EIG Alumni organized immunization during prenatal CareLinking learning and performance: a New Approach to pre-service training in Northern MaliLinking learning and performance: a New Approach to pre-service training in Northern Mali
The Ecole des Infirmiers de Gao (EIG) plays a vital role in training health workers to serve Mali’s northern zone. Its goal is to address the lack of a consistent supply of well-trained health workers committed to providing services to rural communities, particularly in Mali’s three under-served and challenging Northern Regions. To prepare its students quickly and effectively to address the population’s health needs, the EIG and the Capacity Project are applying the Project’s Learning for Performance approach, which helps connect learning to specific job responsibilities and competencies. The guide and workbook are available in French and English at http://tinyurl.com/2g5ku8
Using the Learning for Performance process can shorten the time required for training by focusing learning on what is most essential for the job, and improve job performance by teaching what is relevant to specific duties. “This approach is focused on the essence of what health workers need [to learn] in order to do their work in a hospital, a health clinic or a community health center,” says Dr. Mohamed Salia Maiga, the school’s director of studies. “Before, each faculty member determined his own content to cover, which led to wide variations of a module from one year to the next and from one faculty member to another. This performance-based approach will enable us to standardize the curriculum with an emphasis on meeting the competency needs of our students,” he says. “We have already noted several positive outcomes.”
“Learning for Performance is an ideal approach for our context,” says Dr. Hamada Maiga, the EIG’s executive director. “What I personally appreciated about this approach is its participatory nature. All the participants were involved: the school’s leaders, students, trainers and alumni.”
Since 1998 the EIG trained 286 nurses, 21 midwives and six laboratory assistants. Ninety percent of these providers currently work in community health centers or district hospitals in the Northern Regions. After their training, they were recruited by the Ministry of Health or communities to provide high-impact health services to remote populations in these Regions.
The Capacity Project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IntraHealth International and partners. “USAID support to improve EIG contributed substantively to PRODESS II Health Component, especially the human resources development and district health development,” said Dr. Klénon Traoré, the Regional Director of Health in Gao.
Last updated: Thurday, April 4, 2008