Health Education Advanced Leadership for Zimbabwe (Healz): Developing the Infrastructure to Support Curriculum Reform

Abstract

An economic crisis in Zimbabwe from 1999–2009 resulted in a shortage of faculty at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) and declining enrollment and graduation rates. To improve proficiency and retention of graduates, the college sought to develop a competency-based curriculum using evidence-based educational methodologies. Achievement of this goal required a cadre of highly qualified educators to lead the curriculum review and innovation processes. The Health Education Advanced Leadership for Zimbabwe (HEALZ) program was established in 2012 to rapidly develop the needed faculty leadership. HEALZ is a one-year program of rigorous coursework delivered face-to-face in three intensive one-week sessions. Between sessions, scholars engage with mentors to conduct a needs assessment and to develop, implement, and evaluate a competency-based curriculum. Forty scholars completed training from 2012–15. All participants reported they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the training after each week. Pre-post surveys identified significant knowledge gains in all key content domains. The program garnered significant organizational support. Scholars showed significant variation in progress toward implementing and evaluating their curricula as well as the quality of the work demonstrated by program end. Interviews of scholars and UZCHS leaders revealed important impacts of the program on the quality and culture of medical education at the college.

Interventions to strengthen the leadership capabilities of health professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

“…We included a broad category of technical, public health or health systems topics (33%) to capture a range of quite specific topics that appeared in some LDPs, such as curriculum development ( Aagaard et al , 2018 ), stigma of mental illness ( Abdulmalik et al , 2014 ), biostatistics ( Kebede et al , 2010 ; Matovu et al , 2011 ) or an update on HIV/AIDS ( Nakanjako et al , 2015 ). These topics were grouped together because they were considered specifically technical, rather than relating to broader leadership or management issues, and often related to the particular context in which the LPD was taking place in.…”

Health research capacity building of health workers in fragile and conflict-affected settings: a scoping review of challenges, strengths, and recommendations

“…Studies indicated that maintaining a consistent stream of participants was difficult. Many studies reported that registrants dropped out potentially because HRCB initiatives distracted them from original duties, while other studies revealed that there was a small number of staff and projects in FCASs to engage local participants, potentially due to staff turnover and the lack of a financial incentive to contribute to HRCB interventions [ 39 , 41 , 45 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 55 , 56 , 58 ]. Securing and maintaining local funding for HRCB initiatives was also considered a logistical challenge across FCASs.…”

“…Studies reported that HRCB programmes were largely driven by funding from the Global North given the limited resources within FCASs, yet following implementation of HRCB, this scarcity in local funding led to limitations in follow-up and long-term support [ 40 , 41 , 44 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 57 ]. In addition, time allocated to conduct HRCB intervention was often less than adequate [ 41 , 44 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 ]; one particular study highlighted the risk of having week- or month-long programmes fall under “helicopter ethnography” and “voluntourism” [ 46 ], where HIC researchers engage in rapid, temporary, and often self-serving activities in LMICs without planning for or building long-term relationships in LMICs. Additionally, the use of technology such as tablets to expand access to HRCB initiatives was problematic without adequate training [ 45 , 49 , 51 , 53 ].…”

“…In addition, time allocated to conduct HRCB intervention was often less than adequate [ 41 , 44 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 ]; one particular study highlighted the risk of having week- or month-long programmes fall under “helicopter ethnography” and “voluntourism” [ 46 ], where HIC researchers engage in rapid, temporary, and often self-serving activities in LMICs without planning for or building long-term relationships in LMICs. Additionally, the use of technology such as tablets to expand access to HRCB initiatives was problematic without adequate training [ 45 , 49 , 51 , 53 ]. This is because some trainees lacked sufficient computer literacy skills and thus found it difficult to adopt e-learning platforms.…”

Developing a Post- Graduate Curriculum In Forensic Psychiatry In Zimbabawe

“…In 2012, the University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) was in the process of a comprehensive curriculum review and transition to a competency based curriculum (6). As part of this review, the Department of Psychiatry sent four of its faculty members to join a UZCHS curriculum review training programme called 'Health Education and Leadership for Zimbabwe'(HEALZ) (7). As an assignment for this programme, a comprehensive needs assessment was done, and a curriculum was developed in Forensic Psychiatry.…”