www.sida.se/itp
GLOBAL
Advanced
international
training
programme
ITP300
Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights
15 credit course at Lund University
July 2014 – September 2015
Phase II in Malmö, Sweden October 6-31, 2014
Phase IV in a participating country April 22-29, 2015
Closing date
for application
s:
› April 10, 20
14
Invitation
Dear reader
This International Training Programme in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
(SRHR) is specially designed for persons qualified to participate in reform processes on
different levels and who hold a position in their home organization with mandate to run
processes of change within the SRHR area. The programme offers support to develop
and maintain the participants’ capacity essential for organizations to define and achieve
both short and long term goals. The participants will discuss, together with colleagues and
experts, the latest developments within their area of work; develop a network of colleagues
from other countries and acquire enhanced knowledge and skills in new working methods in
the SRHR area. The assumption is that your organization wishes to carry out changes and
is willing to invest own resources to achieve these changes.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights has long been on the Swedish development
agenda as it concerns fundamental aspects of the ability of human beings to exercise control over their sexuality, reproduction and personal development. SRHR includes a broad
range of issues that are critical for personal health and survival such as youth sexual health,
maternal and neonatal health, family planning, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/
AIDS, gender equality and sexual education. SRHR plays an important role in social and
economic advancement, which depends on people being healthy and secure. The linkages
between adequate and satisfactory SRHR and important milestones like the Millennium
Development Goals are well established.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is in many contexts a sensitive and controversial issue. Information and services are consequently limited and sometimes withheld,
especially from vulnerable groups such as youth, women and sexual minorities. As a result,
unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS constitute major
causes of disease and death globally among women and men of fertile age. Every day 500
000 young people, mostly young women, are infected with a sexually transmitted infection
(excluding HIV). Most of these people have a very limited knowledge of these infections and
are reluctant to seek services. At least 200 million women lack access to safe and effective
family planning methods due to the absence of adequate information and services, or the
support of their husbands and communities.
Sida has commissioned Lund University to carry out this advanced training programme
in SRHR between 2014 and 2018. We therefore invite participants who have the capacity
to constructively influence a sustainable and equal development in their countries through
their positions within governmental organizations, teaching hospitals, medical facilities, civil
society organizations and the private sector. Sida and Lund University hereby invite you to
nominate candidates.
Lena Ingelstam
Anette Agardh
DI R E CTO R H ead o f S ocial M edici n e
Si da a n d G lobal H ealth ,
Lu n d U n i v e r si t y
Advanced international training programme
Programme objectives
The long-term objective of the programme is to contribute
to the improvement of the living conditions of poor women,
children, youth and men by:
Benefits
After each programme the participants will have gained:
• Increasing their access to high quality sexual and reproductive
health care services
• Promoting sexual education
• Increasing their knowledge of and demand for available
SRHR services
The programme aims to initiate an organizational change
where the participants will become “agents of change” by using
new knowledge and tools acquired through the programme,
thus contributing to the long-term objectives described above.
The specific objectives of the training programme are:
• To develop and implement a change project within the
SRHR area for the respective home organization
• To report the implementation of the change project and
results thereof to the home organization
• To develop an action plan for continued work with the
change project within the participant’s organization
›› Increased knowledge and understanding
of SRHR, its main components and related
concepts
››Increased knowledge and understanding of
experience, methods and tools for initiating
and supporting an organizational change
process
››Expanded international and national networks in the field of SRHR
Contents
The guiding principles of the programme are its four pillars:
human rights-based values, context-based approach, participatory learning
and national and international networking, which form the programme’s educational framework.
The programme has a rights-based approach to sexual and
reproductive health and will cover the main topics within the
areas of:
• Youth sexual health
• Maternal and neonatal health including family planning
• STIs, HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer
• Sexual identity
• Sexual and gender-based violence
The programme will have a special focus on leadership and
management in SRHR and policy change in SRHR. It will
actively work with these processes through the use of information and communication technology. Each participant will
be provided with tools to facilitate their learning process, such
as an online learning platform and a tablet computer, for the
duration of the programme.
www.sida.se/itp
CHANGE PROJECT
A central component of the programme will be the participants’ own change projects, which will address problems within
the scope of the programme and of high relevance to the home
organization. A project could for example consist of a pilot
study or a formulation of a new policy, related to one of the
main topics outlined above.
A supervisor will support each team during all five phases of
the programme including online meetings and a country visit.
