Sensitization Workshop on HRMIS in Health Sector for NE States Strengthening State HR Information System in Bihar (www.healthhrisbihar.org) Presented by Mr. Arvind Kumar System Analyst-cum-State Data Officer State Health Society, Bihar (www.statehealthsocietybihar.org) 16 March 2013 State Health Society, Bihar has initiated innovative use of information technology to strengthen its human resource management efforts. In collaboration with NHSRC, B-TAST, IntraHealth and HISP India, began work on developing a Human Resources Information System late 2010.

Bihar- An Overview Population (as per 2011 Census, Provisional population estimates) = 103,804,637 Division = 9, District = 38, Subdivision = 101, Blocks = 533, No. of Govt. Health Facilities = 11702;Sadar Hospital (District Hospital) = 36, SDH=44, Primary Health Centre = 533, Additional Primary Health Centre = 1330, Health Sub Centre = 9696 , Referral Hospital = 67

The HRH Context Limited availability of accurate, current and timely data on human resources HR planning and management is difficult due to the data limitations (e.g. contract renewals) Goal: Establish a functional HRIS to inform HRH decision making Effective Human Resource Planning and Management in Health requires a strong HR Information System.

The Process Identify a nodal officer and constitute a state level team Conduct stakeholder consultation and system requirement study Identify priority HR issues to guide the HRIS strengthening efforts Define role and responsibility at each level Develop tool, prototype and Pilot in Siwan district Build capacity of appropriate staff on data quality, entry and software customisation Verify data quality ( includes cross validation with other sources) Define guidelines and protocols for routine updation and review Develop job aids, user manuals and training material Had a stakeholder consultation to identify priority HR issues i.e deployment, retirement and contract planning to guide creation of an HRIS Conducted an analysis of existing HR systems, IT capacity, data collection formats and data flow processes. Oriented the district staff on data quality and state IT team on software aspects Data collection tools and guidelines are available on SHSB website

System Design Principles User-based Decentralised Interoperability Flexibility Scalability Sustainability Open Source Chose an open source HR application viz. iHRIS While selecting a software tool to built the HRMIS, these guiding principles were adhered to.

E-Health Architecture

Key Results Staff Directory created for each facility &at all levels Directory includes over 47,500 staff, with job title, facility location, joining date, specialty, and other characteristics List of staff by cadre and employment type (contractual & regular staff) Doctors directory includes record of medical colleges & hospitals With these reports generated, sufficient information is available to guide decisions on important issues such as deployment, contract renewals, retirement planning. An important achievement was listing doctors under different cadres

Cadre-wise Doctors Status Cadre Description Regular Employees Contractual Employees Tenure Total State Health Services 2771 Medical Education Cadre 1053 77 78 1208 Ayush Cadre 272 1216 1488 Ayush Medical Education 133 District Health Services 2226 4229 3519 7826

HR Availability in Bihar Designation Total number Regular Contractual Tenure Doctor 7826 4229 3519 78 Nurse A Grade 3750 918 2832 ANM 16460 8333 8127 No. of Specialist 1233 1023 178 Other Employees 18492 13764 4728 Total 47,729 28267 19384 Data Source: State HRIS, Feb 2013

Insert screen shots of few important reports It shows the deployment of health staff within the district by designation and health facility. One can find information about the total number of regular and contractual staff and their retirement and contract end dates. For more information on various reports you may like to see the live site

Data Use- Few Examples Data for PIP reports Deployment decisions (transfer, promotion, deputation) Contract renewal/termination Departmental Proceedings Judicial queries

Lessons Learned Key HR data like position title need to be standardized Staff need capacity building in operating the HRIS and using data for decision making Start simple; tackle sensitive issues once system is more established Data can highlight problems and help inform solutions Establishing a useful HRIS is an iterative process that requires both time and active engagement of the key stakeholders.

Challenges Training and motivating staff to prioritize the HRIS and collect the needed data Allocation dedicated HR to manage work Establishing a regular mechanism for data updating, review and use Strong and continuous technological support services Data collection is challenging and requires training of appropriate staff at all levels. Regular data update, review and use is important but one has to plan for a longer term to see that the use of HRIS becomes a habit and culture.

Current Focus HRIS Review and Monitoring Committee focusing on HRIS capacity building, scale up, and use Strengthening the HRIS Cell in order to effectively manage and operate the new HRIS and conduct other HRH functions Conducting training at different levels to promote the use of data for improved HR planning, development and management Adding new HRIS modules like training Integration with HMIS to monitor facility performance State Health Society and its HMIS team has offered leadership at various levels. Programme, HR and establishment team is engaged to support scale up and use. Efforts are on to strengthen the HR team at the State Health Society Once the current work is completed, additional modules like training can be added to the HRIS. State leadership is committed to strengthen its HRIS for improved workforce planning and management for better service.

For more information write to: statehealth_society@yahoo.co.in Thank you Human Resources for Health is vital for the delivery of quality healthcare services especially to the poor and deprived sections of the community residing in remote and difficult areas. For more information write to: statehealth_society@yahoo.co.in