Abstract
Objectives
The decentralization of the Philippines’ health sector in 1991 sought to improve the efficiency of local health resource allocation; however, local officials were unprepared for the increased responsibility. In 1999 the Philippines Department of Health, with assistance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), implemented the Philippines Field Management Training Program (FMTP) to provide local health officials with the managerial skills needed to perform their new, more responsible jobs. This paper addresses whether the FMTP has provided participants with useful managerial skills needed for their more responsible positions.
Methods
The method involved reviewing program outcomes, including results of applied management improvement projects the participants completed to solve managerial problems.
Results
Between 2000 and 2010, 294 participants completed the FMTP and many were later promoted to more responsible positions. The participants also completed 204 applied management improvement projects resulting in documented improvements in service delivery, information systems, logistics, health insurance, policy and laboratory outcomes. Examples of their successes are included in this paper.
Conclusions
The results provide compelling evidence that managers are using the skills learned to solve significant managerial problems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fernandez M, Armstrong C, Arnold N, Pieche S (1990) Mid-term Evaluation of the Field Epidemiology Training Program. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDABI966.pdf. Accessed 25 Jul 2013
Grundy J, Healy V, Gorgolon L, Sandig E (2003) Overview of devolution of health services in the Philippines. Rural Remote Health 3(2):220 (Epub 2003 Jul 1)
Kolehmainen-Aitken R, Newbrander W (1997) Lessons from FPMD: decentralizing the management of health and family planning programs. Newton, MA: management sciences for health, office of health, population and nutrition, US Agency for International Development
Lakshminarayanan R (2003) Decentralisation and its implications for reproductive health: the Philippines experience. Reprod Health Matter 11(21):96–107
Lariosa T (1999) Effect of devolution on the Philippine National Tuberculosis and Control Program Case Studies. WHO. Health Sector Reform. Tropical Disease Research. Final Report No. 960698—Negative impact of devolution on health services
Larsen M, Gulis G, Pederson K (2012) Use of evidence in local public health work in Denmark. Int J Public Health 57:477–483. doi:10.1007/s00038-011-0324-y
McEwan E, Conway M, Bull D, Malison M (2001) Developing public health management training capacity in Nicaragua. Am J Pub Health 91(10):1586–1588
Mills A, Vaughan J et al (1990) Health system decentralization: concepts, issues, and country experience. World Health Organization, Geneva
Pappaioanou M, Malison M, Wilkins K et al (2003) Strengthening capacity in developing countries for evidence-based public health: the data for decision making project. Soc Sci Med 57:1925–1937
Potvin L (2013) Wishful thinking will not do it! Practitioners and decision-makers need tools to implement evidence-informed public health. Int J Public Health 58:491–492. doi:10.1007/s00038-013-0474-1
Setliff R, Porter J, Malison M, Frederick S, Balderson T (2003) Strengthening the public health workforce: three CDC programs that prepare managers and leaders for the challenges of the 21st century. J Public Health Manag Pract 9(2):91–102
Sogoric S, Dzakula A, Vukusic Rukavina T, Grozic-Zivolic S, Lazaric-Zec D, Dzono-Boban A, Brborovic O, Lang S, Vuletic S (2009) Evaluation of croatian model of polycentric health planning and decision making. Health Policy 89:271–278
Umble K, Brooks J, Lowman A, Malison M, Huong N, Iademarco M, Laserson K (2009) Improving management training capacity in Vietnam’s national tuberculosis program: an evaluation. Int J Tub Lung Dis 13(2):238–246
World Bank (1992) Governance and development, Washington, DC
World Health Organization Western Pacific Region (2013) Non-communicable diseases. http://www.wpro.who.int/philippines/areas/noncommunicable_diseases/en/. Accessed 28 Aug 2013
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
M. D. Malison has retired from CDC Southeast Asia Regional Office, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA.
E. H. Howze has retired from the Sustainable Management Development Program, Center for Global Health, CDC, USA.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sucaldito, N.L., Tayag, E.A., Roces, M.C.R. et al. The Philippines Field Management Training Program (FMTP): strengthening management capacity in a decentralized public health system. Int J Public Health 59, 897–903 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0603-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0603-5