8/13/2019 Case a HRIS for Mid Term

1/4

Case Study: Developing an HRIS Step SolutionImmediate implementation of a mature software-based HRIS such as theiHRIS Suite is sometimes not feasible or appropriate (see igure !"# ore$ample% the re&uired infrastructure to support this type of system may notbe in place% or there might not be people on staff with the re&uired e$pertiseto support it# 'he need to implement an HRIS solution &uicly can taeprecedence over maing these long-term improvements# )fter assessinge$isting HR information systems% data management tools% processes%technical support staff and operational procedures% it may mae more senseto put in place a *step solution* instead#

Figure 1. Over the five-year Capacity Project, HRIS strengthening activities

were initiate in ten !frican countries" this #ap shows where #ature HRISwere insta$$e, where step so$utions were i#p$e#ente an where no HRIS isyet in p$ace.) step solutionto manage human resources for health (HRH" data is aninterim solution building on e$isting HR tools and systems% which can bedeployed &uicly to immediately address pressing problems# 'hen% you canimplement gradual improvements to the step solution and proceed step bystep to the final goal of a mature HRIS# 'his iterative process reduces the

8/13/2019 Case a HRIS for Mid Term

2/4

effect of too much change occurring too rapidly% creates an opportunity forcapacity development among system owners and allows time to collectadditional data re&uired to address ey policy and management &uestions#Data collectors and managers% technical support staff and decision-maersreceive training at each stage% become comfortable with the new system and

then tae the ne$t step when they are ready#Some e$amples of step solutions include: Convert a paper-based system to an electronic register% using a

spreadsheet program such as +icrosoft ,$cel Convert an electronic register to a database% using a destop database

program such as +icrosoft )ccess ,$pand an e$isting database to capture additional data Improve data collection formseither electronic or paperto reduce

redundancy and inaccuracies% and ensure all re&uired data fields areincluded

Improve data-&uality procedures to reduce errors in the system and

validate e$isting datasets Create linages among e$isting systems and improve data flow among

users and producers of HRH data#.e applied all of these measures to improve the HRIS in Swa/iland withoutinstalling a mature HRIS such as iHRIS +anage# 'his case study describes thesteps we too in Swa/iland to illustrate how such a step solution may beimplemented% if appropriate% in your conte$t#'he Situation in Swa/iland'he +inistry of Health and Social .elfare (+0HS." in Swa/iland neededbetter HRH data# 1o one had a complete understanding of where healthworers were deployed or what 2obs they were doing# Some employees were

not taen off the payroll after leaving the +inistry3s employment and became*ghost worers* in the system% receiving a paychec even though they nolonger wored for the government# Since worers were not removed fromthe system% replacement worers were placed in incorrect positions 2ust sothey could be put on the payroll% maing the system unreliable for worforcemanagement and planning#)n HRIS assessment in Swa/iland revealed the sources of these problems#HR data were stored in separate systems% some electronic and some paper-based% which were not lined# Information flowed slowly between systemsand didn3t reach everyone who needed it% so that systems were not updatedor errors were introduced# 'he systems also could not be &ueried to produce

analyses or reports#'he country3s Staeholder 4eadership 5roup prioriti/ed re&uirements for acomprehensive solution: Create electronic records for all health care staff% regardless of

employer (including the private sector" Include additional data items relevant to HRH% such as registration

numbers and facility codes Institute tight security to protect access to data

8/13/2019 Case a HRIS for Mid Term

3/4

Complement rather than duplicate an e$isting 6ublic Service HRdatabase#

'o &uicly address these problems% the Capacity 6ro2ect developed a stepsolution and implemented it over time# 'he 6ro2ect too the following

steps:1. Develop a data collection form to include additional data items anddistribute it to health facilities to capture a snapshot of current healthworer data#

2. 6rogram a simple database in +icrosoft )ccess to run alongside thee$isting 6ublic Service HR database and hold records of non-6ublicService health worers#

3. 5enerate a staffing report from both databases and circulate it to allhealth facilities for updating and correction to validate the accuracy ofthe new data# +ae corrections in the +icrosoft )ccess database#

4. Institute data-&uality procedures to improve the accuracy and

timeliness of data inputs#5. ,stablish a monthly updating process and develop forms to capture

data changes# 7pdates are regularly made to each database separatelyby the owner of that database#

6. Combine records from both databases to produce a single dataset thatis updated monthly% enabling reports and analysis on all health worersin the country#

'he +icrosoft )ccess database is installed in a server at the +inistry of 6ublicService and is updated centrally by the +0HS.3s 6ersonnel department# 'hedatabase is protected by a .indows login# Confidential information is onlyaccessible by authori/ed staff from the office of the 6rincipal 6ersonnel

0fficer% but summary reports and simple staff listings are available to allstaff#Reporting is done through a simple user interface% maing &ueries on HRdata very easy# Several standard reports were created for regular access%while detailed &ueries can be completed using +icrosoft ,$cel pivot tables#)ll offices at the +0HS. building are connected to the database% but accessis limited to printing standard reports# 'he office of the 6rincipal 6ersonnel0fficer prints and distributes reports to users who are not directly lined tothe databases#'he step solution has improved information flow between various systemsand among groups that use HR data (see igure 8"# Health worforce data

from the original 6ublic Service HR database are downloaded monthly intothe new HRIS database# Reports from this database are sent to healthfacilities and departments# 'he facilities and departments use these reportsto send monthly updates to the +0HS.#

8/13/2019 Case a HRIS for Mid Term

4/4

Figure %. Infor#ation f$ow in Swa&i$an using an e$ectronic HRIS 'stepso$ution.' (he re ite#s refer to new syste#s an process that wereinstitute as part of the step so$ution.'he step solution facilitated data reconciliation among the separate systems%and we identified a large number of discrepancies# 'hese range from simple

data-entry errors to the elimination of the *ghost worer* problem#'he +0HS. used new and accurate data to analy/e vacancies and managedeployments% as well as to develop the country3s long-term Health .orforceStrategic 6lan#