IHRIS Lessons Learned

This page is for collecting lessons learned from the HRIS Strengthening and iHRIS Software Project, to be used in reporting results, building a knowledge base and other Y5 dissemination efforts. Please add to this page to build the collection. You can add your own thoughts under each subhead or add additional items as subheads.

Comprehensive stakeholder identification and involvement from the beginning

Stakeholders don't know about each other and available data sources. For example, the Chief Nursing Officer in Tanzania expressed dismay at ever knowing how many nurses worked in the public sector or how well qualified they were. One floor down, in the same building, in the TZ Nursing Council, we found extensive work on an Access database with all licensed and registered nurses in the country. Brought them together in the SLG. (HRIS Strengthening presentation)

Advantages of FOSS

FOSS offers the best supported, most cost effective model. (Need examples.) (HRIS Strengthening presentation)

Documentation of our HRIS strengthening process

We have some of this now but it was difficult to learn at first until these docs were put together (Angie)

Collaboration and sharing of ideas and experiences across countries

Keeping the team informed of progress in one country and how to use that experience/information to make lives easier with similar projects in other countries. For example, one HRIS Advisor may plan a DDDM workshop but that knowledge wasn't necessarily transferred to the team such that another Advisor could learn from the experience and mistakes in order to host a DDDM in another country (Angie)

Inter-country sharing prevents mistakes from being repeated, leverages successes and ensures continuity. (HRIS Strengthening presentation)

HRIS leadership

I found it challenging to assert leadership in some places perhaps due to being new. For example, in Namibia Dykki was introduced as the HRIS expert in the assessment interviews. In later implementation work people often asked for Dykki and thought they needed to work with him directly. I'd like to find a better way to keep Dykki involved in the country field support activities without taking any leadership away from the technical lead. (Angie)

Along the same lines, the line of command isn't/wasn't always clear. I still find it somewhat confusing to know when I go to Dykki for approval vs. when I need the approval of the country point person vs. when I need the Chief of Party to approve. In some cases Dykki would approve and then the country point person would find out and give me a different answer. This didn't happen often but I think it was often enough to illustrate that not all of us understand the chain of command and responsibility. (Angie)