The Capacity Project's human resource information system (HRIS) strengthening process is designed to foster better understanding of the current health workforce picture in a given country. This understanding prepares decision makers to effectively plan for recruitment, training and retention of health professionals. They will know enough to deploy the right health workers in the right places to meet their health care needs. Ministries of health and finance can work together, and with donor agencies, to finance the employment of the needed workers. Governments can begin to better understand the cost benefit of wise, targeted investments in health care.
In the Capacity Project's approach, many stakeholders are involved. Ministries, licensing and certification bodies, private-sector organizations and other stakeholders work together to develop a mature and complete HRIS that tracks health professionals from the time they enter training until they leave the health workforce. In each country, a Stakeholder Leadership Group has ownership of the HRIS, and the Capacity Project's efforts focus on developing their capacity to use, support and improve the system even after the Project's assistance has ended.