Nnodu Obiageli Eunice, Osei-Akoto Alex, Nembaware Victoria, Kent Jill, Nwegbu Maxwell, Minja Irene, Mazandu Gaston Kuzamunu, Makani Julie, Wonkam Ambroise
University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.
Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.
Front Genet. 2022 Jun 15;13:805806. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.805806. eCollection 2022.
Skills development, the building of human capacity, is key to any sustainable capacity building effort, however, such undertakings require adaptable and tailored strategies. The Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCo) is building capacity in sickle cell disease (SCD) management and research in sub-Saharan Africa, including a multi-national SCD patient registry, this is underpinned by skills development activities in data, research, and SCD management. The SPARCo Skills Working Group was set up with the mandate of coordinating skills development activities across the three SPARCo sites in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. To tailor activities to the requirements of the consortium, a needs assessment was conducted at the start of the project which identified skills required for SCD management and research and catalogued existing external and internal training programmes. The needs assessment highlighted differences in skill levels between the sites and different organisational structures which required tailored skills development activities at individual, site and consortium levels. Based on the needs and the resources available, different types of training activities were implemented: these included online, blended and face to face activities. In order to create a sustainable skills development programme, existing short, medium, long-term, on-job training activities were used wherever possible. World Sickle Cell Day (19th June) was leveraged for training and health education activities. SPARCo has recorded 1,726 participants in skills development activities across the three sites. Skills have been enhanced in data management, SCD and research to underpin the core deliverables of SPARCo. The baseline needs assessments and continual review and adjustment were critical for development of an effective skill development strategy for the consortium. This adaptability was particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sustainability plan leveraged existing programmes and activities and has created a pool of people with required skills for health care and research in SCD. To be effective, skills development programmes need to take into account existing capacity, training opportunities and local conditions. The model was applied to SCD and is adaptable to other skills development in healthcare and research in low and middle- income countries.
技能发展，即人力能力建设，是任何可持续能力建设努力的关键，然而，此类事业需要适应性强且量身定制的战略。镰状细胞病泛非研究联盟（SPARCo）正在撒哈拉以南非洲地区开展镰状细胞病（SCD）管理和研究方面的能力建设，包括建立一个跨国SCD患者登记处，这以数据、研究和SCD管理方面的技能发展活动为支撑。SPARCo技能工作组的设立任务是协调在加纳、尼日利亚和坦桑尼亚的三个SPARCo站点开展的技能发展活动。为使活动符合联盟的要求，在项目启动时进行了一次需求评估，确定了SCD管理和研究所需的技能，并对现有的外部和内部培训项目进行了编目。需求评估突出了各站点之间技能水平的差异以及不同的组织结构，这需要在个人、站点和联盟层面开展量身定制的技能发展活动。根据需求和可用资源，实施了不同类型的培训活动：包括在线、混合式和面对面活动。为创建一个可持续的技能发展项目，尽可能利用了现有的短期、中期、长期在职培训活动。利用世界镰状细胞病日（6月19日）开展培训和健康教育活动。SPARCo记录了三个站点共有1726名参与者参加技能发展活动。数据管理、SCD和研究方面的技能得到了提升，以支持SPARCo的核心交付成果。基线需求评估以及持续的审查和调整对于为联盟制定有效的技能发展战略至关重要。这种适应性在新冠疫情期间尤为宝贵。可持续发展计划利用了现有项目和活动，并创建了一批具备SCD医疗保健和研究所需技能的人才库。要想有效，技能发展项目需要考虑现有能力、培训机会和当地条件。该模式已应用于SCD，并且适用于低收入和中等收入国家医疗保健和研究中的其他技能发展。
