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Leadership

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  • Based on the UTETEZI Project curriculum, Advocacy for Improved Access to Services for MSM: A Workshop Curriculum for a Multi-Stakeholder Policy Advocacy Project, this advocacy for policy change guide is designed for use by MSM (men who have sex with men) groups, community-based organizations (CBOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and individuals working in HIV and MSM health to help them advocate regionally, nationally, and locally for improved HIV and health-related MSM policies. In particular, this guide can serve as an important tool for CSOs working on MSM issues in hostile legal environments.

  • To successfully lead a strategic, effective and sustainable response to AIDS, individuals must be equipped with a diverse set of skills. However, many individuals rise to leadership positions with purely medical backgrounds and lack essential skills in management, finance, advocacy and policy, and governance. For over a decade the National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública – INSP), part of the National Health Institutes of the Health Ministry in Mexico, has designed and conducted training courses to augment HIV leaders’ skills in these critical areas and to strengthen the regional AIDS response, particularly in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

    The USAID-funded Health Policy Project commissioned a case study of INSP’s educational programs to better understand what elements are critical for such programs to be successful, what challenges they face, and to identify opportunities to strengthen and expand regional capacity-building efforts in the future.

    The results indicated that the students surveyed felt INSP’s multidisciplinary training approach for leaders in the region’s HIV and AIDS response fostered a more harmonized response to the epidemic. Further, the lessons and tools learned through INSP modules and courses become a principal resource for former students who go on to play strategic roles in national and state AIDS programs, as well as civil society. INSP course alumni feel better equipped to make decisions based on available evidence, to design and implement strategic prevention and care strategies, and to contribute to policy development. However, challenges remain and to sustain and expand, the INSP and other training initiatives must find ways to reduce course costs and required time commitments without sacrificing the quality and comprehensiveness that has made them so effective.

    Opportunities for continued education and virtual support through networking will also provide critical ongoing support. To maximize impact, curricula should take into account the unique economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of individual countries; differences in infrastructure and human resources; and the diverse ways the AIDS epidemic manifests across the region. Those interviewed indicated that comprehensive training programs such as those developed by INSP play an essential role in equipping national and regional leaders to improve and expand HIV and AIDS services. The INSP programs fill a critical gap in human resource training and efforts should be made to mobilize the resources and support needed to expand and duplicate these kinds of training opportunities.

  • HPP received funding to work in three countries in the Central Asia Region (CAR)—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan—to support and strengthen collaboration and coordination between nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and governments working together to identify linkages and referral protocols for HIV-related health and social services. This desk review and analysis is intended to provide a detailed review of recently published assessment reports (2007–2012) conducted in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan to serve as a resource for USAID (CAR) and other groups interested in identifying priority HIV policy areas.

  • In 2010, the new Kenyan constitution mandated the devolution of power to 47 counties. This process has had wide-ranging implications for the health sector in Kenya as stakeholders struggle to understand the impact of the new political structure on their programs and services. Starting in 2012, the Health Policy Project (HPP)/Kenya began working with various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to guide public management and structural reform, in line with the devolution process. This brief gives an overview of HPP/Kenya’s role in the devolution of Kenya’s health system including supporting national level stakeholders to consider the implications of devolution; incorporating legislative guidance on decentralization into health sector planning; facilitating county-level institutional reform; and ensuring that county health management teams have the structures necessary to respond to the challenges of devolution. Finally, the brief highlights challenges to the devolution process and illustrates how the Government of Kenya, HPP/Kenya, and other key stakeholders are working together to overcome these challenges.

  • Kenya’s Health Sector Intergovernmental Forum (HSIF) brings together health sector managers from national and county governments, the Public Service Commission, the national treasury, and development partners to share experiences in managing devolved health services. In October 2014, the Health Policy Project/Kenya supported a two-day meeting of the HSIF to deliberate over issues affecting health service delivery under devolution, including management and financial inefficiencies. Published by the Government of Kenya, this report presents a summary of the meeting.

  • In 2013, the Health Policy Project conducted a series of trainings for government leaders, local media, and other stakeholders in Jordan. The effort aimed to highlight the importance of policy in strengthening family planning programs to advance the health of Jordanians. The first workshop focused on HPP's policy framework, which links family planning policy to health outcomes. The team

    • Presented global initiatives that affect family planning and discussed how they relate to Jordan
    • Presented new advances in health policy analysis—linking health policy, health systems, and health outcomes
    • Discussed policy analysis, from problem identification to impact assessment
    • Built capacity for policy
    • Discussed FP policy issues in Jordan, including barriers to FP

    The second workshop, held at the request of Jordan's Higher Population Council, focused on examining the framework in the context of the country's Demographic Opportunity Policy. Challenges and recommendations in meeting the goals of the policy were discussed, followed by the identification of which aspects of the framework could be applied to help implement those recommendations. The next step is to identify the appropriate authority to ensure implementation and coordination of follow-up efforts.

