Solina currently provides technical assistance to the DHPRS to develop and implement a medium-term institutional capacity strengthening roadmap to strengthen the capacity of the department to effectively deliver on its mandates. This support includes conducting a baseline assessment to identify capacity gaps across domains relevant for the effective functioning of the department, developing a costed plan to fill the gaps sustainably, mobilizing and galvanizing resources towards executing the plan, and providing technical assistance to implement the plan.

With support from Solina, the DHPRS has restructured its organizational structure to a simple and effective system with well-articulated mandates and clear reporting lines. The department also identified the required personnel to support the revised structure (including number, qualifications and competencies documented in job descriptions for all roles) and got the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health (PSH) to institute a committee to mobilize personnel to fill the gaps through redeployment of existing staff and fresh deployment.

The department also instituted a broad staff skill-building program to upskill its staff on all skills relevant for them to execute their job roles (including leadership, management and core technical skills). 53 mid and senior-level staff of the department are currently on the program and have recorded significant improvement in their skills resulting in improved organizational productivity.

The DHPRS also designed and is implementing a novel and pace-setting performance management system to drive continuous staff improvement. The performance management system has been approved by the PSH and is being viewed as a potential model for a civil service-wide reform of the existing performance management system.

Other successes recorded on the program include the development of standard operating procedures and workflows for all major activities, mapping and analysis of all stakeholders supporting various activities in the department, optimization of the forums for stakeholder engagements (including internal meetings e.g., departmental and divisional meetings, as well as external meetings including the Top Management Committee, Health Partners Coordinating Committee, and National Committee on Health meetings). The DHPRS also implemented various strategies which have reaffirmed adherence to the code of ethics of the civil service and core values of the FMOH.