ABSTRACT
Objective Making sure the right type of health workers are available in the right place is crucial to achieve universal health coverage. The Global Fund Strategic Initiative 2020- 2023 aims to improve the distribution of health workers at decentralized level in Chad, DRC, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. Within this project, technical support is provided to governments to strengthen priority setting processes for the selection of health workforce interventions. This study aims to share lessons learned on the contextualization of technical support across five different countries. Methods Between September 2021-February 2022, for each country, a document review was done to understand health worker issues and the policy context. An inventory was made of available health workforce data and evidence. About 15 stakeholder per country were interviewed on their roles, knowledge, interests and power related to health workforce issues. An institutional capacity assessment studied the capability of ministry of health to facilitate the priority setting process. The researchers collected lessons learned on the contextualization process using project update sheets. Results Contextual factors that played a role in the adaptation of technical support were decision space at decentralized level, covid-19 pandemic, travel security, fiscal space for health workforce interventions, stakeholders views on health workers issues, stakeholder's interest and political support for specific interventions, data and evidence base, timing of future policy processes, presence and potential synergy with other technical support projects and capacity of the government health workforce focal point in convening stakeholders. Discussion This is one of the first studies reporting on technical support for priority setting for health workforce interventions. In contextualizing technical support a broad range of factors need to be taken into account which may be relevant for other settings too. In contextualization a critical reflection is needed on the influence of the funder and provider of technical support.