Pharmaceutical Supply Chain in Ethiopia: Strengthening HR Management and Practice 

(2023 – Present)

In November 2023 with support from the Gates Foundation, AIHA launched a new project to strengthen human resource management and practices in Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical supply chain workforce to improve the availability of pharmaceutical commodities throughout the country. Click here to read the news release announcing the project.

“Efficient medicines supply systems are integrally linked to strong health care systems. Adequate human resources, sustainable financing, comprehensive information systems, and coordinated healthcare partners and institutions are key components to ensure uninterrupted availability and accessibility of essential medicines. Long term supply strategies are absent in many countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.”

          – World Health Organization

The project is focusing on building the capacity of the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Service (EPSS) in areas including division of labor, workflow management, and collaboration with the private sector. In response to identified gaps, AIHA is building institutional and human resource capacity at EPSS through targeted training and mentorship on financial management, leadership, communication and information management, and other critical competencies.

Furthermore, this project leverages AIHA’s expertise in building the capacity of the health workforce and provides support through various capacity building and leadership training AIHA has been delivering through other projects we’ve been implementing in Ethiopia with Gates Foundation support, as well as those supported by other funders.

Project Start Up Activities

The AIHA team joined EPSS leadership for a project kickoff meeting in Addis Ababa on Dec. 13, 2023.

AIHA and a team of EPSS leadership conducted a kickoff meeting in December 2023 to lay the groundwork for the first year of the project. They finalized the project workplan Jan. 3, 2024, with key focus areas being:

  • Determining efficient division of labor;
  • Developing strong, effective leadership;
  • Strengthening human resource policies, practices, and leadership capacity;
  • Researching and establishing optimal physical resource capacity, including office space and necessary equipment and resources;
  • Designing an efficient information management system;
  • Developing effective work flow management policies and procedures;
  • Exploring national and regional South-South partnerships with the private sector, such as Ethiopian Airlines, Coca-Cola, and other similar organizations in Kenya, Tanzania, or South Africa; and
  • Exploring opportunities to establish a twinning partnership that will allow EPSS staff to learn from the experiences of a similar institution in Africa or elsewhere.

In March 2024, a project team attended the People That Deliver (PtD) Global Indaba in Bangkok, Thailand, to learn about workforce solutions to supply chain issues from more than 250 of their peers from some 60 countries around the world.

AIHA engaged an expert consultant team who, in June 2024, conducted an organizational capacity and needs assessment of EPSS’s Human Resource Administration and Development Workforce. The main purpose of this assessment was to examine  competencies and gaps of the EPSS workforce, in particular the HR department, leaders across other departments, and the record keeping and documentation team at both the head office and eight selected regional hubs in Addis Ababa (2), Arba Minch, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Jimma, Jigjiga, and Shire.

The assessment was conducted based on EPSS’s HR Competency Framework, its current guiding document, which uses knowledge and capability as core competency parameters and four levels – intrinsic, essential, advanced, and strategic – as competence status measures. Accordingly, the two parameters and four status measures were used in AIHA’s assessment to help EPSS build upon its own existing framework.

A key goal of this project is to ensure equal access to pharmaceuticals throughout Ethiopia by training relevant human resources and establishing effective policies and practices. Improving capacity and efficiencies will help the country move medicines and related supplies first from warehouses to communities and then to the people who need them.

Key Assessment Findings

Assessment findings are being used to develop an HR Improvement Plan and Competency Graduation Model, which is serving to guide project activities moving forward. The organizational assessment revealed that most existing deficiencies fell into the following three categories:

  • Policy Gaps – Lack of HR policies on record management, standards, procedures, and continuous professional development  for non-health staff.
  • System Gaps – Absence of responsible units for occupational health and safety and risk management; limited access to working equipment (e.g., computer); weak planning and processes for succession, career development, coaching, and mentoring; delayed automation of records management systems, especially at the hub level; lack of knowledge management and sharing systems; and limited access to capacity development and experience sharing.
  • Capacity Building – Knowledge and skills gaps were identified across key competency areas for all categories of study participants; lack of working manuals and standard operating procedures such as customer management, succession planning, and career development.

Working in close collaboration with the EPSS team and other stakeholders, AIHA is addressing these critical gaps through a variety of targeted, evidence-based capacity-building interventions. AIHA is also in the process of recruiting several subject matter experts drawn from the Ethiopia Diaspora, who will be placed within the EPSS HR Directorate to provide on-site technical assistance and mentoring to help bridge gaps in existing human resource capacity.

AIHA and EPSS celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of 26 EPSS trainees from our Leadership Incubation Program for Health on August 1, 2025.

In support of this objective, AIHA is drawing on the human resource and training capacity we’ve already built through our Leadership Incubation Program for Health (LIP-H) to develop strong, effective leaders at EPSS. Click here to read a brief overview of the first training session, which was conducted Nov. 18-22, 2024, and click here to read “EPSS Staff Members Complete Six-month LIP-H Training Course,” an article about the graduation of the first cohort.

