You are here

Home

Revitalising PHC: Training Curriculum and Program Framework

Background
For detailed background to this round of training see:

Training Objectives

The purpose of the Revitalising PHC Project is to encourage strategic research into the evidence base for PHC in five sites and regions.

Enrolment in the regional training programs involves three parties: the researcher, the research user and the research mentor. Participating researchers are expected to be professionally trained as researchers but they may not have specialised in PHC research. They will come to the course with a pre-established connection formed with a 'research user' (perhaps a manager or policy maker or activist in a community based organisation with a focus on health). They will also have a link with (or will be linked with) a local 'research mentor' to assist in the course of the research.

The objectives of the training program include building these small teams (researcher, user, mentor) and identifying and polishing the research questions.

The learning objectives which are specific to the researchers touch upon: research skills, policy analysis and development, program planning and implementation and health development (includes the conditions for health as well as health care).

Learning objectives for the 'research users' include learning about the background and purposes of the Revitalisation project; about PAR and related methodologies, about the histories and politics of health development and about the links between evidence and practice.

Learning objectives with respect to the research mentors include: learning about the Revitalisation Project and about our approach and methodologies.

Pre-reading

Activities

The program will be highly interactive with as much sharing of experience and expertise as formal teaching. Learning activities will include:

  • Brainstorming the program logic (logical frameworks) linking comprehensive PHC (CPHC) and the social determinants of health; sharing different perspectives; building on people’s own experiences and frameworks;
  • Working on the expressions of interest submitted by the research teams (progressively throughout the course); working on research mindedness; the links between evidence and action; methods and methodologies;
  • Drawing out the lessons from the literature reviews; starting with the participants’ own lessons; sharing and reflecting on their own experience; the potential of this proposed research project; what this research will contribute;
  • Sharing and collectively analysing the shared context (country history and politics and current and future challenges) including political, historical context and healing systems and cultural contexts;
  • Sharing and collectively analysing the specific context (histories, politics, cultural, etc) of particular research teams;
  • Separate sessions for researchers, research users and mentors during the workshop; brainstorming among these groups.

Topics

  • Introduction to the Revitalisation Project and implications for relationships and patterns of work during the research;
  • About PHC from pre-1978 to Alma-Ata to health sector reform; the politics of PHC and barriers to health development; the People’s Charter for Health; social movements and the PHM;
  • About CPHC and access, equity and the social and environmental determinants of health (conceptual framework); principles and ‘characteristics’ of CPHC;
  • About global and national health systems policy; histories and debates; role of the key actors;
  • About the social and institutional contexts and policy (and management and change) processes; theories of change; social movements; the role of the state; the rights approach;
  • Research methodologies and methods (including recognition of different cultural streams); researching PHC; identifying researchable questions; analysis and writing up;
  • From evidence to action principles; the role of PAR.

More detail regarding regional courses

  • Bangalore, 6-17 October, 2008 (tbc)
  • Bogota, 29 Sept -10 Oct, 2008 (tbc)
  • Capetown, 3-14 November, 2008 (tbc)
  • Adelaide (Indigenous), 20-31 Ocotber, 2008 (tbc)
English