Working group #2

FIELD TRAINING SITES AND SUPERVISION

The workshop agreed on the following recommendations:

A. Desirable Characteristics of Field Training Sites

A suitable site for attachments is: any institution which provides public health services to populations and/or which plans, implements and evaluates policies or programmes which improve community health.

Field experience is everything outside the classroom, involving seeing understanding and doing. A compromise between service, community and training needs is important. The following may qualify as field sites:

B. Recommendations on Field Training Sites for the first two years of the Programme

  1. Provincial level (PMD) or Harare City.
  2. Access to Harare by reasonable distance.
  3. Trainees could be assigned short-term to other sites to take advantage of training opportunities e.g., outbreak investigation).
  4. Experience would be richer if students could be clustered in pairs. In the second year, place first and second year students together.
  5. Student should be housed in Province; availability of housing may affect suitability of a site.
  6. Transport should be available.
  7. Supervision should be available, offered approximately one day per week, by PMD and/or delegated officials.
  8. Lab, computer and library facilities should be present.
  9. Appropriate teaching and learning material should be available.
  10. Site should have at least one person who meets minimum qualifications for field supervisor.

C. Desirable Characteristics of Field Supervisors

  1. Post-graduate degree in public health or equivalent
  2. Relevant experience in public health post.
  3. It would be appropriate for field supervisor to be appointed as honorary lecturer at University

D. Responsibilities of Field Supervisors

  1. Provide students with the equivalent of 20% supervision time (one day/week), either directly or by delegation to other Provincial officers.
  2. In conjunction with Field Coordinator, identify projects and opportunities suitable for trainees.
  3. Manage logistics at training site.
  4. Personally meet with trainees at least once/week to review progress and problems.
  5. Assess progress of trainees.
  6. Attend introductory training seminar in supervisory skills and training objectives, and continuing education sessions to update knowledge and skills.
  7. Identify potential new candidates for the programme.

E. Desirable Characteristics of Expatriate Field Coordinator

  1. Post-graduate public health degree or equivalent.
  2. Two years experience in a developing country, preferably Africa.
  3. Supervisory and training experience.
  4. Broad experience in public health, management, and core areas of the training programme.
  5. Interpersonal skills (assessed via personal interview or short-term consultancy in country).
  6. To be employed in MoH post, with appointment as honorary lecturer in Department of Community Medicine.

F. Desirable Characteristics of Local Field Coordinator

  1. Post-graduate public health degree or equivalent.
  2. Zimbabwe resident.
  3. Some experience in supervision, training, public health, management and core areas of the training programme.
  4. Interpersonal skills.
  5. To be employed in MoH post, with honorary appointment as in Department of Community Medicine.

G. Responsibilities of Field Coordinators (Both short-term expatriate, and local counterpart)

  1. Coordinate training sites and professional development of field supervisors.
  2. Maintain communication network and teaching.
  3. Provide technical advice on acquisition of teaching and learning materials.
  4. Provide individualised instruction for students.
  5. Coordinate linkage between University and field- based components of the programme.
  6. Assist in University-based training.
  7. Coordinate time allocation with PMD to maintain protected training time.
  8. Expatriate: Provide supervision and training support to local counterpart.

H. Desirable Characteristics of University Coordinator

  1. Post-graduate qualification in public health.
  2. Experience in teaching and supervision within training programme, and programme management
  3. Field experience in public health in a developing country, preferably in Africa.
  4. Appointed by the Department Board of Community Medicine of the University, and accountable for the quality and overall management of the programme.

I. Responsibilities of University Coordinator

  1. Coordinate classroom component of the training programme.
  2. Review trainees' academic progression to ensure that University requirements are being met.
  3. Identify dissertation advisors.
  4. Provide guidance to Field Coordinators and Field Supervisors that University requirements are being met.
  5. Collate grades and assessments of each candidate.
  6. Develop final examination requirements.
  7. Assist in field-based training.

J. Overall Coordination and Programme Management

Task force should continue and be renamed Advisory Committee (to the Department Board) to implement and oversee programme. It should include Coordinators from both the University and the MoH; PMDs; local government; the MoH office of manpower development; Chairman, Department of Community Medicine; and representatives from other key Departments of MoH.

 

 

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