Biometric Tracking of Attendance: Evidence from the Ugandan Health Sector

Health worker absenteeism impedes Uganda’s progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and reduces trust in healthcare system quality and dependability, two factors crucial during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a randomized design developed in close collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office Delivery Unit (PMDU), we propose to conduct a pilot evaluation of implementing biometric tracking of attendance (fingerprint scans to mark the beginning and end of a shifts) in the health sector. The pilot activity described here will focus specifically on gathering data related to implementation issues, evaluating the feasibility of using biometric technology to track attendance by assessing quality and reliability of the data, and testing the impact of using biometric attendance tracking on absenteeism during a 6-month follow-up period.