A 'training of trainers' programme for operational research: increasing capacity remotely

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Systems Strengthening
• Capacity Building

Background:

• Operational Research (OR) is crucial for enhancing health system capacity and improving health outcomes.
• The World Health Organization's Structured Operational Research Training Initiative (SORT-IT) promotes OR's role in healthcare.
• A partnership between Ethiopia's IPHCE and Australia's UQ adapted SORT-IT for a hybrid Training of Trainers program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a Train-the-Trainers approach for building OR capacity at IPHCE.
• To expand IPHCE's capability to deliver the SORT-IT program effectively.
• To assess the effectiveness of a hybrid training model in the Ethiopian context.

Main Methods:

• Training aligned with SORT-IT principles, featuring initial face-to-face sessions and subsequent Zoom-based delivery over 13 weeks.
• Participants completed OR protocols, with slide decks adapted to the Ethiopian context.
• Training sessions were recorded for participant review.

Main Results:

• Participants with diverse experience completed draft OR protocols.
• Course evaluations indicated high participant satisfaction with content and format.
• The hybrid model facilitated skill and knowledge sharing.

Conclusions:

• A hybrid (face-to-face and online) OR training model was successfully implemented.
• Contextual challenges, including IT and data collection, were managed, offering insights for future endeavors.
• The OR Training of Trainers course demonstrated the efficacy of hybrid delivery in capacity development.