Human Resources for Health (HRH) Research Activity

USAID Human Resources for Health Activity (HRH2030) is a $141 million, five-year project that helps countries develop the qualified healthcare force needed to achieve global health goals. The motivation and retention of health workers have been considered one of the most critical challenges of the Jordanian health sector, as highlighted in the Ministry of Health’s Strategic Plan 2013-2017. However, the lack of knowledge on the underlying factors has limited the possibilities to address these challenges. Supporting the Ministry in its efforts to develop a human resource strategy that reduces retention, HRH2030 initiated a study to close this knowledge gap. As a local organization with strong knowledge of the Jordanian health system, Mindset was contracted in 2016 by Chemonics to participate in data collection and research, together with the Royal Tropical Institute as an international partner.

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The research used a mixed-methods design, thus combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. The survey sample included over 1,200 health workers and over 100 managers from randomly selected health centers across Irbid, Ma’an, Zarqa and Amman governorates. In addition, qualitative data was collected through over 50 interviews and 8 focus groups. The study generated rich knowledge on human resource practices, motivation, leave intentions and respective reasons, allowing for articulating meaningful recommendations for the Ministry of Health.