data to Effective Decisions provides an overview of the principles for consideration; however, we do not yet have documentation of the core workshop curriculum. This is great feedback and something I hope we can document for the next version of the HRIS Toolkit.