Identified health challenges and needs include timely,
efficient health care services; poor human resource
management; poor performance of health personnel
resulting in poor quality of services; negative attitudes
and low motivation of health care workers; and a general
feeling of despondency amongst health care workers
due to limited opportunities for career advancement and
performance reward systems (WHO 2000:1). The importance
of performance management in the health workforce is
regarded as ‘essential to improving efficiency, productivity
and quality of care’ (South Africa 2011).