Strategies for stakeholders’ engagement in the provision of health services: the case of immunization and vaccine development program in Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Stakeholders engagement has become an important component for making successful implementation of projects. In Tanzania, like any other country, projects in the health sector aim at improving the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the healthcare system. Immunization and Vaccine development (IVD) program engages stakeholders to support its implementation and to ensure its goals are achieved. However, limited empirical evidence exist regarding how stakeholders are involved in different stages of project. This paper aims at exploring strategies for engaging stakeholders in the development and provision of health services in Tanzania.

Method: This study adopted a qualitative approach and data were collected using in-depth interview and analyzed using thematic approach. A total of 16 participants were interviewed and included staff from IVD program, regional and council health management teams and IVD program stakeholders.

Results: The study identified strategies used by IVD program in engaging stakeholders in development and provision of vaccination services in Tanzania. These include mapping of stakeholders, communicating programs’ objectives to stakeholders and involving stakeholders in different program activities. Additionally, different means of communicating with stakeholders have been identified. Several barriers have been mentioned to affect stakeholder engagement in managing projects. They include lack of stakeholders’ engagement plan, lack of stakeholders’ communication plans and unavailability of formal stakeholders’ analysis matrix.

Conclusion: The IVD program uses several strategies to engage their stakeholders for the successful implementation of program activities; however, the unavailability of stakeholder engagement tools such as stakeholders’ analysis matrix, stakeholders’ communication plan and stakeholders’ engagement plan present weakness for engagement. This calls for an urgent need to address this challenge to have effective stakeholders’ engagement.