National Capacity Development Research Articles

Self-Determination in Global Health Practices - Voices from the Global South.

Despite the commendable progress made in addressing global health challenges and threats such as child mortality, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis, many global health organizations still exhibit a Global North supremacy attitude, evidenced by their choice of leaders and executors of global health initiatives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While efforts by the Global North to support global health practice in LMICs have led to economic development and advancement in locally led research, current global health practices tend to focus solely on intervention outcomes, often neglecting important systemic factors such as intellectual property ownership, sustainability, diversification of leadership roles, and national capacity development. This has resulted in the implementation of practices and systems informed by high-income countries (HICs) to the detriment of knowledge systems in LMICs, as they are deprived of the opportunity to generate local solutions for local problems. From their unique position as international global health fellows located in different African countries and receiving graduate education from a HIC institution, the authors of this viewpoint article assess how HIC institutions can better support LMICs. The authors propose several strategies for achieving equitable global health practices; 1) allocating funding to improve academic and research infrastructures in LMICs; 2) encouraging effective partnerships and collaborations with Global South scientists who have lived experiences in LMICs; 3) reviewing the trade-related aspects of intellectual property Rights (TRIPS) agreement; and 4) achieving equity in global health funding and education resources.

Academic Collaborations in Asia

No country enjoys a monopoly on the production and transaction of knowledge. Academic collaborations among countries and between institutions have increased in recent decades. The reason seems to be that papers co-authored with international academics are not only cited more often but also have higher impact than single author publications. This article shows that although the Asian countries have a tendency to look westward, academic collaborations among higher education institutions in these countries are on the increase. These have evolved in three distinct but related stages: a) collaborations for national capacity development; b) collaborations as part of the globalisation process; and c) collaborations to enhance academic credibility and national institutions’ global ranking. The article also discusses the emergence of new institutional structures to promote regional collaborations and the role of diaspora in promoting research collaborations in the region.

Adapting OER: Addressing the Challenges of Reuse When Designing for HE Capacity Development

Changes in learning and teaching due to COVID-19 have prompted higher education (HE) institutions to develop strategies and skills related to technology-supported education, creating development opportunities that help staff teach and support students in online or blended situations. Using open educational resources (OER) meant training could be developed and localised quickly. However, there has been little research into the use of OER to meet urgent, unanticipated teaching needs. This paper provides a critical reflective account of learning design for the use of OER in a national capacity development initiative in Kenya as part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded Skills for Prosperity Kenya project. Development of this OER was led by The Open University in partnership with 37 Kenyan universities. The initiative was designed to develop the knowledge and skills of educators, educational leaders, and support staff. The contribution of this paper is that it identifies challenges encountered when adapting OER for use in a technologically low-resourced context, showing how these can be addressed successfully at different learning design stages. Challenges were identified using the 7Cs of Learning Design (Conole, 2014): conceptualise, create, communicate, collaborate, consider, combine and consolidate. The paper concludes with recommendations for design practice and creating and remixing OER.

Impact of the ARCH Project on National Capacity Development on Disaster Health Management among the ASEAN Member States and Japan.

This report tries to capture the impact of the Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project) in each ASEAN Member State (AMS) and Japan as a result of the ARCH Project implementation since July 2016. Impact on AMS: The analysis of the impact on AMS was based on a comparison of the impact of the project on management and coordination of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), and application of the project outcome in actual emergency operations compared to the previous status in each AMS.Impact on Japan: The history of the development of disaster medicine in Japan was reviewed, with an aim to analyze the impact of supporting AMS through the ARCH Project on Japan, and the possibility of bi-directional cooperation in the future. Impact on AMS: Since the initiation of the ARCH Project, AMS has made significant progress in WHO EMT accreditation, strengthening EMTCC capacity for receiving international assistance, as well as the development of legislation or strategic plans related to DHM, and application of the Project products such as standard operating procedures or regional tools in actual disasters/emergencies.Impact on Japan: Disaster medicine in Japan originated from the Cambodian refugees' relief mission in 1979. Since then, the management system has been strengthened including the foundation of the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Team, a structure with a legal foundation. The experience gained through international operations has contributed to the development of Japan's domestic disaster response system. Japan learned the operational effectiveness of the post-disaster health surveillance system through the disaster response operation in 2013 Typhoon Yolanda Disaster in Philippines and introduced a modified system in Japan for domestic disaster response, which was later refined and proposed for an international standard. ARCH Project is highly appreciated by AMS as the opportunity to share knowledge and experience among countries and thereby contributing to achieving the "One ASEAN, One Response" concept, as well as the driving force for each AMS to develop its capacity in DHM. While the ARCH Project started to support AMS to strengthen its regional capacity in disaster health management, it is important to build a bi-directional relationship between ASEAN and Japan in terms of mutual learning and support to tackle future disasters.

