The following section has been adapted from a range of sources including work produced by the Hepatitis C Council of New South Wales, the New South Wales Health Department Workforce Development Project, and the New South Wales Health Department (2001) ‘A framework for capacity building to improve health’, New South Wales Health Department, New South Wales.
The term workforce development is used to define ways to assess and work with both individual and organisational learning needs in ways, which build on existing knowledge, skills and work practices. Workforce development involves more than education, although education and training are key parts of the approach. Workforce development is a process of enabling workers to have the ability and commitment to contribute to organisational and community goals. It involves supporting and resourcing workers and organisations to carry out their work. For educators, that may mean being familiar with the organisational culture and goals of the service. Assessing learning needs among groups of people can require the adoption of policy frameworks and strategic plans to be used as group planning tools.
“Workforce development refers to a process initiated within organisations and communities, in response to identified strategic priorities of the system, to help ensure that the people working within those systems have the abilities and commitment to contribute to the organisational and community goals”.
A number of theoretical concepts are fundamental to workforce development including:
Organisational change involves not only change within the organisation but within the systems of day to day operation. Changes may include the role of management and staff, changes in organisational culture, encouraging learning as a work asset and analysing organisational power and status issues. This may involve ensuring that the policy frameworks, ethics and values of the organisation are promoting equal access to health care for people with hepatitis C and are being implemented throughout the workplace.
Evidence based practice promotes explicit and use of the most up-to-date research evidence to guide service direction and promote better health care decisions. Evidence based practice is about collecting and utilising systematic empirical evidence.
In order to raise the level of skill, expertise and knowledge within a workplace, appropriate training seminars including dissemination of research findings and development should be instituted. Inviting researchers to discuss recent developments and current projects or engaging with local experts and affected community members are all ways that organisations can contribute to providing up-to-date information and strengthening links both within the workplace and the community.
A relationship between workers that leads to increased skill levels by learning from each other. Mentoring is a process of sharing knowledge and advice between experienced and novice workers.
Capacity building increases the range of people, organisations and communities who are able to address health problems, with a focus on providing more equitable service and maintaining a shared responsibility approach in order to address health problems that may arise from social inequity and social exclusion.
Capacity building aims to develop the ability of individuals, organisations and/or the community. It ultimately seeks to build their critical awareness and enhance their problem solving skills. A capacity building framework is highly participatory and requires the active involvement of a range of individuals, organisations and community members. The key principles of capacity building include:
Before building capacity you need to identify pre-existing skills, structures, partnerships and resources to work with. Programs that are integrated into pre-existing structures with existing positions and accountability processes are more likely to be sustained.
Trust and mutual respect and a long term commitment to the genuine needs and aspirations of all stakeholders are imperative to capacity building and are a key element in sustainable outcomes.
Context refers to a range of physical, economic, political, organisational and cultural environments in which a program operates. Context can change and have either positive or negative outcomes.
Capacity building is an approach to development that is not pre-determined. Instead each situation needs to be approached individually. Appropriate intervention requires strategies particular to the organisation or program and the time and place.
Involvement of affected communities is essential in the service planning, implementation and evaluation processes. Utilising peer volunteers or staff to represent the various perspectives and experiences incorporates an approach that attempts to more adequately reflect the understanding of the psycho-social issues impacting on service delivery and health promotion messages. High profile speakers or volunteers may also help increase the level of exposure in the community. Accessing students for professional placement is another way in which organisations can build capacity. Many university students on placement are enthusiastic and develop skills while contributing to organisational change and effective programming.
The following information was developed by the Hepatitis C Council of NSW as a component of their education and development training program. Therefore, the information may not be universally relevant to all educators. The hepatitis C workforce includes anyone who works with people affected by or at risk of hepatitis C.
The aims of hepatitis education and workforce development are to develop:
Hepatitis C Council of NSW - http://www.hepatitisc.org.au/edu/capacity.html.
New South Wales Health Department (2001). ‘A framework for capacity building to improve health’. New South Wales Health Department, Sydney.
Ibid.
Elek, C. (2002). ‘Education and Development: Aims and Objectives’. Hepatitis C Council of NSW, Sydney.