Table 3 Effectiveness and efficiency

Effectiveness and Efficiency

Capacity for delivering performance

Need for strategic planning, setting aside differences and indifference

We can’t stop urbanisation or people coming in and putting up homes in Selangor; those are beyond our jurisdiction [pause] … but what we can control and improve are the capacities of our human resources, logistics, joint efforts among our own units. … In the smaller districts, I see more cooperation … but in the bigger districts, it is more difficult to put aside the differences and work together … too many agendas [laughs].

(Senior Management 2)

Healthcare personnel development

Trimming excesses, empowering workers, transparency in the workflow process, listening with empathy, engaging the right instrument for the work

We can allocate more funding to rent more vehicles used for fogging activities … hire more temporary workers … purchase more chemicals for vector control … but is it effective or efficient when the healthcare personnel that implement or take part in the prevention and control activities … [pause] [lowers head] … lack the necessary characteristics or skills?...So you must made sure they [decision makers at the district level] are well trained and motivated as well. … The chain of command must be developed to ensure that resources are mobilised to deliver good services to the community … .

(Inspectorate and Legislative Unit 3)

The need for leadership to spearhead the programme

Differences between leadership and management, micro-management versus macro-management, the ability to direct and navigate

Officers in charge of vectors must be able to connect the dots to see the big picture … to prevent an outbreak from progressing to hotspot status. They must be able to understand the factors and deal with them … or correctly pinpoint the problem …. But what I see is … a vector officer gets too immersed in the day-to-day unimportant matters. … Leave those non-urgent matters to your U32 or U29. … Put more focus on the bigger and more important things …. To stay effective … we need to be able to step back … .to focus on the bigger picture … get it [emphasise].

(Vector-Borne Disease Unit 3)