Table 1.
HRH-related constraints and possible variables to measure constraints
| Constraint | Possible indicator | Data availability and potential source |
| Individual characteristics | ||
| Gender | Proportion of women in the workforce by skill level | MoH statistical data and/or workforce census |
| Social class and ethnicity of staff | Representation of health workers from minority groups | MoH statistical data and/or workforce census |
| Demand for medical training | Number of applicants per training position | Medical training institutions |
| Disease | HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among health workers | MoH statistical data and/or surveys |
| Health service level | ||
| Team building and interaction | Number of team meetings and supervisions | Survey |
| Surpluses, shortages and skill mix at health service level | Proportion of health staff working in correctly staffed services | MoH statistical data and/or surveys |
| Physical working environment | Proportion of health staff working in correctly equipped services | MoH statistical data and/or surveys |
| Health sector level | ||
| Salary level and monetary incentives | Salary grids in absolute terms | MoH and/or MoF statistical data |
| Performance management and productivity | Existence of frameworks for managing the collection and use of performance evidence (including carrier plans) | MoH policy documents surveys on productivity |
| Composition of workforce and skill mix | Shortages or surpluses of staff in particular occupations or professions / Appropriately skilled workers for addressing priority diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB) | MoH statistical data and/or workforce census |
| Geographical imbalances | Distribution of appropriately skilled workers across regions | MoH statistical data and/or workforce census |
| Retention policy | Existence of retention policy | MoH policy documents |
| Health sector reform | Improvements in performance and responsiveness to adjust staff roles | Surveys |
| HRH policy and planning | Planning of future HRH availability and requirements | MoH policy documents |
| Training capacities | ||
| Training | Number of trainees per skill level | Medical training institutions |
| Retraining | Number of re-trainees per skill level | Continuous medical training institutions |
| Socio-political and economic context of a country | ||
| Multisectoral approaches | Quality of exchange among different interest groups and ministries | Policy documents and/or complementary assessments |
| Migration | Number of health staff migrating | MoH statistical data and/or workforce census |
| Governance and overall policy framework | Political stability, priority attached to social sectors, decentralization, civil service rules, etc. | Policy documents and/or complementary assessments |