In COP12/13, HRAA will focus on human and capacity development to address the workforce shortages in social welfare informed by the pre-service strategy that will be developed in FY 12. Further, looking at how the in-service should be structured for on-going training is important in building the capacity of staff at the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) who do not have a social work background. Immediate TA support is needed by UNISWA to develop a degree program in Social Work responding to the DSW request for this program to be offered. Currently, UNISWA offers social work elective courses and students do not major in social work but in other disciplines i.e. Bachelors in Social Science, Public Administration, Sociology because there is no major in Social Work. These graduates are employed as professional social workers but in reality do not have the requisite educational background to qualify as social workers. The streamlining of the Para-professional (auxiliary) cadres is another area that will be supported in addressing workforce needs in this sector. Programs like the ODL program offered by UNISWA in Psychosocial Support offered through Distance Learning Program, and the Institute of Development Management (IDM) certificate and diploma programs are important to inform what is available on the ground. In the broader OHSS support, the Swaziland Clilnical Nursing Hub is being created to compliment the ICAP program's pre-service training. This Clinical Hub will be the model practice lab for faculty to teach practical skills that have been identified as a major gap in clinical practice for graduates that are being produced in the three nursing institutions.

Currently, UNISWA does not offer a degree in social work but elective courses that students studying in the following disciplines i.e. Bachelors in Social Science, Public Administration, Sociology can select to take and get a double major. There is a growing need to train professinal social workers has been ensodrsed by the DSW under the Deputy Prime Minsiters Office and the Technical Comiitee that that representition from a multiple stakeholer group (DSW, key line ministries, UNICEF, PEPFAR, and UNISWA). UNISWA has developed a draft curriculum and has requested PEPFAR to provide techncial support to finalise this workign with the stakeholders. PEPFAR has also commtted in streamlining the para-professional cadres that work at community level so that the training is uniform and addresses the needs of the country. All of this traingin needs to be guided by teh pre-service strategy that Jhiego is developing to inform: the numbers to be trained with projections in the short term, medium term, and long term; teh key competencies for trainign at each level; defining the different entry and exit points depending on the academic and experience of the learners; and the acreditation and licensing of professional including a code of conduct that will be monitored by a statutory body, a Social Work Council that will be established.

The Swaziland Clinical Nursing Hub is envisioned to be the model clinical practice hub being created to complement the ICAP/INCI program in pre-service education, PEPFAR infrastructure investment in the three nursing schools (refer to Governance and Systems TAN). The foucs is to improve the quality of clinical education, facilitate link between academic and clinical agencies, ensure that clinical educators maintain clinical competencies and teaching competency. Jhiego will develop a vision for the Clinical Hub. This will include: how this hub can be used a Simulation center for formative skills practice, and provide Clinical assessment of students as part of registration, using the hub to be for Competency maintenance a component of CPD, and creating the links between the preceptor ship and mentorship roles. The implementation of the Clinical Hub will be a multi stakeholder activity including i.e. MOH, Nursing Council, traingin schools, donors inlcuding PEPFAR and World Bank. The implementation will take into consideration:

Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan indicators of success, plan for sustainability

Develop a quality improvement strategy to be implemented in each facility providing clinical education

Establish set of core competencies What are nurses expected to do effectively immediately upon graduation

Map each competency to associated knowledge, skills and attitudes

Map clinical skills to most appropriate facilities and health workers

Prepare facilities for clinical education ensure that infrastructure, equipment and supplies can accommodate education. Determine appropriate student volume for different sites

Prepare health workers for their role as clinical educators (preceptors)

Provide supportive supervision of clinical educators

Note: This activity is funded from ECSA pipeline.