Project Identification and Appraisal Practice of Public Health Projects Executed in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia
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Date
2022-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
To improve the healthcare delivery system and health status of the population in our country, multiple projects are being implemented with huge funds. But how these projects are identified
and appraised is unclear. Project identification is important for establishing an objective ranking of potential projects, effective matching of skilled resources to the right project, avoiding overallocating limited resources, and project success. This study aimed to assess how public health projects are identified and appraised in governmental organizations with a specific case of projects led by the Gurage Zonal Health Department. The primary sources of project ideas, criteria used for project selection, the role of key stakeholders, and the level of their involvement were explored. The study used a descriptive research design and mixed research approach, with semi-structured interviews as the primary data source and analysis of organization documents as the secondary source of data. Almost half (48.3%) of the study participants reported that public health projects implemented in the Gurage zone in the last five years are originating from the development agencies that funded them. The sponsoring organizations were promoting the projects based on the experience of others and success stories in different settings. More than one-third (34.5%) of the study participants stated projects were executed because they are part of the government plan. Only 17.2% of the study participants reported projects were demand-driven based on a need from beneficiaries or results of problem analysis. Consistency with the government priorities and policies, reported by 27.6% of the study participants, is the major criterion that were used to select public health projects in the study setting followed by compatibility with the requirements of the donors. Technical, administrative, and financial feasibility of the intervention with more emphasis on the availability of the resources to implement the project were other major selection criteria reported by the study participants. The rapid appraisal was reported to be performed by a quarter of the study participants but only 10.3% of the study participants revealed a need assessment survey was conducted for public health projects implemented in the zone. More than half (55.2%) of the study participants responded that the success of projects was evaluated but the commonly used criteria were delivering the project within the allocated budget and the scheduled time. Only 3.4% of the study participants reported that stakeholder satisfaction is considered a criterion to decide the success of projects.
Keywords: Project, Identification, Appraisal, Public Health, Project Management