Consortium for Health Policy and Systems Analysis in Africa

CHEPSAA African networking meetingJohannesburg, South Africa

27th– 29th January 2015

www.hpsa-africa.org

@hpsa_africa

www.slideshare.net/hpsa_africa

Introduction to CHEPSAA:

• Broad overview of CHEPSAA activities and outputs

• Some first timers + awareness beyond your own institution

• To provide a summary and to help you select your thematic area of interest

Key dimensions of CHEPSAA’s

work

1. Asset and needs assessment

2. Core competencies3. Emerging Leaders

Programme4. Curriculum

development5. Networking and

capacity for getting research into policy and practice

6. Website and social media

Assessment of African HPSR+A capacity assets and needs

Assess capacity assets and needs of CHEPSAA & partners

Assess at the individual, organisational and system level

Develop methodolog

y

Initial context mapping

Full assessment through

interviews, surveys etc.

…. many outputs, including…

• Reports: partner-specific HPSR+A asset and needs assessments

• Reports: methodological approach & comparative analysis findings

• Articles and chapters

• Assessment handbook and templates

Key dimensions of CHEPSAA’s

work

1. Asset and needs assessment

2. Core competencies3. Emerging Leaders

Programme4. Curriculum

development5. Networking and

capacity for getting research into policy and practice

6. Website and social media

Developing key competencies for all-round HPSR+A success…

• For emerging researchers & educators to reflect on the skills they need to develop

• To stimulate wider thinking about capacity development in HPSR+A

• Developed collectively in CHEPSAA

These key competencies were identified…

Category Examples

Personal skills Ability to tolerate complexity

Writing skills Articles, other publications

Project mx skills Design a study

Networking skills Build & maintain networks

HPSR+A knowledge

Working with different disciplines

Understanding health systems

Working in the system, being connected to daily realities

Teaching skills Course development, mentoring

Research skills Tool development, data analysis

These key competencies then influenced the design and structure of CHEPSAA’s flagship capacity-building activity…

CHEPSAA Emerging Leaders

Programme (ELP)

26 participants - Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa

Building a critical mass of future leaders who are committed to working in HPSR+A in Africa and

equipped with the necessary skills and capabilities

The ELP is structured as follows…

Workshop 1: July 2013

Focus on leadership, interpersonal and

communication skills

July 2013 – July 2014

Working on own projects & question; peer support

and mentoring

Workshop 2: July 2014

Focus on teaching and subject skills: complex

health systems & research

October 2014

Participating in Global Symposium on Health

Systems Research

Intangible outputs so far:

Support & inspire others

Improve teamwork and leadership

Network to solve problems

EL tangible outputs

• Hosted an organised session at the 3rd Global Symposium

• Improved teaching practice • Improved facilitation skills• Improved ability to facilitate

communication appreciatively• In the future: • Reporting on the EL evaluation

Key dimensions of CHEPSAA’s

work

1. Asset and needs assessment

2. Core competencies3. Emerging Leaders

Programme4. Curriculum

development5. Networking and

capacity for getting research into policy and practice

6. Website and social media

Curriculum development

• 2 CD workshops held (curriculum development specialist included)

• Courses developed and then piloted to test and build skills

• Report on Principles of good curriculum

• Step-down workshops (spread) • Institutionalizing courses: CHP

teaching intro. to CAS

Key dimensions of CHEPSAA’s

work

1. Asset and needs assessment

2. Core competencies3. Emerging Leaders

Programme4. Curriculum

development5. Networking and

capacity for getting research into policy and practice

6. Website and social media

A variety of networking types..

CHEPSAA internal networking:

• Curriculum w/shops

• management meetings

Networking with other networks:

• African Schools of Public health

• Health Systems Global

General HPSR+A communityConference presentations, link through web & social media

In-country meetings

dissemination, meet with like-minded colleagues (e.g. NG & TZ)

Key dimensions of CHEPSAA’s

work

1. Asset and needs assessment

2. Core competencies3. Emerging Leaders

Programme4. Curriculum

development5. Networking and

capacity for getting research into policy and practice

6. Website and social media

CHEPSAA uses its website and social media to network and spread useful HPSR+A information…

Website: news, events and so much more

• Teaching materials - CHEPSAA courses - Links to Readers - Case materials • Knowledge resources: - Classic texts in HPSR+A- CHEPSAA outputs - Other free teaching and research

resources - 260 unique views each month (since

2011)

Assessment to action• Structure of the entire programme of

work…– Asset and needs assessment = CHEPSAA

foundation • …also visible in more specific activities /

day-to-day processes– Assessment of HPSR-relevant courses prior to

developing courses– Monitoring of annual work plans & various

activities to adjust and reprioritise • Participants develop common picture of key issues• Stimulates thinking about possible priorities & activities• Facilitates flexibility and adaptability over time

Collective and partner level

• Key objectives consistently pursued at collective and partner-levels:– Asset & needs assessment: collective

and country analysis / publications– Curriculum development: collective

workshops, but also partner workshops and review of courses

• Push forward on key activities and common interests• Allows creativity, adaptation and unique activities in local settings

Allowing for emergence• Broad boundary: CHEPSAA goal, objectives, protocol

– Fluid, open and flexible• But:

– The work is affected by many contextual realities– Impossible to predict, pre-plan and pre-determine all

• So:– Allow for the emergence of new interests and activities

relevant to goals and objectives of project

• Example: Emerging Leaders Programme

• Good ideas bubble to the surface• Keeps participants interested and engaged – space to develop• Facilitates flexibility and adaptability over time

“Open access”• All outputs licensed open access

– Easy to distribute, use and adapt

• Very transparent about our activities and processes– Not just presented the most polished outputs

to the world…– …also wrote about annual meetings,

curriculum processes, in-country workshops• Supports maximum distribution and usefulness to end-users• Various areas of learning and inspiration for others who do similar

work

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This document is an output from a project funded by the European Commission (EC) FP7-Africa (Grant no. 265482). The views expressed are not necessarily those of the EC.