 

As of September 2025, we have:

  • Conducted a capacity assessment of the HRDD
  • Introduced LIP-H training for the EPSS HR Directorate Head Office, as well as at 19 regional hubs, and conducted an LIP-H for EPSS training module customization workshop to adapt existing leadership content to the EPSS HR and supply chain context
  • Graduated the first cohort of 26 EPSS staff (21 men and five women) through the customized LIP-H course, which includes classroom sessions and experiential learning through shadowing and coaching sessions
  • Delivered a Skills Development training of trainers (TOT) course on Hire to Retire (H2R) to 20 people with the first four human resources management (HRM) modules focusing on organizational management, personnel management, time management, and payroll management; this H2R training has since been cascaded to 71 trainees (including 43 women) from 19 EPSS hubs
  • Delivered a three-week User Acceptance Training on all four modules of H2R to 36 people from all EPSS hubs
  • Provided another TOT course on four additional HR modules covering topics such as advanced H2R recruitment, managerial self-service, employment self-service, training and event management, and personnel development to 17 people
  • Conducted three rounds of workshops to develop an EPSS performance management system, including a validation workshop
  • Conducted a three-week Joint Supportive Supervision on Supply Chain Management training in Adama
  • Drafted a Human Resources Management Regulation in Amharic and English
  • Working with EPSS staff, consultants, and partner organizations, developed a Human Capital Management for Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management Training Package, including participant’s manual, facilitator guide, and power point presentations, and delivered an initial TOT for 20 people
  • Developed an HRD Supportive Supervision Tool, revised an existing Staff Satisfaction Tool, and conducted an orientation on both to facilitate more effective collection of data
  • Supported multiple trainings and workshops, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) training for HR staff, a
    Performance Management System (PMS) training, and Human Capital Management (HCM) training
  • Developed an HR supportive supervision tool and conducted supportive supervision visits in three regions
  • Developed a staff satisfaction survey tool and job descriptions for EPSS staff
  • Initiated communication with Ethio Telecom and Coca-Cola to explore local twinning partnership opportunities
  • Initiated communication with the Medical Stores Department (MSD) in Tanzania for a potential exchange visit
  • Supported the development of HR regulations, HR directives, and a service taxonomy in alignment with the new proclamation granting EPSS semi-autonomous status
  • Facilitated the registration of SAP certification training for 50 EPSS staff members
  • Participated in the 7th Annual Review during which AIHA received recognition for our pivotal contribution to improving EPSS’s operations
     

Key elements of training provided through the project focus on giving EPSS staff a comprehensive overview of pharmaceutical supply chain management (PSCM) to help them gain insights into the key components of pharmaceutical supply chains, including procurement, warehousing, distribution, and regulatory compliance. It also explains the importance of human capital management (HCM) and the role of human resource professionals in ensuring PSCM efficiency and performance improvement. The overall objective is to equip participants with a foundational understanding of how pharmaceutical supply chains operate and the critical role that human capital plays in ensuring their efficiency and resilience.

 

Twinning Partnership to Build Institutional and Human Resource Capacity

During the February 2025 exchange, Transaid partners and the project team meet with Abdulkedir Gelgelo, EPSS Director General.

In September 2024, AIHA established a twinning partnership between EPSS and Transaid Worldwide Services, a UK-based organization with significant experience working with African governments and organizations to build their capacity. Transaid is providing technical assistance to the EPSS team to strengthen and expand its human resources capacity and processes. Transaid has already completed a situational analysis and is in the process of preparing an action and implementation plan in collaboration with the EPSS team. Next steps for the partnership include implementation support and documentation.

The Transaid partners conducted second visit to EPSS in February 2025 where they met with the Director General and discussed priority areas identified by Transaid during November 2024 situational analysis. They also conducted a one-day workshop attended by 18 stakeholders, which culminated in the development of an action plan that was shared with the EPSS Chief of Staff and endorsed for implementation.

Key accomplishments of the EPSS / Transaid twinning partnership to date include:

  • Conducting a comprehensive situational analysis to assess current conditions and identify priority areas for improvement
  • Developing a targeted action plan together with the EPSS team based on assessment findings
  • Conducting a workshop to develop a comprehensive project implementation plan

Partners from EPSS and Transaid during a planning workshop.

Transaid partners visit an EPSS warehouse during an exchange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planned activities for 2026 include:

  • Conduct experience sharing and learning exchange for EPSS HRD leadership and staff to MSD Tanzania
  • Provide Human Capital Management training
  • Support professional certification courses on Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP) in Data Processing, which helps organizations integrate and automate finance, procurement, supply chain, human resources, and logistics functions; improve data accuracy and information flow across departments; enable real-time decision-making through centralized data; and increase efficiency, transparency, and accountability in operations
  • Support the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and implementation in HR
  • Support Health sector reform
  • Finalize HR regulation and directives, service taxonomy, organizational structure, competency framework, and exam blueprint  preparation

 

 

Updated November 7, 2025.