Title:	Sexual and Reproductive health and Rights: Policy, Governance and Financing (SRHR POL)
Keywords:	Sexual & reproductive health Planning and programming Health Policy Governance Financing
Country:	Netherlands
Institution:	The Netherlands - Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam
Course coordinator:	H. Ormel
Date start:	2024-05-13
Date end:	2024-05-31
About duration and dates:	14 days. Application deadline: 18 march 2024
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) Mauritskade 63, Amsterdam
ECTS credit points:	4 ECTS credits
SIT: 112 Student Investment Hours Contact hours 42 (32 lectures, 2 journal club, 6 online lectures, 2 tutorials) Self-study hours 70 (41 private reading, 4 home assignment preparation, 5 on-site e-learning, 20 writing assignment)
Language:	English
Description: • Identify and discuss relevant SRHR, including HIV/AIDS, rights and development-related international agreements, development commitments and financial mechanisms • Analyse how these international agreements, commitments and related governance and financing mechanisms influence national development policy, planning and implementation, and vice-versa • Analyse policies and governance and financing structures and identify implications for planning and managing the responses • Perform an SRHR strategic policy review from a multi-stakeholder perspective, including mobilisation of stakeholders from different sectors and communicate this in the form of a policy brief
Assessment Procedures: • Participants will be assessed on a final individual paper (100%) (summative assessment). • The final paper is a policy brief (2,500 words +/- 10%), addressing a specific SRHR-related policy issue. Students will be provided two rounds of group tutoring support. Papers are read and assessed by one reader who did not tutor the student on the basis of a set of criteria. • The final paper needs to be submitted not later than the last day of the course. Individual feedback is provided in writing. An online feedback session after grade release will be held for general feedback. • Resit: Those students who fail for the paper can resubmit the policy brief; students will be provided one round of individual tutoring support. Resubmissions can be made as per the program schedule of the academic calendar (announced in the study guide and online learning platform). • 90% Attendance is the minimum required
Content: The module covers the following contents: • SRHR-related international agreements, development commitments • SRHR-related policy analysis • How to write an effective policy brief • SRHR governance and accountability mechanism • Human rights and advocacy for SRHR • Universal access to SRHR and implications for policy making • Role of the private sector in the field of SRHR • Financial arrangements for universal health coverage • Abortion laws and policies • SRHR Financing • Role of the UN mechanisms in advocating for SRHR • Aid and trade relations in health: aid effectiveness and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) • Local health governance
Methods: Learning methods are varied. and include Interactive lectures, including problem analysis activities and group exercises, debate, case studies, discussions, tutorials, journal clubs (38 %), unguided group work, on-site e-learning, and self-study (63% (please see section 10 ) On-site e-learning includes interactive exercises such as online quizzes, debates and discussion forums. The learning process underlying this course draws upon the didactical principles of social constructivist learning, based on the following principles: • Takes the knowledge and (working) experience of the participants as a starting point. • Is problem oriented and is focused on the practical application of the course content. • Is competency based: it is aimed at improving the competencies of participants to implement and evaluate context specific approaches to address health problems. Participants are usually from various nationalities and are expected to actively share own experiences in their interaction with other so as to contribute to learning and building knowledge and competencies.
Prerequisites: • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent academic training in either medicine or another field related to health care, such as health sciences, health economics, social sciences or nursing. • A minimum of 3 years of health-related working experience in health systems not limited to individual patient care but including involvement with public/global health, in resource constrained settings and/or with marginalized communities and proven interest in these areas. • Proficiency in spoken and written English (at the level of TOEFL 550 or IELTS 6.0) • Computer and internet literacy; the participant should be able to use a computer with access to wifi networks, and have working-level understanding of Microsoft Office software (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Adobe (PDF). Students will be introduced to the e-learning platform.
Attendance: Maximum number of students: 34 Maximum number of tropEd students: 5
Selection: See prerequisites First come, first served principle
Fees: € 2240
Scholarships: Nuffic: please check "Orange Knowledge Programme" (https://www.studyinholland.nl/scholarships/highlighted-scholarships/orange-knowledge-programme)
Major changes since initial accreditation: Since the initial accreditation the following changes were made 1. The instruction for the policy brief assignment was written in a more clear language although the main elements are still there. 2. The diversity of the lecturers was adjusted and now speakers from Africa and UK were talking about SRHR finance and public private partnerships 3. The session on abortion policies and the SRHR finance sessions have been added and are really adding to the quality of the module 4. The instructions for the policy brief were adjusted and more time was allowed for the policy brief writing process (see student evaluation results, below). The combined assignment (80% paper, 20% peer feedback) was replaced by a single assignment (100% paper) and the language and flow of the assignment was improved in clarity and structure.
Student evaluation: • In the academic year 2021/2022, student evaluation of the module was as follows • Participants found the module contents relevant and interesting, with a need to have more self-study time in the last week which was realized in the 2022/2023 module. • The students preferred more examples of cases on governance and public private partnerships in SRHR • The students felt that they will never forget the policy brief assignment as a learning exercise and this year the assessment of a policy brief of last year has been integrated in the first tutorial which gives the students more confidence and a better idea about the assignment • The journal club covers two sessions of two articles in relation to video clips, and although some students find the level of reading and discussion more challenging most of them like it. • The students liked the more practical classes and exercises about international agreements and role plays in addition to the theoretical ones. • External participants were very positive about the module
Lessons learned: • We learned that apart from facilitator-led guidance, more effective use of peer feedback could facilitate the process of acquiring this skill. Both giving feedback and receiving feedback can enhance learning, provided that there is enough time to make use of the feedback. Yet, writing a policy brief is a useful but a complex competency, and maybe not the ideal assignment to combine with a peer feedback co-assignment. The latter therefore was transferred to be combined with another module’s, somewhat easier writing assignment. • Based on the module evaluation results, further changes were made: the planning session was expanded; learning methods were diversified; uploading of materials was better monitored; number of sessions and average contact time per sessions was reduced to make room for more study time
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in December 2016. Re-accredited in June 2018 and June 2023. This accreditation is valid until June 2028.
Email Address:	L.Gerstel@kit.nl
Date Of Record Creation:	2016-12-22 16:22:41 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2016-12-22 21:36:59 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2018-06-21 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2023-08-08 12:55:16 (W3C-DTF)