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An agency capacity model to facilitate implementation of evidence-based behavioral interventions by community-based organizations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions Project to disseminate evidence-based behavioral interventions to community-based HIV prevention providers. Through development of intervention-specific technical assistance guides and provision of face-to-face, telephone, and e-mail technical assistance, a range of capacity-building issues were identified. These issues were linked to a proposed agency capacity model for implementing an evidence-based intervention. The model has six domains: organizational environment, governance, and programmatic infrastructure; workforce and professional development; resources and support; motivational forces and readiness; learning from experience; and adjusting to the external environment. We think this model could be used to implement evidence-based interventions by facilitating the selection of best-prepared agencies and by identifying critical areas of capacity building. The model will help us establish a framework for informing future program announcements and predecisional site visit assessments, and in developing an instrument for assessing agency capacity to implement evidence-based interventions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗

Empowerment evaluation: building communities of practice and a culture of learning.

Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts, techniques, and findings to foster improvement and self-determination. Program participants--including clients--conduct their own evaluations: an outside evaluator often serves as a coach or additional facilitator depending on internal program capabilities. Empowerment evaluation has three steps: 1) establishing a mission; 2) taking stock; and 3) planning for the future. These three steps build capacity. They also build a sense of community, often referred to as communities of practice. Empowerment evaluation also helps to create a culture of learning and evaluation within an organization or community.

Employee Performance Appraisal↗

Civil society development versus the peace dividend: international aid in the Wanni.

Donors that provide aid to the Wanni region of Sri Lanka, which is controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), are promoting initiatives that seek to advance the national peace process. Under the rubric of post-conflict reconstruction, the actions of political forces and structural factors have led to the prioritisation of two different approaches to peace-building: community capacity-building projects; and support for the 'peace dividend'. Both of these approaches face challenges. Cooperation with civil society actors is extremely difficult due to intimidation by the LTTE political authority and the authoritarian nature of its control. Peace-building successes with respect to the peace dividend are difficult to measure, and must be balanced against the negative effects of misdirected funds. Aid organisations must be careful not to consider the tasks of peacebuilding, humanitarian relief and community empowerment as either interchangeable or as mutually reinforcing endeavours.

Humans↗

The health-promoting school: what role for nursing?

AIM: To review the existing literature on health-promoting schools and put forward recommendations for continuing progress. BACKGROUND: The World Health Organisation's Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 sought to create a framework for health promotion action that conveyed the notion of capacity building as it related to specific settings. It provided the catalyst from which the health-promoting school movement emerged, against the backdrop of health professionals adapting to the changing needs and demands of clients and the evolving social context of the communities in which they live. Since then, the international health-promoting school movement has been one of the most successful of the settings-based projects and has expanded considerably over recent years. METHOD: An extensive review of available health-promoting school-related literature provides the basis for critical discussion and recommendations. FINDINGS: Traditionally, the school nursing movement has provided the backbone of nursing-related health promotion activity in the school setting. The literature, however, is generally critical of its contribution over the years - especially as its role is mainly confined to a 'conventional' health education function and has little to do with health-promoting school projects. There are more and more calls now for the school nursing service to either re-evaluate its function and processes or be devolved back into a broader primary health care practitioner role. CONCLUSION: Nurses should view the health-promoting school movement as another opportunity to embrace evolving broad-based health promotion concepts truly, as a means to forge and own their own health agenda and also as a means to move beyond a traditional reliance on a limited health education role. Schools also need to adapt and expand their efforts to focus on health promotion activities, in collaboration with the ever-widening community networks of health and social agencies. This requires the commitment of all healthcare professional groups. Nurses who practice in all settings, and not just school nurses, should be aiming to initiate and promote radical health promotion reform as set out in the health-promoting school movement. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: If health professionals wish to be at the forefront of current health-promoting school strategies they must embrace the radical health promotion reforms that are emerging from the current literature and put forward in this article. Building such group capacity, through developing social interaction, cohesion, participation and political action can only benefit the community at large and further emphasize the health promotion role of nursing. The health-promoting school movement is truly an international concept and, as such, deserves a concerted nursing representation and resourcing well beyond its current commitment.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Sustainable development and quality health care.