Panamanian Start-ups that Propel Research and Higher Learning

LAURDS International Conference: Perspectives on Culture, Research Strategies and
 Doctoral Studies in Latin America Panama City, Panama July 26-27, 2018.
 La República de Panamá puede presumir de un aumento constante del PIB con una de las tasas de crecimiento económico más altas de la región, un sector de servicios internacionales en expansión, sistemas financieros y bancarios sólidos, y una relativa estabilidad política y seguridad ciudadana. Desafortunadamente, ninguna de estas ventajas ha conducido a un sistema educativo sólido o a una extensa agenda de investigación y desarrollo. Tanto en educación como en investigación, Panamá se encuentra entre las más bajas tasas de la región, en estos órdenes. Sin embargo, algunas iniciativas avanzadas en la última década son prometedoras en cuanto a cambiar esta tendencia, al menos en ciertos sectores. Este documento explora varios de estos esfuerzos, todos los cuales involucran componentes internacionales sólidos con respecto a las alianzas, la transferencia de conocimientos y la programación colaborativa que contribuyen a la sostenibilidad de estos programas, el desempeño en línea con los estándares establecidos a nivel mundial y el papel en el desarrollo de la capacidad nacional. Estas iniciativas innovadoras son las siguientes: 1) INDICASAT, un instituto público-privado de investigación científica y servicios de alta tecnología que se concentra en el estudio biomédico; 2) la Fundación ProEd, una organización no gubernamental local que ha desarrollado e implementado el único programa de capacitación de maestros K-12 basado en estándares internacionales reconocido por el Ministerio de Educación; 3) el programa de University of South Florida Health Panama en Ciudad del Saber, que desarrolla cursos regionales e investigación internacional en áreas relacionadas con la salud pública y la educación; 4) la Asociación Panameña de Antropología e Historia, una asociación académica joven que está impulsando y promoviendo la investigación en las ciencias sociales; y 5) CIEdu, un nuevo concepto que se está desarrollando actualmente para un Centro nacional e independiente de investigación para la educación. El documento concluye con recomendaciones para apoyar este tipo de nuevas empresas impulsadas por la investigación y ampliar su potencial de colaboración. También destaca cómo la Ciudad del Saber de Panamá, una zona franca internacional de educación, está en una posición única para impulsar estas iniciativas de educación superior para el país y la región.

Higher education privatisation, internationalisation and marketisation: Singaporean versus Malaysian models of Asian education hub policy

The metaphor of an ‘education hub’ was initially promoted as also a policy concept for reversing cross-border student flows to the West in both Malaysia and Singapore. The Singapore version of ‘Asian education hub policy’ represents a distinct economic policy model of higher education which has since also influenced the very Western contexts it was derived from. However, it appears the Singaporeans might have actually borrowed the policy concept from the Malaysians whose aspirations to reverse international student flows to the West was rather aligned to related national capacity development plans as still something of a public good. This paper will use a Malaysia-Singapore contrast to compare distinct developing country (national/regional) vs. developed country (globalised) conceptions of the Asian education hub model. On this exemplary basis, it will also outline an integrated framework to better make sense of the related yet also often conflicting imperatives of privatization, internationalization and marketization.

Interaction dynamics: The case of the water sector skills plan in South Africa

Despite extensive and continuous efforts to strengthen the capacity of people, organizations and institutions, there is evidence of an increasing gap between the existing and required capacities within the water sector. Consensus seems to be emerging regarding the need for national strategies to improve water sector capacity development. This paper analyses the dynamics of actors’ interactions and their characteristics (motivation, cognition and power) during the formulation and implementation of a specific capacity development strategy, namely the Water Sector Skills Plan (SSP) in South Africa. Based on the Contextual Interactive Theory and empirical findings, our analysis indicates slow progression and challenges with implementing the SSP, mainly due to the lack of consultation with key stakeholders during the formulation stage, a lack of data sharing among the target group (the Sector Education Training Authorities), and a lack of capacities within the key implementing organizations. These policy dynamics need to be taken into account when advocating for national capacity development strategies as a solution for challenges with water sector capacity development. The paper proposes the recommendations that are of relevance for the SSP as well as similar initiatives in other countries.

Institutional dynamics in national strategy development: a case study of the capacity development strategy of Uganda's water and environment sector

Developing countries often face challenges when attempting to improve poor performances in the delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services. Policymakers have focused their attention on national capacity development strategies as instruments to promote state-owned and -driven policy to improve capacity development (CD). The results of this empirically-based research on Uganda's Water and Environment Capacity Development Strategy illustrate that the formulation and implementation of the strategy was enhanced by the support of the sector's knowledgeable actors involved in the strategy-making process who helped to identify the core CD challenges of the sector. Secondly, the study highlights the importance of adopting a sector CD annual plan to guarantee a common approach to CD among sector actors, to strengthen the sector's readiness to change from existing CD practices, to learn new CD practices collectively, and, above all, to encourage common output and performance orientation toward the strategy. Finally, our study shows that, inevitably, inherent politico-economic power relations appear to be a substantial force within such strategy-making processes.

Cancer Control in Bangladesh

Cancer is predicted to be an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh in the next few decades. The estimated incidence of 12.7 million new cancer cases will rise to 21.4 million by 2030. More than two-thirds of the total expenditure on health is through out-of-pocket payments. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, cancer is the sixth leading cause of death. International Agency for Research on Cancer has estimated cancer-related death rates in Bangladesh to be 7.5% in 2005 and 13% in 2030. The two leading causes are in males are lung and oral cancer and in females are breast cancer and cervical cancer. Bangladesh is now in severe shortage of radiation therapy machines, hospital bed, trained oncologists, medical radiation physicists and technologists. Bangladesh having different cancers associated with smoking and smokeless tobacco use, Human papilloma virus infection, Hepatitis B and C infection, Helicobacter Pylori infection, arsenic contaminated groundwater, availability of chemical carcinogens mainly formalin treated fruits, fish and vegetables at open market, tannery waste contaminated with chromium (which is used for poultry feed and fish feed preparation). A World Health Organization study revealed the annual cost of illnesses in Bangladesh attributable to tobacco usage is US$ 500 million and the total annual benefit from the tobacco sector is US$ 305 million as tax revenue. Bangladesh has developed a National Cancer Control Strategy and Action Plan with the aim of delivering a universal, quality-based and timely service. Cancer prevention through tobacco control, health promotion and vaccination program, cancer early detection program for oral cavity, breast and cervix has initiated. Cancer detection and diagnostic facilities will be made available at medical colleges and district- hospitals and establish a referral chain. National capacity development, more cancer research will allow Bangladesh to deal effectively and efficiently with the cancer problems through evidence-based decision making.

Investing in capacity development: towards an implementation framework

The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other international and national development targets in developing countries hinges on capacities of individuals, organisations and societies to transform in order to reach their development objectives. Without supportive strategies, policies, laws and procedures, well-functioning organisations, and educated and skilled people, developing countries lack the foundation needed to plan, implement and review their national and local development strategies. Capacity development helps to strengthen and sustain this foundation. This paper defines capacity development; outlines its objectives, fundamental principles and the key areas of capacity deficits; and proposes and discusses a basic framework for developing countries to adopt for investing in the development of national capacity. The implementation framework proposed is developed based on a critical assessment and analysis of capacity development and its results in developing countries drawing from the author's experience in implementing capacity development projects. The findings indicate that investing in capacity development must now become a critical aspect of development policy in developing countries. In fact, national capacity development strategies are emerging in several countries to underpin development plans and poverty-reduction strategies. In pursuing capacity development, developing countries must also ensure that such initiatives are comprehensively designed to be simultaneously related to change and transformation at the individual, institutional and societal levels. Investing in capacity development means not only to train individuals, but also to help developing countries to build up self-sufficient institutions and an environment where individuals can serve the needs of their countries. Moreover, such initiatives are likely to be more successfully implemented if done through semi-autonomous entities and taking into consideration that the type of knowledge required to develop capacity in developing countries is locally determined and not easily transferable from developed countries. Donor agencies must accept this reality and tailor their capacity development assistance accordingly.

SPARC: a new model for supporting ageing research

The development of national capacity to undertake ageing‐related research is vital to ensuring that the challenges arising from an ageing society faced by government, society and individuals are adequately understood and quality of life enhanced. Yet, in the early 2000s there was a danger that previous initial investment in ageing research would be wasted. A campaign was mounted to support newcomers to ageing research, especially those in early career, eventually resulting in Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity (SPARC). This was a four‐year programme to pump‐prime newcomers to ageing research, to publicise the outcomes of ageing research to all stakeholders and to lobby policy‐makers about the value of ageing research. This end‐of‐programme review suggests that those supported with pump‐priming awards have been fast‐tracked into the highly competitive world of ageing research, that the findings have been very well received and that the advocacy activities have been influential. A new model for promoting ageing research has been established.

The diaspora solution to innovation capacity development: Immigrant entrepreneurs in the contemporary world

AbstractThe international migration of highly skilled labor was formerly a threat to the underdeveloped world with regard to indigenous innovation capacity. However, certain countries have successfully turned “brain drain” into “brain gain” by effective engagement with a skilled diaspora who have returned to set up business ventures in the homeland. This article advocates an entrepreneurial approach to the development of national innovation capacity through contemporary diasporic entrepreneurship (CDE). Drawing evidence mostly from China, the article argues that (1) CDE offers an alternative to conventional indigenously and internationally oriented approaches toward innovation capacity development; (2) compared to other ways of diaspora homeland engagement, CDE is most beneficial to capacity development; and (3) besides participating in philanthropic and scientific projects, a skilled diaspora returning as private business owners represents an often more productive way of contributing to national capacity development. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

La función de la Oficina Nacional para el Control del Tabaco en México

Tobacco smoking as the first cause of preventable dead in the world requires the implementation of proper public policies. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) sets the basis for this purpose at the national level. But the successful implementation of FCTC depends on a series of actions of every single member of the convention for the development of National Capacity. Building capacity implies the construction of human resources and organizational engineering or "institutional building" in order to enforce and guarantee the Plan of Action for the implementation of FCTC. The creation of the National Office for Tobacco Control of México will allow the enforcement of Mexican government initiatives on implementation of policies for tobacco control, according with FCTC on a sustainable and permanent platform. This essay presents the importance on the office, their main functions and their medium and long term objectives.

Organising and Financing for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: The Perspective of an NGO Activist Turned Donor

This paper is a reflection on some of the successess and challenges that followed in the aftermath of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Cairo, 1994, and the capacity of civil society and of donors to address them. It is written with two voices–from my experience as an NGO activist for sexual and reproductive rights since the early 1980s and my experience as a programme officer for a donor for the last 18 months. It calls for a focus on implementation of services within public health and education systems, the need to deepen the capacities of activists and build new leaders, and the value of alliances with other movements whose goals are also being challenged by macro-economic forces and fundamentalist movements. At national level, I suggest three major goals: monitoring public sector spending, strengthening public health system capacity for implementation, and advocacy and community organisation to enable shifts in public understanding of sexual and reproductive rights. Lastly, as regards funding, it calls for dialogue about funding issues between NGOs and donors, for donors to increase national capacity development in the global south and for all those committed to change in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights to commit themselves for the long haul, given the slow pace of change.

Developing Capacity through Technical Cooperation: Country Experiences

Foreword * Preface * Accra Outcomes Statement * Acknowledgements * Part 1: Introduction and Overview - Introduction: Rethinking Capacity Development for Today's Challenges * Overview: Meeting the Capacity Development Challenge: Lessons for Improving Technical Cooperation * Part 2: Country Studies - Bangladesh: Applying Technical Cooperation to Health and Financial Reform * Bolivia: the Political Context of Capacity Development * Egypt: Building Private Sector Capacity through Technical Cooperation * The Kyrgyz Republic: Developing New Capacities in a Post-Transition Country * Philippines: Bringing Civil Society into Capacity Development * Uganda: Driving Technical Cooperation for National Capacity Development * Statistical Annex * About the Authors