  • Energy is extremely expensive in Jordan, and 97 percent of all energy used in Jordan is imported. Energy costs are equivalent to nearly 21 percent of the total annual gross domestic product; energy costs are equivalent to 32 percent of the value of all annual imports; and energy costs are equivalent to the value of 83 percent of all exports. As the population grows, so will the consumption of energy, and consequently, the expenses to provide the amount of energy required in the future. If Jordan is to meet its future needs for energy, it must address multiple issues, including the scarcity of local oil, rising prices of oil in the international market, critical and serious supply-demand imbalances, costly new sources (infrastructure and operating), and the increasing pressure on resources from changes in population, development, and lifestyles. Resolving these issues will take a concerted effort and commitment from the government and the people of Jordan; and each of these issues needs to be addressed in multiple and different ways. One of the least expensive approaches that can be taken immediately, and is the underlying theme of this presentation, is to reduce population growth. 

    This RAPID presentation, developed by the Health Policy Project in collaboration with the Jordan Higher Population Council, demonstrates that future population growth will directly affect the ability of Jordan to provide sufficient energy resources. While reducing population growth will not be sufficient in eliminating all of the energy issues facing the country, it is a necessary step that needs to be taken in combination with many others if Jordan is to successfully resolve its pressing energy situation.

  • Jordan’s continued economic development and concomitant population growth is putting increased pressure on natural resources and the environment. Over the past 40+ years, the gap between the ecological footprint and the local capacity has grown, and this deficit has largely been made up for by importing goods, especially food and energy, from abroad.

    Productive land in Jordan is limited. Only 11 percent of the total land area can be considered agricultural land---of which less than 2 percent is arable; the rest is ranges and forests. As population size increases, so does the need for more land to produce food and build houses, businesses, recreation areas, schools and health facilities, roads, and mosques, as well as other supporting uses.

    This RAPID presentation, developed by the Health Policy Project in collaboration with Jordan's Higher Population Council, demonstrates that future population growth will directly affect the use of land in Jordan. While reducing population growth will not be sufficient in eliminating all the pressures being placed on the land, it is a necessary step that needs to be taken in combination with many others if Jordan is to successfully resolve its pressing land use situation.

  • In March, the Kenya Ministry of Health convened an international consultation forum in collaboration with the World Bank Group and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Health Policy Project to deliberate on the challenges of providing universal health coverage (UHC) to all Kenyans, regardless of their ability to pay, and to explore strategic and sustainable health financing options. The Kenya Health Policy Forum reviewed options and lessons learned from other countries, and proposed recommendations on how the country can improve efficiency to achieve UHC.

    The meeting brought together local and international experts with diverse expertise spanning the health sector, including both the public and private sectors. Participants from Kenya included representatives from both levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and the private sector. International speakers shared experiences from Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, and Mexico. Development partners who support Kenya’s health sector were also represented, including the USAID, the UK Department for International Development, the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation, and the World Bank.

  • In June 2014, the government of Haiti passed a new anti-trafficking law to fill a legal gap in the protection of survivors and to increase prosecution of perpetrators of human trafficking. These new legal provisions are particularly important in a country known for being an origin, transit point, and destination for human trafficking. This brief, published by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project AKSE program, aims to explain the rationale, scope, and implications of this new law. It is aimed at international and local organizations working in the field of human rights. This tool is part of a collection of materials developed by HPP AKSE to enhance the environment addressing child protection, trafficking, gender-based rights, sexual and gender-based violence, and to reinforce the capacity of actors in the protection chain and reference networks. 

  •  In June 2014, the government of Haiti passed a new law: the Responsible Paternity Act. With this law, Haiti sent a clear signal promoting the “protection of all children, without discrimination.” A significant implication of the act for parents is that children born within and outside of marriage must be afforded the same opportunities and rights (e.g., inheritance rights)—an important principle in a society with five forms of union. This booklet reproduces the text of the law, and was produced by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project AKSE program to educate parents and judicial actors about the new law and advocate for its concrete application. The law is not retroactive.

  • This report describes two pilot technical assistance programs implemented by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to strengthen policy development and implementation related to contraceptive security at decentralized levels in Peru and the Dominican Republic. Over a two-year period, three regional and municipal committees engaged a multisectoral group of political leaders, technocrats, civil society representatives, and healthcare providers to collaboratively assess policy and funding barriers related to family planning and design and implement solutions. The compilation of experience and results is intended to inform programs to strengthen contraceptive security at the decentralized level in other settings, whether through committees or other mechanisms. As decentralization continues to evolve in Latin America and other regions, it is critical to strengthen subnational capacity in the public sector and civil society to ensure that high-quality and equitable services are demanded, delivered, and monitored at all levels of the health system in a manner that promotes sustainability and local ownership.

  • This handout provides an overview of the Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention (PHDP) Curriculum created by the Jamaican Network of Seropositives (JN+)—with support from the Jamaican Ministry of Health’s National HIV/STI Program (GIPA Unit) and the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project. The curriculum aims to promote personal health and advocate for high-quality health services for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Although it was developed in Jamaica, the curriculum offers a promising, practical tool to help strengthen PLHIV leadership and advocacy to advance PHDP in the region and globally, and to enhance health systems and health outcomes across prevention, care, and treatment.

