WHO CC involvement: Prof Caroline Homer, Michele Rumsey, Jodi Thiessen
A Reproductive Health Training Unit has been established as a unique public-private partnership in PNG. WHO CC UTS is conducting monitoring and evaluation of the RHTU to make transparent its strengths and weaknesses and enable ongoing effectiveness.
The Reproductive Health Training Unit (RHTU) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the National Department of Health (NDoH), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as funders and Oil Search Foundation (OSF) as initial managers and implementing partner.
The principal purpose of the RHTU is to improve the knowledge, skills and attitude of front line health workers in Essential Obstetric Care (EOC) and Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) service provision in PNG. The RHTU endeavours to enhance the expertise and capacity of health educators by providing them with in service training/continuing professional development (IST/CPD). The predominant focus of the RHTU is to provide training and training packages at the request of the provinces. This means that the RHTU can assist provinces and institutions to identify and prioritise their local reproductive health training needs and develop a structured program to refresh and reinforce the reproductive service provision according to NDoH policies and guidelines at health facility level.
WHO CC UTS is contracted by OSF to provide monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for the RHTU. In response, WHO CC UTS developed a Monitoring and Evaluation Program Logic in collaboration and consultation with the RHTU and OSF, in line with Australian Aid objectives for the RHTU. The WHO CC UTS is overseeing the M&E activities, adapting and making recommendations where appropriate.
WHO CC UTS develops annual reports and other documentation as part of the monitoring and evaluation process. Interviews and consultation with the partners of the RHTU, provincial stakeholders and participants have been conducted with input from 300 stakeholders. Further interviews were conducted with course participants and supervisors in 2014 and 2015 to monitor the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice changes which have occurred through the RHTU courses.
Increasing the quality and quantity of reproductive health workers in PNG will improve population health in line with WHO strategic directions. Conducting in-depth interviews with the major stakeholders throughout the project will not only provide monitoring of the progress, views and experiences of these key people, but will also provide a mechanism for information sharing.
For more information visit RHTU [Opens External Site].