Programme structure
PHASES
The training programme is divided into five interlinked phases:
Phase 1– Preparatory period
The preparatory phase (3 months) takes place prior to the participants’ arrival in Sweden. During this phase, which is the starting
point of the programme, the participants will initiate contacts
with the other country participants and conduct a baseline study
related to the intended change project. This phase also includes
an introduction to the programme’s web platform and to relevant
literature.
Phase 2 – Scheduled programme in Sweden
The second phase (4 weeks) takes place in Sweden. Its main
focus is on theoretical and practical components within the
SRHR field, relevant international policy instruments, leadership and results-based management, and information and communication technologies (ICT). This focus will be combined
with study visits to relevant Swedish institutions, including
youth-friendly and maternal health care services. The participants will plan and design the change project with assistance
from their assigned supervisors during this phase.
Phase 3 – Interim period
During the third phase (6 months), the participants will
establish and work with their respective change projects. The
supervisors will provide regular support throughout the phase
and also conduct a support visit to the participants’ countries.
Phase 4 – Regional follow-up
The fourth phase (7 days) consists of a regional workshop in
one of the participating countries. The focus will be on the
change projects. Each country team will present and discuss the
progress of their project with the course leader team, as well as
with regional and local specialists. Relevant study visits will also
be conducted to continue the dialogue around SRHR issues.
Phase 5 – Continuation of the change projects
During the fifth phase (6 months) the participants will finalize
the change project and present the results to Lund University
and the respective Ministry of Health, or, if relevant, to the
Timetable
where:
Three of the five phases will be carried out in the participants’ home countries. The second phase will be
conducted in Malmö, Sweden. The fourth phase, the regional workshop, will take place in one of the participating
teams’ countries, location to be announced.
when:
The programme runs from July 2014 to September 2015.
The phase in Sweden will take place during the period
of October 6 to October 31, 2014. The fourth programme
phase will take place in April 22-29, 2015. Location is to be
announced.
duration:
The total duration of the programme is 15 months.
Ministry of Education. After fulfilling all five phases of the
advanced training programme in Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights, participants will be awarded a Sida diploma. Participants who receive a passing grade will also receive a
certificate of 15 credits from Lund University. The final report
of the change project will be published on the LU website.
METHODOLOGY
The programme utilizes various pedagogical methods to
stimulate and optimize learning outcomes such as team-based
learning, interactive lectures, case study seminars, simulation
and value exercises, internet-based group seminars, forum
discussions, peer-reviewed assignments and study visits. The
participatory design of the programme implies a high degree
of activity, where participants are encouraged to contribute
with experience and reflections from own work within SRHR.
Participants will be provided literature selected in accordance with the structure of the programme.
MANAGEMENT AND STAFF
The training programme is offered by Lund University in
Sweden and managed by Social Medicine and Global Health
(SMGH) at the Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö.
The course team is composed of highly qualified professionals
with many years of SRHR experience within clinical work,
education, research and project work.
ACCOMMODATION
In Sweden, all participants will be accommodated at a hotel
in single rooms with bathrooms. The participants will have
access to a kitchenette with a fridge, storage space and cooking
facilities. During phase IV, accommodation at a three- or fourstar hotel will be offered. Due to the special character of the
programme, family members cannot accompany participants to
Sweden or to the regional seminar.
application process
Applications submitted after the closing date will not be considered.
The application should be filled out in the application database at
www.med.lu.se/itpsrhr where necessary documents are uploaded.
The application should also be written on the attached special form
and include a recent photograph, required information and signatures. The paper application should be submitted to the nearest
Swedish Embassy/Consulate. When necessary, the application should
be approved by the official nominating authority in the country. If
there is no Swedish Embassy/Consulate in the applicant’s country,
the application should be submitted directly to the Programme Secretariat. Selected applicants will be notified by e-mail.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Admission requirements
INVITED COUNTRIES
The following countries are invited to nominate candidates: Africa:
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Asia: Cambodia and India.
TARGET GROUP
The programme encourages applicants to apply as ‘country
teams’ where the participants may come from different organizations (as shown below) and have a mutual problem/challenge
they wish to work with. Please note that individual applications
must be filled in, even in the case of team applications.
We prefer applications from teams consisting of maximum
4-6 persons from each country who represent the levels mentioned below, but individual applications are also welcome. The
target groups for the training programme are persons working
within the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights area at
the following levels:
• Local level
Midwives, nurse/midwives and obstetricians working in a
clinical setting with the possibility of influencing decision
making in their respective settings.
