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Health managers are considered essential at both the strategic and operational levels of health systems. Health sector managers at central or national levels oversee the strategic direction of the sector as policy makers, managing overall resource allocation and monitoring policy targets and outcomes. At operational levels, managers are responsible for converting health systems input and resources such as finance, staff, supplies, equipment and infrastructure, into effective services that produce health results. A continuing emphasis on decentralization in developing countries makes the need for managers with the right skills even more essential. However, health systems in developing countries lack data and information regarding health service managers. While most health workforce statistics record the availability of various cadres of health professionals, as currently structured, they do not provide information on the actual roles played by health professionals, many of whom play management and other roles in addition to their professional tasks. The managerial function is rarely a part of human resources for health management (HRH) development plans. This report outlines a rapid descriptive assessment to gain an initial understanding of the management workforce for service delivery in Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania and to test selected criteria for assessing managers as part of the health workforce.