Practices of implementing and monitoring the progress of health sector strategic plan: The perspectives of the council health managers in Tanzania

Abstract

Objective: The research objective was to assess the practices of implementing, monitoring and evaluating the Health Sector Strategic Plan IV(HSSPIV) in Tanzania Mainland.
Participants: This research involved a quantitative sample of 290 from 23 councils and a qualitative sample of 15 council health managers from 15 councils.
Methods: We used mixed-method research. Data were collected using a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. We collected data on practices of implementing, monitoring and evaluating the HSSPIV. Data were analysed using descriptive and thematic analyses.
Results: We found that the council health managers generally used nine practices recommended by experts to implement, monitor and evaluate the HSSPIV. Specifically, our study has found and described five practices the council health managers used to implement the HSSPIV. Also, the study identified and described four practices the council health managers used to monitor and evaluate the progress of achieving the results set out in the HSSPIV.
Conclusion: Overall, the study evidence suggest that the council health managers generally used practices recommended by experts to implement, monitor and evaluate the HSSPIV. We recommend that the council health managers should continue to use the identified practices to implement future HSSPs. Future studies should be done to identify practices associated with health sector strategic results
in Tanzania Mainland