  • The Jamaican Network of Seropositives (JN+)—with support from the Jamaican Ministry of Health’s National HIV/STI Program (GIPA Unit) and the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project—created a capacity-building curriculum led by people living with HIV (PLHIV). The curriculum aims to implement and advocate for Positive Health, Dignity, and Prevention (PHDP) and promote community leadership at the country level.

    PHDP—a global policy framework authored by the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) and UNAIDS in 2011—advances a holistic framework for PLHIV to manage their health, advocate for high-quality HIV services, and prevent onward HIV transmission. PHDP provides a concrete framework and road map that is especially relevant to meeting current global and national care and treatment goals for HIV—and to making “combination prevention” a reality.

  • This policy brief is intended to guide Ugandan parliamentarians in addressing critical issues related to family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) financing to ensure that increased budget commitments for RH commodities already realized are sustained over the coming years and that funds are disbursed and fully expended. Parliamentarians at the country level can fulfill three essential functions: (1) provide oversight to ensure that current allocations are maintained, (2) ensure that allocated funds from the World Bank RH Systems Strengthening Project are released and spent in FY 2013/14, and (3) track allocations to ensure the 100 percent expenditure of funds.

  • Ministries of health are largely responsible for achieving the commitments that their national governments have made as part of the FP2020 initiative. As stewards, ministries of health are responsible for fostering effective policy implementation. Yet, putting policies into practice is challenging, and all too often policy implementation is weak. This brief identifies three ways for ministries of health to address barriers to policy implementation and strengthen their role as stewards of national FP2020 efforts. It is part of a series of three briefs produced by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to provide guidance to MOH officials and members of parliament (MPs) on three different approaches to strengthen MOHs’ stewardship functions for FP2020. The other briefs in the series are Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: The Role of Parliamentarians, and Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: Working with the Private Sector.

  • The USAID-funded Health Policy Project supports African women leaders through coaching, as part of a larger capacity development model. Too often knowledge and skills gained during training are eclipsed by the demands of returning to work—and to one's old habits. In order to nurture the seeds planted through the Empowering Women Leaders for Country-led Development program's three-week women's leadership workshop, HPP carefully matches each participant with a coach from her own country. Thus begins a year-long relationship that enables the participant to grow professionally and personally through prioritizing, networking, and learning. This brief describes workshop participants' experiences with their coaches, and includes guidance on the effective use of a coaching model for capacity development.

  • The 2013 general election in Kenya took place on March 4, 2013, giving citizens a chance to elect new leaders, including a new President, for a five-year term. To help maintain and further progress in the health area, the Health Policy Project documented the pledges, commitments, and promises made by the 2013 presidential candidates about the health sector in Kenya. This report outlines what the candidates and their parties promised to do about different health issues and how these promises align with current health sector aspirations described in the government’s existing short- and long-term policy and planning documents. The goal is to provide stakeholders in the health sector with a reference point from which to hold the incoming government accountable on its public promises and a tool for advocacy in pursuing further commitments that can improve the public health sector.

  • Decentralization of family planning is a critical concern for policymakers as international family planning commitments and the expansion of decentralization reforms become more common. Building on the latest research, this paper presents a family planning and decentralization analytical framework that was developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to help key stakeholders better understand family planning decentralization processes, identify potential challenges and opportunities, and guide decentralization reforms. 

  • Developed by the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project, this guide is a training tool that provides a standard for stigma reduction. It is a resource for facilitators seeking to train participants to reduce HIV and key population stigma and discrimination, and for leaders of community dialogue and policy development in this area. The guide has been piloted in the Caribbean and other settings and can be readily adapted for other contexts.

  • Universities and research centers have traditionally been places of knowledge generation rather than knowledge translation. Though they produce important research findings, these institutions have not traditionally played a strong role in disseminating this information to key decisionmakers. In many cases, this paradigm is changing. Advances in information technology and globalization have eased the flow of technical information between researchers and policymakers, amplifying their voices in important policy discussions. However, there are currently no clear guidelines on how universities can ensure their research findings are utilized in health decision making. Documenting the ways in which universities have sought to bridge the research-to-policy divide can provide useful guidance to institutions looking to do the same. This white paper, prepared by the Health Policy Project with support from USAID and PEPFAR, provides an overview of three models of university engagement in advocacy and examples of each approach. It also describes practices from non-educational institutions whose frameworks could be useful for linking research to policy or opportunities for partnerships. Finally, it identifies key points for universities to consider when designing an approach to health advocacy. 

  • The Empowering Women Leaders for Country-Led Development program fostered yearly cadres of women champions from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda to engage in family planning and reproductive health decision making and to advocate for policy change. The 70 alumnae represent civil society organizations, government ministries, faith-based organizations, and elected bodies at local and national levels and comprise a wide range of backgrounds and experience. The program included a three-week intensive skills-building workshop focused on personal leadership, advocacy, and networking skills; seed funds to implement local advocacy; one year of south-to-south coaching by a Plan USA-trained coach; and ongoing technical assistance and networking support. This brief explores the program's methods, approach, and results.