Preparation for planning is the first step towards the development of the plan. Planning itself requires considerable time and resources. It should, therefore, be planned and budgeted for and funds made available. The planning team is expected to set aside adequate time for preparation, which may take two weeks as proven by some experiences.
Health Planning at district level
The health sector reform policy recognizes that the district is the most important operational level for implementing the primary health care (PHC) strategy. Financial and managerial responsibilities will therefore be decentralized to the district level. This new role poses a challenge to the district health managers, who are responsible for the planning and management of district health services. One important new task for the district health managers is decentralized planning which allows a closer understanding of different needs and demands of communities. This in turn allows effective community participation and equity in the provision of health services.