On the occasion of Development Week in Canada, Dr. Remi Sogunro spoke in February, 1994, about the many achievements of quality primary health care and PLAN's strategy to achieve sustainability. In one generation, under-5 mortality has been cut by a third. Deaths from measles has been reduced from 2.5 million to 1 million a year. Skeletal deformities from polio also have been reduced from 1/2 million to less than 140,000. Despite all this, there is much more to be attained. 35,000 children under 5 die from preventable diseases every day in developing countries. The health community is working hard to address these silent emergencies. PLAN International's primary health care program targets the poor and undeserved populations where diseases are prevalent. The main focus of PLAN's programs are mothers and children who are most vulnerable to disease. Key interventions that PLAN gives priority to are childhood and maternal immunization programs, including pre- and post-natal care for mothers. Other interventions under PLAN's comprehensive primary health care program include: control of diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections, growth monitoring, nutrition and control of STDs and HIV/AIDS infection, water and sanitation, family planning information and educational services, and rehabilitation of the handicapped. "Go in search of people, begin with what they know, build on what they have," goes a Chinese proverb. This also summarizes PLAN's guiding principle for achieving sustainable development: the importance of investing in people. PLAN's programs in the field build partnerships and empower communities. PLAN's emphasis on institution-building and capacity-building with local institutions is an important part of organizational strategy to ensure sustained development.

Achievement↗

Resilience and sustainable development: building adaptive capacity in a world of transformations.

Emerging recognition of two fundamental errors underpinning past polices for natural resource issues heralds awareness of the need for a worldwide fundamental change in thinking and in practice of environmental management. The first error has been an implicit assumption that ecosystem responses to human use are linear, predictable and controllable. The second has been an assumption that human and natural systems can be treated independently. However, evidence that has been accumulating in diverse regions all over the world suggests that natural and social systems behave in nonlinear ways, exhibit marked thresholds in their dynamics, and that social-ecological systems act as strongly coupled, complex and evolving integrated systems. This article is a summary of a report prepared on behalf of the Environmental Advisory Council to the Swedish Government, as input to the process of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa in 26 August 4 September 2002. We use the concept of resilience--the capacity to buffer change, learn and develop--as a framework for understanding how to sustain and enhance adaptive capacity in a complex world of rapid transformations. Two useful tools for resilience-building in social-ecological systems are structured scenarios and active adaptive management. These tools require and facilitate a social context with flexible and open institutions and multi-level governance systems that allow for learning and increase adaptive capacity without foreclosing future development options.

Agriculture↗

The value of international collaborations for supporting neuroanesthesia practice, education, and research in resource-constrained settings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Neuroanesthesia practice in low- and middle-income countries is constrained by workforce shortages, limited infrastructure, and variability in clinical practice. Growing global interest in collaboration makes it timely to evaluate how international partnerships can address these gaps and improve equity in care, education, and research. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent literature highlights substantial variability in neuroanesthesia practice and limited access to context-appropriate guidelines and advanced technologies. International collaborations, including training partnerships, scholarship programs, and research networks, have improved knowledge exchange, workforce development, and the adoption of standardized practices. Evidence suggests that specialized training is associated with improved clinical outcomes. However, persistent inequities in research participation, authorship, and leadership, as well as concerns regarding sustainability and 'parachute research', remain. SUMMARY: International collaboration is a key strategy for advancing neuroanesthesia in resource-constrained settings. Sustainable, equitable partnerships that prioritize local ownership, capacity building, and contextual adaptation are essential to improving clinical practice, strengthening education, and enhancing global research representation.

Humans↗

The development of a community action plan to reduce breast and cervical cancer disparities between African-American and White women.

The purpose of this project was to establish a coalition of academic, state, and community-based organizations to develop a community action plan (CAP) to eliminate breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality disparities between African-American (AA) and Caucasian women. The project targeted rural and urban low-income AA women in Alabama. Based on the logic model, community capacity building was implemented, followed by the development of a community-driven CAP. For community capacity building, a coalition comprising 12 organizations was established, and a network of 84 community volunteers was formed. Community needs assessments identified 3 levels of barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening: 1) individual, 2) community systems, and 3) healthcare provider. Based on these findings, a community-driven CAP was developed. Our results indicate that a coalition of diverse organizations can partner and develop CAPs to improve the health of their communities.

Adult↗

To strengthen consensus, consult the stakeholders.

