logic and therefore no high levels of labour turnover are observed as can be seen from
the data in Figure 13.3.
Questionnaire data
Data in Figure 13.3 shows that the majority of employees have been employed for more
than 18 years. The question that remains unanswered is, despite the fact that staff were
highly dissatisfied with the job, why would they still continue working in the same dis-
trict for years. One of the explanations may lie in what we call ‘dead woods’ in compe-
tence based human resource management. That is, if we have employees who feel that
they are at the end of the road in their professional career and performance they may opt
to remain in the organisation and this tendency would be encouraged if the management
finds them indispensable. Low level of education may be a contributing factor because
it limits both career and job opportunities. Most employees (73%) had standard seven
education and surprisingly there were also those who had just completed standard four
only (11%). Among these, 50% had opportunity to get professional training while the
remaining 50% learned informally on the job. Nurses were trained in four areas but
mostly in VCT, which is more of a national training programme for combating HIV
AIDS than a locally initiated programme. Other types of training were on integrated
mother and child illness (IMCI), sexually transmitted infection (STI) and maternal and
child healthcare (MCHC). Therefore, local authorities and staff may find working to-
gether just a marriage of convenience rather than any other explanation. Therefore, con-
centrating efforts on improving staff morale and motivation seems to be important, not
for reducing staff turnover but improving service delivery.
Table 13.2 Years of service of human resource for health at Korogwe District Council
Years of service Number of employees Percent
1-17 3 12
18 - 28 17 65
29 - 39 6 23
Total 26 100Innovations to motivate staff
Money as a motivator
One of the innovations for improving performance is to use financial and non-financial
incentives. Unlike the older fashion of thinking that said money is no motivator, most
studies today have confirmed that money does motivate staff (Dessler 2005). The
Korogwe District Council had plans to use money as a motivator to improve perform-
ance as part of the open performance appraisal system. According to the plan, each
health centre was to get Tshs 3,000,000 and a dispensary Tshs 1,000,000 for rewarding
the best employees based on criteria to be laid down. This strategy was perceived to be
an effective means of motivating staff by ninety six percent of those surveyed. One mid-
wife had the following to say as part of the excitement about the idea:
... If they give us one million to compete for I think I will be in my office before 6.00 am
because even if get one hundred thousand it is a lot to me. (Comments from Assistant Nurse-
translated from Swahili version)