Population planning program management: the role of health administration programs

An international survey of educators, program managers, and donors was undertaken to assess the current status of education for population planning (P/P) program management. Most respondents perceived a high level of need for management training in the population field. This perception was less likely to be held by health administration program directors, however, whose programs for the most part had only limited experience or interest in addressing this need. P/P program directors indicated that regional training institutes and the local P/P program itself were the most frequent source of management training, although the sample as a whole perceived that training to be of lower quality than what would be offered by U.S. and Canadian universities. The major improvement desired in such training related to the appropriateness and effectiveness of teaching methods and content. Planning, needs assessment, and goal setting was seen to be the area of greatest training need.