• Intermediate level
Professionals responsible for educational/training or other
project activities within the SRHR area at district or provincial level
• Central level
SRHR professionals at teaching institutions at national level,
and policy makers at national level (Ministry of Health or
Ministry of Education)
In addition to the above, the programme will be open to staff
from national NGOs and from the private sector working in the
field of SRHR.
Necessary prerequisites are:
• Working experience of at least five years in a field related to
SRHR
• Basic computer literacy such as word processing skills and
access to and a regular user of the internet and e-mail.
SELECTION PROCESS
Selected candidates will be notified by e-mail no later than June 1,
2014. Once selected, the candidate must confirm participation.
A letter of acceptance will be sent out, containing information on
participation in the programme and the practical arrangements.
Selected candidates must be aware of the commitment to participate
in all phases of the programme.
VISA
Participants are responsible for obtaining all visas and pay all
visa costs necessary for their journey and stay during the training
programme. The visa should be valid for the entire period of the programme, and the passport should be valid for at least three months
after the date of entry.
The teams should strive to have a balanced gender and age
composition. As the development of the capacity among future
generation of SRHR practitioners is an important aspect, we
encourage teams to also include younger professionals, who are
in the beginning or midst of their careers. Applications must be
endorsed by the applicant’s organization.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
The training programme will be organized and conducted in
English. Candidates from countries where English is not an
official language should do a language test with an official body
in the home country, unless other documentation to support
her/his ability can be provided. Proficiency in English shall be
certified on the application form.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Considering the fact that the training programme entails
international travels and work away from home in a new environment, good health and full working capacity is required. It
is therefore recommended that candidates undergo a medical
examination before filling in the medical statement on the
application form.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
If selected, the participants are required to attend all scheduled
parts of the programme and a letter of commitment is to be
signed by the nominating organization before the start of the
programme.
COSTS
Sida will cover the costs related to:
Participation in the programme, literature, study tours and
certain social activities
Accommodation including board and lodging
• International travel costs to and from Sweden
• International travel costs to and from the regional seminar
Travel costs to the nearest international airport as well as visa
costs are to be paid by the participants. All personal expenses
have to be paid by the participants themselves.
Closing date for applications:
› April 10, 2014
INSURANCE
All participants are covered by a group insurance while in Sweden
and on the organised tours during the programme. This insurance
includes costs for medical care in the event of acute illness or
accident. Medical and dental check-ups are not included.
www.sida.se/itp
Sida and itp
As part of Sida’s work with capacity and institutional development Sida offers international
training programmes (ITP) for participants from low- and middle-income countries in priority
areas. The programmes cover areas of strategic importance to the social, environmental
and economic development of co-operating countries and are based on identified priorities
and needs. In the long-term perspective, the programmes shall contribute to institutional
strengthening and capacity development in the co-operating countries.
ORGANISER AND PARTNERS
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) offers, as part of its
bilateral development assistance, capacity development activities in areas of strategic
importance to the social, environmental and economic development in the participating
countries. The purpose of the Advanced International Training Programmes (ITP) is to
provide resources and develop knowledge, skills and expertise to organisations with
strong legitimacy in relation to target groups, democracy practices etc. in areas given
priority in Swedish development cooperation. The programme is based on identified
priorities and needs in which Swedish expertise is in demand.
Lund University
Social Medicine and Global Health
Dept of Clinical Sciences Malmö
Jan Waldenströms gata 35
205 02 Malmö, Sweden
Programme Secretariat:
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +46 40 391336
Fax: +46 40 391339
Lund University was founded in 1666 and is situated in southern Sweden in the province
of Scania. Lund University’s eight faculties has 47 000 students at three campuses, of
which one is in the city of Malmö. It is ranked as a top 100 university in the world and is
Sweden’s strongest comprehensive research university.
Social Medicine and Global Health (SMGH) is a division at the Faculty of Medicine. The
Division of Social Medicine and Global Health is engaged in research and education
in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights; maternal, child, youth, and
mental health; social capital; health policy; marginalized populations; violence and substance abuse; risk factors for chronic disease; and environmental stress. The primary
goal is to provide expertise for interventions that improve health systems and public
health outcomes. SMGH collaborates with research teams and organizations in low- and
middle-income countries in Africa and Southeast Asia, and we maintain large data bases
that are a unique resource in the field of social epidemiology.
SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGENCY
Address: SE-105 25 Stockholm, Sweden.
Visiting address: Valhallavägen 199.
Phone: +46 (0)8-698 50 00. Fax: +46 (0)8-20 88 64.
www.sida.se [email protected]