CIOMS has been criticised for not adequately consulting stakeholders about its revised ethical guidelines regarding medical research. Political and logistical issues that arise in democratic processes and open exchange of information probably contributed to this exclusion. What might CIOMS have done to be more inclusive and attain broader consensus on its proposed revisions? Consensus is dynamic, and evolves as a community digests new information and perspectives. Engaging the public (and particularly the stakeholders) in discussion about the revisions would have generated broader consensus. It would have encouraged more stakeholders (i.e. researchers, potential research participants, research institutions, or governments) to buy in. CIOMS needs a process to encourage dialogue and stakeholder input. The CIOMS guidelines themselves promote stakeholder consultation and capacity building, but CIOMS has done relatively little to distribute or promote its own guidelines. CIOMS should do more to promote its revised guidelines, and engage stakeholders in dialogue. This paper explores the bioethics debate about universal and relative values to illustrate the value of consultation and consensus building. It concludes that like research sponsors, CIOMS and similar organisations have an ethical responsibility to facilitate capacity building in less developed areas, and to participate more actively in consensus building.

Community Participation↗

The Dar Es Salaam Urban Health Project, Tanzania: a multi-dimensional evaluation.

BACKGROUND: In the 1990s, as a response to rapid urbanization, there were a number of large, urban health initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. Most tended to be comprehensive as opposed to selective in scope: they aimed at strengthening the health system as a whole, and placed emphasis on delivering improved services at the primary level, with increased community participation. A multi-dimensional approach is required to assess the achievements of such initiatives. METHODS: In 2000 an external evaluation of the Swiss-funded Dar es Salaam Urban Health Project, Tanzania, used 50 key informant interviews, 90 health facility exit interviews, 90 community resident interviews and document analysis to assess achievements over a 10 year period. The study considered achievements in terms of capacity building, improving quality of care, community involvement, inter-sectoral action and sustainability. RESULTS: Although the project achieved improvements in capacity building and in structural and technical quality of care, there were difficulties in generating inter-sectoral action and the concept of participation was limited. However, city-level 'ownership' of the activities was high, and, with the advent of sector-wide allocation of funds (SWAPs) in the health sector in Tanzania, the prospects for sustainability of the achievements made in the project appear to be good. CONCLUSION: Both the multi-dimensional method of the evaluation and the findings can inform future urban health initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa and in other resource-constrained environments. The decentralization that occurred in Dar es Salaam and the general approach of the project provided a platform to test out various elements that are common to health sector reform across developing countries.

Community Health Centers↗

Development of a curriculum to enhance community-based organizations' capacity for effective HIV prevention programming and management.

Community-based organizations (CBOs), particularly minority-based CBOs, are instrumental in the delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention programs and services. Despite a tremendous need, many CBOs lack the capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate targeted prevention interventions to serve culturally diverse populations. This article describes a comprehensive, innovative curriculum for building capacity within CBOs providing HIV prevention programming. An overview of the process through which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Association of Schools of Public Health Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership evolved is discussed. The development of the curriculum occurred in four phases: needs assessment, curricular design, implementation, and evaluation. A description of the Institute's evaluation strategies and procedures are described. Selected preliminary evaluation results from two cohorts of participants indicate significant knowledge gains and high levels of satisfaction with the Institute sessions, assignments, and faculty. The Institute's model shows promise for the provision of capacity building education at the individual and organizational level for community-based professionals implementing HIV prevention programs.

Adult↗

Panel 2.8: water, sanitation, food safety, and environmental health.

This is a summary of the presentations and discussion by the panel that addressed issues with Water, Sanitation, Food Safety, and Environmental Health during the Conference, Health Aspects of the Tsunami Disaster in Asia, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Phuket, Thailand, 04-06 May 2005. The topics discussed included issues related to water, sanitation, food safety, and environmental health as pertain to the responses to the damage created by the Tsunami. It is presented in the following major sections: (1) needs assessments; (2) institutional capacity and coordination; (3) what was done well, and what could have been done better?; and (4) capacity building and preparedness. Topics discussed in the needs assessment section included: (1) water supply; (2) hygiene; and (3) lessons learned. Topics discussed realated to capacity building and preparedness included: (1) waste and vector-borne diseases; (2) food safety; (3) nutrition; and (4) environmental health.

Disasters↗

Developing and implementing a triangulation protocol for qualitative health research.

In this article, the authors present an empirical example of triangulation in qualitative health research. The Canadian Heart Health Dissemination Project (CHHDP) involves a national examination of capacity building and dissemination undertaken within a series of provincial dissemination projects. The Project's focus is on the context, processes, and impacts of health promotion capacity building and dissemination. The authors collected qualitative data within a parallel-case study design using key informant interviews as well as document analysis. Given the range of qualitative data sets used, it is essential to triangulate the data to address completeness, convergence, and dissonance of key themes. Although one finds no shortage of admonitions in the literature that it must be done, there is little guidance with respect to operationalizing a triangulation process. Consequently, the authors are feeling their way through the process, using this opportunity to develop, implement, and reflect on a triangulation protocol.

