Assessment and Policy Recommendation on Managers’ and HR Personnel’s Knowledge and Skills in Human Resources for Health Development and Management in Health Region 2, Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the capacity, knowledge and skills in the development and management of human resources for health (HR); and to make policy recommendations for enhancing knowledge and skills in HR development and management, all among HR managers and personnel at the health regional level. Under this mixed methods study, quantitative data were collected using the human resources scorecard or form prepared by the Office of Civil Service Commission and the self-assessment of roles in HR management form of the Ministry of Public Health, while qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study involving purposively selected informants, including HR managers and personnel of 14 agencies in Health Region 2 was conducted from 15 April through 15 June 2022. Quantitative data analysis included descriptive statistics (numbers, percent, means, standard deviation, and green-yellow-red color-code assessment), while content analysis was used for qualitative data. The results showed that: (1) based on the overall assessment of the human resources scorecard information, health agencies had their HR operations in all eight elements – managers’ leadership; personnel quality enhancement atmosphere; performance evaluation; learning and development; personnel management system; quality of life, the environment and facilities; welfare; and acceptance and merit recognition; (2) based on the overall assessment of the role in HR management of health agencies, the element that had been fully implemented was human resources management; (3) for policy recommendations, efforts for enhancing knowledge and skills in HR development and management should be made in the following four aspects: (i) laws, regulations, steps and procedures issued by the central administration in relation to regional health reform; (ii) modern information technology for the management of Big Data using modern management principles; (iii) response to changing situations in all dimensions; and (iv) laws, regulations, steps and procedures in relation to health decentralization. In this regard, regional/ general hospitals, provincial public health offices, regional health offices, educational institutions, and the Office of Civil Service Commission should take the policy recommendations to develop a plan for improving knowledge and skills of personnel, and undertake HR management aiming for excellence in response to decentralization to Health Regions and mission transfer to local administrative organizations in the future.