Analysis of Inter Organizational Relation in Urban Health Extension Program Implementation through Policy Network Analysis: The Case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2018-09
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Ethiopia‟s Urban Health Extension Program (UHEP) is an innovative government plan to
ensure health equity by creating demand for essential health services through the provision
of health information at a household level and access to services through referrals to health
facilities. The ministry of health has realized there is need for cross-sectorial support for
urban health to achieve such an ambitions policy objective. Despite the substantial progress
achieved in the UHEP, there have been considerable challenges such as unsatisfactory and
inadequate collaboration among sector offices having important roles in implementing
UHEP. By the aforementioned problems and the methodological gap the study sought to
analyze inter organizational relations in UHEP implementation through policy network
analysis. The study utilized social network approach to provide network structure and
positon of actors in resource sharing, coordination and partnership networks with in UHEP
implementation. The findings were based on 64 sample organizations and reveal that on
average UHEP implementation network had resource sharing relationships with 2.9% (low
density) and worked in coordination with 27.9% (lower density) and in partnership with
16.2% (low density) of the other UHEP implementers in the network. In the network of
resource sharing the most central or influential actor were Woreda Health Office (WHO) and
Health Center (HC). The Sub City Health Office (SCHO) has designed as the most central
actor in the coordination network by other organizations. Regarding the partnership
network, WHO was the most prominent actor in the network. The study conclude that More
organizations worked independently towards similar goals while being aware of others work
(coordination), than organizations working together as a formal team (partnership). The
study also recommended some points to improve inter organizational relation in UHEP
implementation such as policy maker should Create fluid boundaries and eliminate barriers
for working across organizations, promote private health partnerships.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Public Administration and Development
Management of Addis Ababa University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Degree of Masters in Public Management and Policy (MPMP)
Keywords
Health Extension, Network Analysis, Policy