The process of health-sector reform in South Africa brings with it the decentralisation and delegation of some of the planning and management functions from the national to the provincial and from the provincial to the district and local levels. Evidence suggests that this process of decentralisation has caused an element of confusion and ineffectiveness among planners at the sub-provincial level. In 1996, partly in response to this challenge, the donor agency, Lux-Development, launched a technical assistance project in one local service area in the Eastern Cape, with the objective of developing competence among HR planners and other health managers. Nearly ten years on, a concern has been raised as to whether the project is having the anticipated impact in terms of improved job performance of the target group. The aim of this study is to conduct a situational assessment of HR planning in Mnquma, with the objective of finding out what the key obstacles are, as perceived by the...