What we do

The People that Deliver Initiative engaged in a consensus process at the Global Positionin g and Harmonization Conference to identify priority interventions to improve the demand for and retention of a qualified supply chain workforce, the availability of qualified supply chain personnel, and the general obstacles and opportunities for advancing workforce excellence in health supply chain management.

PTD SUCCESS STORIES

One and a half year only after its inception, the PtD Initiative is already able to show evidence of its impact on the professionalization of human resources for supply chain management (HR for SCM) in developing countries’ health systems.

Burkina Faso

"Convinced of the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to health logistics issues, Burkina Faso’s MoH has been working with PtD for the last year and a half toward the definition and implementation of a Strategic Action Plan for HR for SCM."
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Indonesia

“PtD happens to be exactly what was needed here to facilitate a focus on supply chain management, develop a systematic action plan and allow people to work together. This also finally provided a special SCM project for the usually neglected logisticians running warehouses and other logistics activities”, says Russell Vogel, PtD Country Liaison and Country Director of USAID | DELIVER Indonesia.
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PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS

PtD utilizes a holistic approach for developing workforce excellence in supply chain management, built around three components necessary for success:

the active involvement of a broad array of key stakeholders from global, regional and national organizations, as well as individual supply chain workers;
development and/or dissemination of materials that accommodate and can be adapted to a wide array of countries and environments; and
recognition of the diversity of supply chain positions and roles within a health system, and the distinct knowledge and skills required respectively.

Country Level

Determine baseline human resource capacity for supply chain management

Conduct a baseline assessment of human resource capacity for supply chain management that identifies supply chain tasks and functions by level of the supply chain, considers costing, and detects human resource gaps in terms of skills and numbers of staff.
Assessments should be conducted by multi-disciplinary teams and should consider both the public and private sectors.

Contribute to the evidence base through monitoring, evaluating and documenting activities related to strengthening human resources for health supply chain management

Include monitoring and evaluation in pilots and interventions, and collect baseline and post-intervention data to assess impact.
Analyze costs of new and established interventions to enable evaluation of cost-effectiveness and/or cost-benefits.
Share data and lessons learned to allow other countries to benefit from experiences.

Advocate for workforce excellence in health supply chain management

Identify high level national champion(s) for supply chain management.
Use data from the baseline assessment(s) to form advocacy arguments for building political will and identifying interventions (e.g. outsourcing, integrating pre-service training, job aids, etc.).
Partner with other ministries (e.g., Education, Finance) and national institutes.

Develop HR policies to attract and retain supply chain managers

Include supply chain staff within the national human resources policy framework, possibly including the creation of a professional cadre for supply chain management.
Review existing organizational structures, create job descriptions at central, intermediate and peripheral levels.
Develop a two-pronged strategy for strengthening supply chain human resources, both for dedicated supply chain personnel and other health professionals with supply chain responsibilities.

Create a supportive environment for supply chain personnel in the health sector

Provide recognition, incentives and motivation for health supply chain personnel.
Implement a career track for health supply chain managers in-country.
Leverage larger human resource reforms and supply chain efforts to provide motivators such as improvements to working and living conditions, performance based incentives, and access to needed tools and resources.

Increase supply chain training opportunities for all cadres, including increased emphasis on pre-service training and continuing professional development

Integrate needed supply chain management competencies into the pre-service training of both clinical and non-clinical health cadres.
As appropriate, develop degree or certification programs for specialization in supply chain management.
Strengthen continuing professional development opportunities relevant to supply chain management.
Utilize innovative training methodologies to maximize reach, such as distance learning.
Engage private sector in training and strengthen faculty capacity for supply chain management.

Build professional networking opportunities

Identify opportunities for country-level networking and mentoring, as well as communities of practice related to health supply chain management; engage existing professional associations (private and public sector).

Regional Level

Connect Initiative efforts to regional resources and activities

Link demand and availability efforts with regional resources activities, including organizations, universities, and private sector activities and initiatives.

Adapt relevant global resources for region

As appropriate, adapt global resources relevant to developing workforce excellence for supply chain management to better fit regional context.

Conduct a mapping exercise of current regional supply chain management capacity building activities and resources

Link mapped activities and resources to the global competency framework; identify ways to formally endorse or accredit the courses at the regional level based on a standard set of criteria.

Build regional-level professional networking and mentoring opportunities

Identify opportunities for regional-level networking and mentoring, as well as communities of practice related to health supply chain management; engage existing professional associations (private and public sector).

Global Level

Establish a model competency framework for health supply chain management

Define competencies required across functions and by level of the supply chain and make framework available to be adapted at country-level.
May require developing or adapting a framework or process map of supply chain functions.

Conduct a mapping exercise of current supply chain management capacity building activities and resources

Link the mapped activities and resources to the global competency framework; identify ways to formally endorse or accredit the courses based on a standard set of criteria.

Facilitate documentation and dissemination of the evidence base for human resource strengthening activities for supply chain management

Build upon, or develop where necessary, and make available tools, methodologies, and processes to promote country-level baseline assessments of human resource capacity for supply chain management.
Make information easily accessible to support country efforts.
Use available evidence to develop and strengthen advocacy materials.

Develop advocacy materials for professionalization of supply chain management and strengthening human resource capacity

Materials can target both global and regional policy makers and be adaptable to country contexts. Content should include the importance and complexity of supply chain management, the importance of human resources for supply chain management, and the value of relevant technical initiatives.

Support an information clearing house related to human resources for health supply chain management

Information to include best practices, evidence base, data, advocacy materials, and change management materials.
Should utilize existing websites and networks as feasible.

Build regional-level professional networking and mentoring opportunities

Promote opportunities for global networking, mentoring and communities of practice related to health supply chain management; engage existing professional associations.

Read more: People that Deliver's White Paper (EN, FR, SP)

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