Networking and Curriculum Development: COMUNEC’S Experience

Prof BSC UzochukwuCollege of Medicine, University of Nigeria,

Enugu campus (COMUNEC)

www.hpsa-africa.org

@hpsa_africa

www.slideshare.net/hpsa_africa

Networks & NetworkingA Network is a group of individuals or organizations organizing themselves on a voluntary basis for a common purpose. Networking is the engaging acts

Networks would usually constitute a group of people with a common purpose, who meet formally or socially and share/swap information, contacts etc.

the idea is to work interactively and probably become a widely spread organization.

NETWORKS ARE ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

How do networks work in general?

• Formal or informal or a mix- constitution, assignment of roles, definition of tasks

• Duration of existence- determined by achievements of initial objectives

• Mode of interaction- face to face, virtual or both

• Scope: intra or inter organizational• Examples: Project teams, COP

Who networks with whom?

The purpose of the network characterizes who constitutes the network.

Three critical characteristics:• Range: i.e. the size and heterogeneity. • Centrality: Identifies who is/are the ‘movers and

shakers’. • Network density:

• Densely-knit networks (groups) have considerable direct communication among themselves.

• Sparsely-knit networks provide people with considerable room to act autonomously and switch between relationships

Types: Internal, External, Heterogeneous, HomogenousTeacher-teacher; Teacher-Researcher; Teacher-

Practitioner; Practitioner-Practitioner

CHEPSAA internal & external networks

Network Activities within CHEPSAA-COMUNEC

• Conference attendance and paper presentation e.g AfHEA, 3rd Global symposium on HSR. • The need for an active relationship between AfHEA and

CHEPSAA highlighted by CHEPSAA member

• Paper writing and proposal development workshops for COMUNEC and Policy makers• facilitate dissemination of the HPSR&A work carried out by

COMUNEC both nationally and internationally.

• Incorporation of Policymakers in the COMUNEC projects.– Enhanced GRRIPP

• Emerging Leaders Program- FHI staff

• Curriculum development concepts.

Purpose of the networking in the curriculum development step down

workshops..1• Workshops aimed at developing staff skill in

curriculum design and facilitation techniques as a step in quality improvement of courses offered at under- and post-graduate levels

• Borne out of a desire to disseminate the principles of good CD as developed by CHEPSAA.

• Targeted different audiences– Both HPSR&A-focus and non-HPSR&A focus

Purpose of the networking in the curriculum development step down

workshop..2• Heads of department and key curriculum

development personnel and wider CHEPSAA-COMUNEC members and a policy maker were invited to the step down workshops

• key concepts in curriculum development were introduced – target audience(s); values and graduate attributes; learning outcomes; threshold concepts; authentic learning principles; assessment practice

• Course sharing

What benefits have come about through this networking/what

impacts?..1• Awareness of HPSR+A among general academia • Initial development of staff skills in curriculum

development • Newfound interest in teaching and mentoring as a

result of novel methods of learning and facilitation inculcated.

• On-going conversation about how beneficial the curriculum of the various departments is to their students and how best to address these concerns in the long run - organizational culture shift

• Draft outline of curriculum for some proposed post-graduate courses in the college e.g. MSc HPSR

• Modified existing curriculum for postgraduate courses (PGD, MSc, MPH, PhD)

What benefits have come about through this networking/what

impacts?..2• Collaboration between departments running

similar courses in developing curriculum e.g. – Physiology and Obstetrics/Gynaecology;– neurosurgery, Anatomy, Physiology,

Neurological medicine, Psychological medicine and Radiology in developing an MSc in Neuroscience.

• CHEPSAA-COMUNEC as a resource centre for CD• Various invitation for CD workshops

• 1 Nigerian policymaker attended the CHEPSAA ICHS course.

What benefits/what impacts?: Some Quotes

• “This will be a guide in the curriculum my department is developing in Audiological sciences …………..”

• “My specific lectures will be more aptly modulated with the knowledge of the threshold concepts etc garnered. For other lecturers………. the knowledge will be shared”

• “Certainly ………… as the chairman curriculum committee, I will ensure that other members of my department and committee get enlightened”

End note

• CD provided opportunity for new partners within the University and outside– Both HPSR&A-focus and non-HPSR&A

focus • Strengthened/sustained current

ones.• Organizational culture shift

•

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together

an-african proverb

THANK YOU!

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The CHEPSAA partners

University of Dar Es SalaamInstitute of Development Studies

University of the WitwatersrandCentre for Health Policy

University of GhanaSchool of Public Health, Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management

University of LeedsNuffield Centre for International Health and Development

University of Nigeria Enugu Health Policy Research Group & the Department of Health Administration and Management

London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineHealth Economics and Systems Analysis Group, Depart of Global Health & Dev.

Great Lakes University of KisumuTropical Institute of Community Health and Development

Karolinska InstitutetHealth Systems and Policy Group, Department of Public Health Sciences

University of Cape TownHealth Policy and Systems Programme, Health Economics Unit

Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteHealth Systems Research Group

University of the Western CapeSchool of Public Health