[workforce-planning] Goals for First Iteration of Workforce Planning Software

[Shannon Turlington]

Greetings, everyone-

Our next steps for developing iHRIS Plan, the Workforce Planning
Software we discussed in the workshop held back in December, were to
write a brief summarizing the outcomes of the workshop and to draft the
specifications for the first version of iHRIS Plan, the workforce
planning software. The brief has been drafted and is undergoing internal
review; I hope to be able to distribute it to you soon.

We have also finished a first draft of the specifications. An important
first step was to identify the goals for the software. These are: 

1st iteration - planned release for June 2008

1) Develop a proof-of-concept tool that will enable workforce planners
to generate projections quickly using the minimum dataset that will
yield meaningful results. 

2) Build the software on top of a simplified version of the WHO HRH
Workforce Projection Model (the John Dewdney version). 

3) Provide help, documentation and guidance inside the software to teach
basic workforce planning concepts to users. 

4) Create a simple, wizard-like user interface to simplify using
workforce projection models. 

5) Outputs should include graphical projections and a strategic
workforce plan. 

Later iterations

1) Enable users to input more data, if available, and generate more
complex, robust and sophisticated projections by adding in other
components of the WHO HRH Workforce Projection Model (Hall/Hornby
version). 

2) Provide guidance inside the software to help users with making
credible assumptions where data are lacking. 

3) Improve and build on the WHO HRH Workforce Projection Model. 

Following on these goals, we have developed a summary of the features
and functions for the first iteration of iHRIS Plan, based on John
Dewdney's simplified version of the WHO HRH Workforce Projection Model,
and we have started a list of questions remaining for discussion. I will
be following up on these in later emails. 

We intend for the software development to be a highly collaborative
process, so please send any feedback about these goals to the mailing
list for discussion.

We are keeping the specifications up to date on our iHRIS Software Wiki,
and I invite you, if you are interested, to visit the wiki:
http://open.intrahealth.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page#Workforce_Planning_
Software_.28iHRIS_Plan.29. Please feel free to post comments/suggestions
there or send them to this mailing list.

Thank you,
---
Shannon Turlington
Senior Systems Development Manager
IntraHealth International/The Capacity Project
sturlington at intrahealth.org | 919-313-9131