Leadership
Leaders from both the SCM and HRH communities need to take action toward the development of efficient, effective, and sustainable health supply chains. The Ministry of Health has the principal responsibility for the health supply chain workforce direction, including setting goals, developing HRH policies, strategies and plans, and mobilizing champions. Strong leadership and commitment from the Ministry and its senior staff, and a willingness to advocate for a competent supply chain workforce with other public-sector institutions and nongovernment stakeholders, is vital. Supportive supply chain leadership is needed from the minister of health and senior health officials, certainly those engaged in HRH polices, planning, and budgeting, but also at departmental, regional centers, and health facility levels. This entails not only having an HRH unit in the Ministry of Health but making sure this unit is cognizant of SCM needs, and working in concert with the SCM unit. Some countries are moving toward more effective SCM systems; in Rwanda, the Logistics Management Unit is hiring qualified staff, and Liberia and Zambia have Logistics Management Units in charge of all SCM functions.
- Achievable activity: Organize a technical working group consisting of Ministry of Health supply chain, human resources, and budget and planning staff, to produce a concept note with action recommendations for Ministry leadership on the SCM workforce.