What is the Joint Action?

The Joint Action (JA) on European Health Workforce (HWF) Planning and Forecasting is a three-year programme running from April 2013 to June 2016 that brings together partners representing countries, regions and interest groups from across Europe and beyond, including non-EU countries and international organisations. The JA is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the European Action Plan for the Health Workforce, which highlights the risk of critical shortages of health professionals in the near future.


WHAT IS THE TOOLKIT ON HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING?

The Toolkit is a collection of practical tools: protocols, guidelines, checklists, check-sheets, fact-sheets and rating scales developed and designed to help countries to adapt standardised HWF planning processes. These newly designed tools are collected to address the gaps and provide directions for achievable and manageable solutions that foster the development and support the daily operation of HWF planning.


WHAT IS THE UTILITY OF USING THE TOOLKIT ON HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING?

O The tools provide support through the identification of process bottlenecks, key components of HWF planning and the stakeholders to be involved. Additionally, they aim to formulate appropriate questions and develop a plan for implementation.
O The Toolkit helps understanding the current state and existing weaknesses of HWF planning and directs attention to possible points of improvement.
O Countries can adapt the toolkit to suit their own circumstances and choose the tools they find the most useful. (Although we mostly refer to national-level HWF planning, the Tools can also be used at the regional level. Depending on the structure of HWF planning, even less formal planning systems can benefit from it.)
O Tools do not address every situation in HWF planning, nor do they explain everything in detail. However, they support and facilitate the implementation of the minimal steps, processes and actions, thereby enabling an overall improvement in HWF planning.


How to use the Toolkit on Health Workforce Planning?

1) Click on "Registration" and log in
2) On the "Main" page you can see several points that cover different topics in HWF planning
3) Read the background materials uploaded to the menu ("User manual", final report at "Readings")
4) Carefully read the general description of the Toolkit, Symbols and the Tool types in the "User manual" and at the "Toolkit" menu
5) Read the Recommendations, since they are interlinked with the tools
6) Set the date for your first self-evaluation and use the Toolkit annually/biannually to follow up the improvements (revision of the tools are first possible 3 months after the first completion of the Toolkit)
7) Start from the Introductory tool of "HWF Planning Pathway Model" and Captain Planning will guide you to the next steps
8) You can also pick one question on the "Main" page or at the "Toolkit" that matches your interest the best and browse within the tools
9) Complete the whole Toolkit and always save your scores at the bottom - otherwise your scores will be lost - then check your results at "My map"
10) Revise your previous scores annually/biannually and add your new ones after a developmental phase.