Unpacking the policy landscape for implementing an Information Communication Technology (ICT) based in Human Resources Management tool in government health sector in Bangladesh: Findings from a policy review

Introduction: In Bangladesh, to address the challenges of ensuring adequate human resources for health (HRH), the government began implementing a digital tool for HRH management in 2017. However, evidence suggests institutionalizing such tools in low-and-middle-income-countries are impeded by policy aspects like implementation strategy and poor regulatory framework. We aimed to explore factors in the current policy landscape that might facilitate and challenge the implementation of the tool in Bangladesh.Methods: We conducted a review of policies related to ICT implementation and human resources management in health sector in Bangladesh using qualitative content analysis method. Twelve policies have been identified and comprehensive reading was done to ascertain common themes and patterns. A document analysis matrix was developed to synthesize and help interpreting the findings. Results: Regarding facilitators, strong upstream level commitments were reflected in the content of policies in terms of setting out specific objectives, targets, timeline, and budget allocation. However, lack of explicit monitoring strategy and extent of stakeholders’ engagement was not well-defined, ultimately create chances for making downstream implementation disjointed. In addition, effective coordination among stakeholders and different HRH and ICT policies could be strengthened. Discussion: Findings support the current discourse that national commitment plays a vital role in integration of ICTs in health services. However, well-defined monitoring strategy and inter-ministry and intra-ministry policy coordination is crucial.