Training Global Health Leaders: A Critical Review of Competency Gaps

Abstract

Background: Global health leadership training seeks to strengthen the existing global health workforce to build leaders that have the necessary knowledge, attitudes, and skills to deliver a vision for public health and healthcare delivery. In order to develop impactful training curricula, there is a greater need to understand the areas of focus required to strengthen the global health workforce.Objectives: This paper seeks to present a critical analysis of the competency gaps among participants of a single global health training program.Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study conducted during the implementation of the Sustaining Technical and Analytical Resources (STAR) project from May 1, 2018 to May 31, 2020. We utilized descriptive statistics to analyze the baseline competency assessment of STAR participants using a customized framework that was developed for the program.Findings: Among the 74 individuals enrolled in the study, we identified that there were significant differences in milestone achievement across participant types for all eight competencies (p < 0.001). Overall, US-based fellows reported higher perceived competency levels than low-and middle-income (LMIC)-based fellows in all categories except Capacity Strengthening (4, 23.5% leading vs. 12, 63.5% leading). LMIC fellows reported lower achieved milestones in Gender Equity (only 6, 31.5% at practicing) and Development Practice (only 6, 31.5% at practicing). Conclusions:Our study identified critical needs in the domains of public health ethics, health equity, and social justice and gender equity. Further emphasis on these domains in global health curricula and other professional development is critical to strengthen the knowledge and skills of individuals who are well-placed to advance the development of an equitable global health workforce.

The Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada: Opportunities and Recommendations for Modernization

“…Major gaps in the use of core competencies for public health equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice exist locally and internationally 31,49,50. Some of these gaps may be attributed to challenges regarding appropriate terminology 51.…”

“…Major gaps in the use of core competencies for public health equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice exist locally and internationally. 31,49,50 Some of these gaps may be attributed to challenges regarding appropriate terminology. 51 There is variation in the equity-related terminology in other competency frameworks, creating confusion surrounding "the training needed to 'attain' such competence."…”

Identifying core global mental health professional competencies: A multi-sectoral perspective

“…Priority areas for follow-up research include validating the framework across LMICs and diverse communities of practice (e.g., see Zwanikken et al, 2014 ); mapping competency gaps among trainees and professionals in low-resource settings, and redressing structural barriers to the acquisition of required competencies among these groups (Hansoti et al, 2021 ; Schleiff et al, 2021 ). Further work is also warranted into translating the framework into training guides that can be adapted for different sectors, professional groups and cultural settings, as well as into feasible curriculum learning objectives that can be adequately assessed using creative and contextualised assessment techniques (Schleiff et al, 2020 ; Brundiers et al, 2021 ).…”

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a New Course on Essential Skills for Women’s Leadership in Global Health

“…Existing leadership programs in global health focus broadly on the many competencies needed to succeed in global health, from “essential skills” to “technical skills [ 18 19 ].” This course recognizes that opportunities for gaining content expertise and technical skills are more widely available (i.e., through degree programs and online training) than leadership training [ 20 ]. Long-term global health fellowship programs that incorporate leadership components (i.e., Fogarty Fellowships, Global Health Corps, Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources [STAR], and Afya Bora) can also require long time commitments and may be less widely accessible for individuals in various stages of their careers.…”

“…Existing leadership programs in global health focus broadly on the many competencies needed to succeed in global health, from "essential skills" to "technical skills [18,19]." This course recognizes that opportunities for gaining content expertise and technical skills are more widely available (i.e., through degree programs and online training) than leadership training [20].…”