ISBN 978 92 4 154731 4 COVER_Assessing Financing.indd 1 ASSESSING FINANCING, EDUCATION, MANAGEMENT AND POLICY CONTEXT FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH The importance of the health workforce for health systems performance, quality of care and achieving the Millennium Development Goals is widely recognized. This document provides guidance for the evaluation of the health workforce situation and for the development of health workforce strategies. It contains a method for assessing the financial, educational and management systems and policy context, essential for strategic planning and policy development for human resources for health. This tool has been developed as an evidence-based comprehensive diagnostic aid to inform policy-making in low and middle income countries with regard to human resources for health development. The methodology used builds on existing tools and in addition takes into account the changing context and challenges of the 21st century, distilling a wealth of experience in responding to health workforce policy, strategy and planning. Assessing Financing, Education, Management and Policy Context for Strategic Planning of Human Resources for Health 5.12.2007 15:53:18 Assessing Financing, Education, Management and Policy Context for Strategic Planning of Human Resources for Health Thomas Bossert | Till Bärnighausen | Diana Bowser Andrew Mitchell | Gülin Gedik LAYOUT_Assessing Financing.indd 1 5.12.2007 15:34:46 WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Assessing financing, education, management and policy context for strategic planning of human resources for health / Thomas Bossert [… et al.]. 1.Health manpower- economics. 2.Health personnel - education. 3.Health manpower - organization and administration. 4.Public policy. 5.Strategic planning. 6.Decison making. 7.Motivation. I.World Health Organization. II.Bossert, Thomas. ISBN 978 92 4 154731 4 (NLM classification: W 76) © World Health Organization 2007 All rights reserved. Publications of the World Health Organization can be obtained from WHO Press, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (tel.: +41 22 791 3264; fax: +41 22 791 4857; e-mail: