A Brief Guide to the iHRIS Software Suite

To ensure that the right health care provider is in the right place with the right skills, countries require current, accurate data on human resources for health (HRH). A strong human resources information system enables health care leaders to quickly answer the key policy and management questions affecting service delivery.

A human resources information system (HRIS) is an integrated system for managing information used in HR decision-making. A complete HRIS links all HR data from the time health professionals enter pre-service training to the time they leave the workforce. Typically, the system is computerized and consists of:

  • A database for storing the information
  • Software for entering and updating data
  • Reporting and analysis tools.

Many developing countries already use an HRIS, but often one that relies on paper forms or electronic files in different departments that do not link together. Putting in place a centralized, electronic HRIS achieves the following goals:

  • Improves the accuracy and currency of HRH data
  • Tracks workers as they move through the health system
  • Decreases the labor required to maintain the HRIS
  • Enables decision-makers to quickly aggregate, analyze and use data.

The iHRIS Software Suite

iHRIS Suite logo

CapacityPlus develops Open Source HRIS solutions to supply health sector leaders with the information they need to assess HR problems, plan effective interventions and evaluate those interventions. In addition to software, we provide a program of technical assistance and expertise to ensure that the technology is transferred effectively, and we help decision-makers use data to lead and manage. Our participatory approach results in systems that are appropriate for the context in which they are used and sustainable after we leave.

CapacityPlus offers the following three core systems, each addressing a specific HRH leadership issue:

  • iHRIS Qualify. This system resides with the licensing or certification authority for a health worker cadre. It captures information about health professionals in the cadre from the time they enter pre-service training through registration or certification and licensure. The system also tracks continuing education attained by health workers, deployments and out-migration requests.
  • iHRIS Manage. This system resides with an employer of health workers, such as the Ministry of Health. It tracks detailed information about health workers throughout their employment, including where they are deployed, salary history, promotions, qualifications, in-service trainings completed and reasons for attrition.
  • iHRIS Plan. This component analyzes data collected in other HRIS to enable decision-makers to project future workforce needs and make effective planning and policy decisions. It gives a picture of the current health workforce and projects how that workforce will change based on known influences such as retirement, the number of trained workers annually entering the workforce and other factors. The model compares the actual workforce to projected health workforce needs, illustrating the gap between the two.

Live working demos of all three systems are available at: www.capacityproject.org/hris/suite/

When used together in a country setting, these three systems provide a powerful feedback loop for analyzing, planning and managing workforce resources and needs. All three solutions use the same core programming, database architecture and supporting hardware and software systems. Therefore, once one is fully deployed, the other two can be added at a significantly lower cost. Each of the three systems may also be deployed independently or integrated with software products already in place to provide a customized, contextual solution for the country, filling in any gaps that existing systems may have left.

Software Requirements

Installing the full iHRIS Suite requires an Apache Web server, MySQL database software and PHP programming language. We have chosen Open Source versions of all supporting software to reduce the costs involved in deploying our information systems. A system administrator who is knowledgeable in setting up and maintaining a server computer and these software programs is essential. An Internet connection or local area network is also required to enable multiple users to access the system.

Why Open Source?

Open Source software is computer software distributed under a license that allows anyone to study, copy and modify the source code and redistribute the software in modified or unmodified form, without restriction.

Under the Open Source General Public License (GPL), all three iHRIS software programs can be downloaded, used and modified with no licensing fee. We can distribute our software at minimal cost, and by modifying the code themselves or downloading free upgrades, users can improve their systems without paying onerous upgrade fees. Employing Open Source technologies provides access to a global support community, which, on a volunteer basis, can support the software, answer questions, fix bugs and develop new modules.

A customizable Open Source system is more likely to meet a country's specific needs than off-the-shelf software. Easy to change and expand, an Open Source system can be developed rapidly in response to newly discovered needs. The result is a completely tailored but still low-cost system that can grow and adapt over time.

A customized Open Source solution addresses common barriers to entry while laying the groundwork for future system growth. Open Source applications are network-friendly and widely considered to be the most secure. Because Open Source technologies are based on standards, Open Source systems integrate well with existing systems, and all data can be easily exported if the user chooses to move to a different system in the future. All of these factors make Open Source technology the best choice for quickly implementing low-cost HRIS in developing countries.

For more detailed information about our products and our work, visit www.capacityplus.org/hris. To learn more about our individual software products, see our other one-page guides: