The Knowledge library

Journal Articles

Improved Human Resources for Health Policies and their Effects on the Christian Health Association of Kenya

CapacityPlus conducted an evaluation of Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK)  facilities that participated in the nationwide adoption by CHAK and the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops of a comprehensive policy on human resources for health (HRH) (supported by USAID through the Capacity Project and subsequently through CapacityPlus and the bilateral Capacity Kenya project). The evaluation confirmed important changes in CHAK's institutional capacity, HRH culture, and management practices.

Understanding and Valuing the Broader Health System Benefits of Uganda’s National Human Resources for Health Information System Investment

This case study describes Uganda’s Human Resources for Health Information System (HRHIS), implemented with support from the Uganda Capacity Program and CapacityPlus, and documents perceptions of its impact on the health labor market against the backdrop of the costs of implementation. Through interviews with end users and implementers in six different settings, the article documents pre-implementation data challenges and considers how the HRHIS has been perceived to affect human resources decision-making and the health care employment environment.

Successful mLearning Pilot in Senegal: Delivering Family Planning Refresher Training Using Interactive Voice Response and SMS

This article in the June 2015 issue of Global Health: Science and Practice highlights the results of an assessment CapacityPlus conducted in Senegal of a prototype mLearning system that uses interactive voice response (IVR) and text messaging on basic mobile phones. IVR allows trainees to respond to audio recordings using their telephone keypads. The pilot included offering a refresher training course on the management of contraceptive side effects and misconceptions to 20 public-sector nurses and midwives in working in Mékhé and Tivaouane districts in the Thiès region. The authors concluded that the mLearning system proved appropriate, feasible, and acceptable to trainees, and it was associated with sustained knowledge gains.

Identifying Approaches and Tools for Evaluating Community-Based Medical Education Programmes in Africa

The PEPFAR-funded Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) aims to support
medical education and research in sub-Saharan African institutions. The intention is to increase the quantity, quality, and retention of graduates with specific skills addressing the health needs of their populations. While many MEPI programs include elements of community-based education (CBE), such as community placements, clinical rotations in underserved locations, community medicine, or primary health care, the challenge identified by MEPI-supported schools was the need for appropriate approaches and tools to evaluate these activities. This article, co-authored by Rebecca Bailey and Heather Ross of CapacityPlus, outlines the process of identifying tools that, with modification, could assist in the evaluation of CBE programs in participating MEPI schools.

Evaluating Community-Based Medical Education Programmes in Africa: A Workshop Report

PEPFAR's Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) supports medical schools in Africa to increase the capacity and quality of medical education, improve retention of graduates, and promote regionally relevant research. Many MEPI programmes include elements of community-based education (CBE) such as: community placements; clinical rotations in underserved locations, community medicine, or primary health; situational analyses; or student-led research.CapacityPlus and the MEPI Coordinating Center conducted a workshop to share good practices for CBE evaluation, identify approaches that can be used for CBE evaluation in the African context, and strengthen a network of CBE collaborators.This report describes key insights from the workshop, and highlights plans for CBE evaluation among the MEPI institutions.This workshop clearly demonstrated the widespread interest in improving CBE evaluation efforts and a need to develop, implement, and disseminate rigorous approaches and tools relevant to the African context.

Graduate Tracking Systems for the Medical Schools in Africa: Processes for Developing an Implementation Framework

Human resources for health are critical for effective health systems. In Africa, the number of doctors and nurses required to provide essential health services will be deficient by an estimated 800,000 in 2015. Numerous interventions have been implemented to mitigate these shortages; tracking graduates from African universities is critical to determine whether interventions are effective. Based on a community of practice theory, a Graduate Tracking Technical Working Group was established within the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) network. The group, with CapacityPlus, developed graduate tracking requirements for MEPI institutions and countries through a collaborative process. A framework was created to guide the establishment of graduate tracking systems consisting of seven core processes or elements: 1) general requirements; 2) locate graduates; 3) collect/update information; 4) search and view information; 5) create tracking survey tools; 6) manage tracking survey response data; and 7) generate reports. CapacityPlus’s Dykki Settle contributed to this article in the journal’s MEPI supplement issue.

Community-Based Education Programs in Africa: Faculty Experience within the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Network

This article examines the various models, challenges, and evaluative efforts of community-based education programs at Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) schools and makes recommendations to strengthen those programs in the African context. Data were gathered from 12 MEPI schools. All schools reported a number of challenges in meeting the demands of increased student enrollment. Planned strategies used to tackle these challenges include motivating faculty, deploying students across expanded centers, and adopting innovations. Although the programs have similar goals, their strategies for achieving these goals vary. To identify approaches that successfully address the challenges, particularly with increasing enrollment, medical schools need to develop structured models and tools for evaluating the processes, outcomes, and impacts of community-based education programs. Such efforts should be accompanied by training faculty and embracing technology, improving curricula, and using global/regional networking opportunities. CapacityPlus’s Rebecca Bailey and Christopher Deery contributed to this article in the journal’s MEPI supplement issue.

Assessing the Relevance, Efficiency, and Sustainability of HIV/AIDS In-Service Training in Nigeria

This article presents the results of an assessment of HIV/AIDS in-service training provided to Nigerian health workers through funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). CapacityPlus conducted the assessment with an online survey tool developed using the In-Service Training Improvement Framework. A total of 39 partners providing PEPFAR-funded in-service training in Nigeria completed the survey. The survey captured the landscape of the types of training provided; the cadres of health workers receiving training; and the processes, procedures, and resources used by partners over the period January 2007–July 2012. Based on the findings, the authors make a number of recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS in-service training in Nigeria.