Training needs assessment of national non-communicable disease program managers in India

Abstract

Background: One of the important reasons for health programs working sub-optimally in real life is the lack of management skills among program managers. Non-communicable disease (NCD) control program in India was launched in 2010 and many changes have been introduced in program scope and guidelines. This along with frequent turnover of trained staff has necessitated development of effective training programs. This Training Needs Assessment (TNA) was conducted to identify gaps which could be addressed through training of program managers. Methods: Twenty-four districts from 12 states across India were included in the TNA to ensure geographic representation. A TNA tool was developed by a group of experts along with program managers of nonparticipating states keeping in mind the managerial responsibilities under the program. Tool had qualitative, quantitative and self-rated competency components. Experts carried out in-depth interviews of NCD program officers. A descriptive analysis was carried out to identify training needs. Results: TNA was carried out in 12 states spread in all six zones of the country. A total of 41 persons were interviewed, 38% had a postgraduate degree (MD/MS/Diploma), median number of years of employment in the state service was 16 years (range, 2-39 years), median duration of posting under program was 3 years (0.3-6 years). Major areas of training needs were communication skills, training in basic inventory management methods, finance management, standard protocols for management of NCDs, standardized reporting system and referral mechanism among others. Conclusions: The TNA brought out important gaps in managerial skills which were relevant for developing a need-based training programme. The study also threw light on numerous program implementation challenges from the program managers' perspective.