Right Recruiting, Better Outcomes: Enhancing Ward Development Committees' Performance in Primary Health Care Facility Management

Ward Development Committee is a community-based citizens’ representative group that aims to promote community participation and ownership in PHC system, these committees are meant to serve as a vital link between communities and health facilities by identifying health and social needs, mobilizing local resources, and ensuring accountability in service delivery, however, there are concerns about their recruitment processes. Hence, this study examined influence of recruitment on the performance of WDCs’ in PHC facility management in Southwest, Nigeria. Arnstein’s typology of citizen participation theory was adopted. Arnstein explored and explained the citizens’ participation & decision- making power. A descriptive survey research design was employed, utilizing quantitative research methods including surveys and in-depth interviews. Population includes 3415 WDC Members; 683 Officers In-charge; 63 Medical Officers of Health. Multi-stage sampling procedures was used to select samples. While an adapted questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed and presented through descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlation, multiple regression analysis at a significance level of P = 0.05. The result showed that there is significant influence of recruitment, with a weighted mean of 2.28 and a standard deviation of 0.98, the data underscores need for greater transparency and de-politicization of recruitment processes on WDCs, recruitment had a Beta coefficient of 0.592, t-value of 12.786, and p-value of 0.000, indicating a strong positive influence. The findings underscored an important point which was the detrimental effect of political interference in the recruitment process of WDC members. The study concluded and strongly recommended for adherence to provisions as stated in the National guidelines for the development of PHC System in Nigeria that ensured a merit-based recruitment process with qualified, competent, and community-endorsed individuals, inclusive of traditional leaders and health workers inputs.