Forming and Sustaining a Core Team¶

Forming a Core Team¶

When forming a core team, it is essential to remember that building this team will take time. A long-term approach and vision is therefore needed. In the past, approaches for DHIS2 personnel to learn a little bit of everything quickly were promoted; and this was previously a valid approach -- however we now see the need for more specialization as requirements have become more complex and the skills associated with managing a DHIS2 implementation have evolved.

As an example, let us review the implementer role identified in the Core Positions section. This role has a wide variety of skills that they need to be knowledgeable on, including being able to perform complex DHIS2 configuration, manage the import of metadata and data and documenting and explaining the configuration in a way that makes sense to a variety of stakeholders as examples.

It is unlikely you will find someone with these specific skills right from the start; however what you are looking for when building the core team is to be able to identify individuals with the right mix of experience and foundational skills to build on so they can mature into specific roles over time.

Important

It is now increasingly important that the individuals selected for these roles have a relevant amount of background education and experience to be able to succeed in the role they are selected for. If someone has never used Linux, then becoming a server admin may be out of reach. If they have no public health knowledge, then asking them to contribute to the analysis of data or data use in general may not be a natural fit. The point that is being emphasized here is that it should not be considered that anyone can be successful in any DHIS2 role. You must consider identifying the right people with the right background knowledge and building specific skills on top of this foundational knowledge. If they do not have this foundational knowledge, then it may require a person obtains some specific education or training prior to learning different DHIS2 related skills.

We suggest the team is built in the following order

1. Operational Lead
2. Implementer
3. Trainer
4. Server Administrator

Note

In the case of an implementation that is resource constrained, there is 1 core position that is recommended initially, the operational lead. This person should be based in country. As time progresses, ideally other core positions are filled when/where possible. The second position that should be filled is that of the implementer. From here, you will be able to branch out to additional roles as necessary. Contributing roles are still recommended and are likely to be external in this scenario, at least at the beginning.

Key Considerations¶

• The core team should be based in the country when possible; however different contexts may require an alternative approach
• The core team should be in a position to meet and collaborate with the Ministries they are working with on a routine basis.
• Ideally the team is composed of internal Ministry staff with the required DHIS2 skills and experience to maintain a high quality DHIS2 system; however it is possible to include non-Ministry staff in the core team depending on the situation
• Often there is a need during a transition period to have external DHIS2 experts either seconded to the government or part of a virtual DHIS2 core team managed by the government, while based outside the ministry, e.g. in a local University or NGO. This can be more intense during the formation of the core team and hopefully decreases as time goes in. These relationships can be maintained over the long-term however so these agencies can act as advanced support when needed.
• The key principle is to secure support and resources for implementing a long-term vision, making sure the roles and responsibilities in this team are clearly defined and that the work is funded long-term

Sustaining the Core Team¶

• In terms of financing these roles, while support can come from partners, it is vital that the core team is independent of this financing to generally strengthen the health information systems in the country. If a project is over and the team no has to dissolve as a result, this will adversely affect the DHIS2 implementation, as the core team is a long-term, strategic investment.
• Ideally funding is allocated in annual budgets - regular support through the ministries routine budgets will strengthen the sustainability of the team. If not there should ideally be an exit strategy with this in mind.
• Solid governance should direct the work of the core team; the priorities of key strategic tasks should not come from the core team itself, but from a governing body that oversees DHIS2 priorities. The core team should also report to a similar body.
• The core team should strive towards a harmonised, integrated systems. This may require some understanding and alignment with local HIS architectures and strategies along with a review of global best practices to drive this forward in a sustainable manner.
• It is important that the team has strong backing from the authorities, but at the same time freedom to hire based on competence and merit and not personal connections.

Retention Strategies¶

A significant challenge lies with retaining core team staff, particularly after they have gained skills that may be valuable in the broader global development market. In many Ministries in particular, it can be difficult to retain skilled staff that may be sought out by other agencies as they increase their expertise. It is often not possible in these scenarios to match salaries; therefore retention strategies centre around providing opportunities for personal growth. This can include:

• Participation in DHIS2 academies
• Becoming a mentor
• Becoming a regional expert in a specialized field
• Academic scholarships (masters and PhD)

Within these areas additional opportunities, such as traveling for conferences and trainings as either a participant or facilitator, can also present itself as funding opportunities become available.

Additional Core Team Principles¶

When forming a core team, a couple core principles need to be considered.

• These positions are not empty titles. The team must be ready to get their hands dirty and do the work! Appointments should not be adversely influenced by motivations external to making the system operate as effectively as possible. It is noted this is challenging in practice; however this is what is needed to have the system work well over time.
• The person(s) within these positions may not be competent in all of the necessary skills from the beginning, but must be motivated to learn how DHIS2 works and/or how it can be managed. That being said, some pre-requisite skills are needed and are discussed further in the section Forming a Core Team.
• The team itself will need long-term, dedicated support in order to invest in their own learning and support a sustainable implementation
• The team is often involved in training of trainer (ToT) activities as both participants and instructors. The HISP network will always be there for additional support, but over time the support should decrease.

The idea behind a core team is that it should be involved in all DHIS2 operations, even those it does not necessarily have a high degree of competency in yet. This means that external TA, consultants, etc. should always work with the core team when implementing a solution in DHIS2, not just build the solution and provide it to the organization like is seen in a typical client/provider relationship.

If the country partners with external TA, the external TA should support the core team by:

• Performing any new activity (configuration, training, planning, etc.) together with the core team. Depending on the competency of the team this can mean anything from providing high level explanations to detailed breakdowns and guidance
• In the beginning, this can add significant time to the implementation of projects as the core team is learning many new skills. These means some additional costs may need to be accounted for initially in order to give enough time for anyone giving external assistance to also explain items and work with the core team.
• External support can be there to support tasks initially, but over time core tasks should be driven, managed and implemented by the core team. HISPs and other TA can act as advanced support in these cases.