Influencing Government Health Budgets in Tanzania: A Guide for Civil Society

The purpose of this booklet, published by the Health Policy Project (formerly Health Policy Initiative), is to inform civil society organisations (CSOs) on how the health budget is developed in Tanzania, and to suggest entry points where advocates can seek to influence change, especially around increasing the allocation of resources to health and ensuring more efficient use of these resources.

"Section 1 provides information on the context of health as a right in Tanzania and current government allocations to health. It provides a brief overview of the roles of CSOs in the development of government budgets and the rationale for engaging in health sector budget advocacy.
Section 2 reviews some basic concepts and important steps in the advocacy process, and mentions a few tactics and strategies that are recommended for Tanzanian CSOs.
Section 3 provides information on the health system in Tanzania and key structures to be aware of when wanting to influence change, particularly as they relate to budget allocations or monitoring. It also provides information on how the government health budget is structured and developed, and highlights entry points and timing at both the National and Local Government levels for successful health budget advocacy.
Section 4 provides three CSO case studies on government budget advocacy; two at the National level and one at the District level. These case studies provide information on how the advocacy agenda was framed, which advocacy strategies/approaches were used, and the results."