How to Conduct a Rapid Situation Analysis - A guide for health districts in South Africa

South Africa has embarked on a journey to implement the District System throughout the country. All district-level health services (community-based health care, clinics, health centres and district hospitals) within a particular boundary must now come together under a single management structure. This will allow more relevant, appropriate and effective health planning and promote better collaboration with the private and traditional health sector, other social service departments and the community.

One of the most important requirements for all this to happen is INFORMATION. This allows people to act and make decision on an informed basis. The Initiative for Sub-District Support has also found that the process of collecting information for a district helps to make the health district concept more of a reality. This manual is designed to help newly appointed district managers and Interim District Management Teams to rapidly collect the information required to produce a comprehensive situation analysis of a health district.

The structure and framework in this manual for producing a report on a health district has been used in a number of districts across the country, and has been found to be useful. We wish you luck in the creation of a health report for your district! At the end of this manual, there is a form on which we invite you to send us your comments on how this manual can be improved for the future. An electronic copy of this manual can be obtained from Health Systems Trust by sending a stamped and self-addressed envelope big enough to contain a computer diskette.