Canada↗

Challenges in family medicine.

Family medicine has matured over the last 30 years. It has become a discipline but acceptance as a specialty is still not universal. It needs to pay attention to developing intellectual vigour and capacity building to meet peoples' needs. Opportunities to do so abound, namely in preventive care, geriatric care and care of chronic diseases. Future challenges lie in capacity building in practice, teaching and research. The setting up of a vocational register for trained family physicians and charging an adequate fee are important mechanisms to improve its image.

Career Mobility↗

National rural health mission--opportunity for Indian Public Health Association.

Indian Public Health Association (IPHA) welcomes the release of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) documents. It suggests that manpower requirements of the Community Health Centre (CHC) should be rationally determined on the basis of work and patient load of the CHC. Importance should be given on availability of simple & life saving equipment, female staff when male staff is not available. Safe drinking water, an adequate sanitation and excreta disposal facility through Panchayet Raj Institution (PRI) or privatization was proposed. Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) has been accepted more streamlining based on the community was suggested. Capacity building or training should be CHC based for grass-root level functionaries with incentive to Medical officer (MO). IPHA proposes to extend support in capacity building, development of manual for ASHA & other categories of health professional as well as Program Implementation Plan (PIP).

Communication↗

Involving the community elderly in the planning and provision of health services: predictors of volunteerism and leadership.

A rapidly growing older population has led to changes in health care, including a community health movement with an emphasis on community collaboration, self-help, and capacity building. This study examined factors in the lives of older individuals that influenced their ability and willingness to participate in a health-related community-capacity-building project to help their frail, older neighbours. Using cross-sectional survey methodology, 107 volunteers who lived in a high density seniors' apartment complex known for its high health service utilization were compared with a random sample of 74 non-volunteers from the same community. Factors associated with volunteer involvement included age, activity level, functional ability, life satisfaction and certain personality characteristics. The study suggests that, within a community, the ''younger-old'' may be able to support their frail, older neighbours so that they can remain living in the community.

Aged↗

Reducing cancer health disparities in the US-associated Pacific.

PURPOSE: To assess cancer prevention and control capacity in the US-associated Pacific Islands (USAPI, including American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Palau) and to support indigenous leadership in reducing cancer health disparities. METHODS: Jurisdiction- specific needs assessments were conducted to assess cancer prevention and control capacity and challenges. The Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands (CCPI), an indigenous health leadership team from public health and medicine, was supported to review assessment findings, develop priorities, and build capacity to address recommendations. RESULTS: Capacity varied across jurisdictions, but generally there is limited ability to measure cancer burden and a lack of programs, equipment, and trained personnel to detect and treat cancer. Most cancers are diagnosed in late stages when survival is compromised and care is most costly. Jurisdictions also are challenged by geographic, social, and political constraints and multiple in-country demands for funding. Based on findings, strategies were developed by the CCPI to guide efforts, including fund seeking, to expand cancer prevention and control capacity in regionally appropriate ways. CONCLUSIONS: Concerted planning, training, and funding efforts are needed to overcome challenges and upgrade capacity in cancer education, prevention, detection, and treatment in the USAPI. Indigenous leadership and local capacity building are essential to this process.

Health Care Surveys↗

Assuring fish safety and quality in international fish trade.

International trade in fishery commodities reached US 58.2 billion dollars in 2002, a 5% improvement relative to 2000 and a 45% increase over 1992 levels. Within this global trade, developing countries registered a net trade surplus of US 17.4 billion dollars in 2002 and accounted for almost 50% by value and 55% of fish exports by volume. This globalization of fish trade, coupled with technological developments in food production, handling, processing and distribution, and the increasing awareness and demand of consumers for safe and high quality food have put food safety and quality assurance high in public awareness and a priority for many governments. Consequently, many countries have tightened food safety controls, imposing additional costs and requirements on imports. As early as 1980, there was an international drive towards adopting preventative HACCP-based safety and quality systems. More recently, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to food safety and quality throughout the entire food chain. Implementation of this approach requires an enabling policy and regulatory environment at national and international levels with clearly defined rules and standards, establishment of appropriate food control systems and programmes at national and local levels, and provision of appropriate training and capacity building. This paper discusses the international framework for fish safety and quality, with particular emphasis on the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization's (FAO) strategy to promote international harmonization and capacity building.

Animals↗