How to create more supportive supervision for primary healthcare: lessons from Ngamiland district of Botswana : co-operative inquiry group
Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Open
Abstract
Background
: Supportive supervision is a way to foster performance, productivity, motivation, and retention
of health workforce. Nevertheless there is a dearth of evidence of the impact and acceptability of supportive
supervision in low- and middle-income countries. This article describes a participatory process of transforming
the supervisory practice of district health managers to create a supportive environment for primary healthcare
workers.
Objective
: The objective of the study was to explore how district health managers can change their practice to
create a more supportive environment for primary healthcare providers.
Design
: A facilitated co-operative inquiry group (CIG) was formed with Ngamiland health district managers.
CIG belongs to the participatory action research paradigm and is characterised by a cyclic process of
observation, reflection, planning, and action. The CIG went through three cycles between March 2013 and
March 2014.
Results
: Twelve district health managers participated in the inquiry group. The major insights and learning
that emerged from the inquiry process included inadequate supervisory practice, perceptions of healthcare
workers’ experiences, change in the managers’ supervision paradigm, recognition of the supervisors’ inadequate
supervisory skills, and barriers to supportive supervision. Finally, the group developed a 10-point consensus on
what they had learnt regarding supportive supervision.
Conclusion
: Ngamiland health district managers have come to appreciate the value of supportive supervision
and changed their management style to be more supportive of their subordinates. They also developed a
consensus on supportive supervision that could be adapted for use nationally. Supportive supervision should be
prioritised at all levels of the health system, and it should be adequately resourced.
Description
CITATION: Nkomazana, O., 2016. How to create more supportive supervision for primary healthcare: lessons from Ngamiland district of Botswana : co-operative inquiry group. Global Health Action, 9(1):1263, doi:10.3402/gha.v9.31263.
The original publication is available at http://www.tandfonline.com
The original publication is available at http://www.tandfonline.com
Keywords
Supportive supervision, Health personnel, Supervisory relationships, Health workers, Primary
Citation
Nkomazana, O., 2016. How to create more supportive supervision for primary healthcare: lessons from Ngamiland district of Botswana : co-operative inquiry group. Global Health Action, 9(1):1263, doi:10.3402/gha.v9.31263