 In this session, we are going to discuss capacity building. To start, we will go over the learning objectives. By the end of the session, you should be able to describe the DHIS2 Academy Program, describe what in-country capacity building is and how it can be supported, including end-user trading, identify the resources and recommended approaches available to support in-country capacity building, and describe budgeting considerations associated with capacity building activities. We will start with an overview of capacity building as it relates to DHIS2. Capacity building is a foundational principle associated with scaling DHIS2 implementations. Scaling a DHIS2 system effectively requires different levels of skills in utilizing DHIS2, with roles such as system administrators, data analysts, and data entry staff requiring different types of skill sets. This has an effect on the type of capacity planning needed for these different roles. Different models of capacity building are available, depending on the type of skills that need to be learned, including the DHIS2 Academy Program, as well as localized in-country capacity building efforts. We will make sure to clearly delineate between these different types of models within this presentation. When we refer to capacity building, it goes beyond just training and can be broken down into two models, learning solutions and performance solutions. Learning solutions include various job aids, training, and coaching, while performance solutions include evaluation practices, job modification, and hiring practices. At the local level in particular, equal emphasis needs to be placed on both of these solutions. We will now discuss the DHIS2 Academy Program. A DHIS2 Academy is a global or regional training focusing on a specific thematic area within DHIS2. These can take place in person or online. DHIS2 Academy is introduced the latest features, apps, and concepts, and or provides an overview of best practices for implementation. This is an important concept as it serves as a guide of how to utilize and implement the latest DHIS2 features as local implementations will often be working with older feature sets and guidance. DHIS2 academies are also meant to train core team staff and program staff. In most cases, they are not meant to train end users. End user training is typically provided by the core team at a local level with HISP support. DHIS2 academies are supplemental to in-country trainings and do not replace them. This relationship will be reviewed further when discussing in-country capacity building. Lastly, DHIS2 academies provide an opportunity for countries in the region to network and share their successes and challenges with other members of the DHIS2 community. The DHIS2 academy model is broken up into four components. At the base level, we have our fundamentals courses. This is where we recommend those who are not familiar with DHIS2 to get started. There are several pathways and courses depending on the type of skill set a person needs to focus on at this level. These courses are online, self-paced, and free in nature, with multiple languages currently supported or in the pipeline to be supported further. Next, we have our level one academies. Courses in this classification share standardized materials across all regions and are delivered by HIS groups during regional trainings. These courses are localized by the HIS group and delivered in multiple languages. Our level two academies are delivered as global trainings by the same core set of trainers with specific subject matter expertise. This classification does not necessarily indicate a degree of difficulty as several courses within this classification do not require any prerequisite DHIS2 skill. Lastly, we have internal training that is performed within the HIS network. These trainings vary depending on what the needs of the HIS group are at any given time. As our specific course offerings are being updated frequently, based on needs assessments from our partners, HIS groups, ministries, and the broader DHIS2 community, it is more beneficial to separate our courses into broad thematic areas instead. This includes system use, system configuration, development processes, implementation principles, and subject specific courses. For our system use courses, we focus on utilizing DHIS2. This mainly means reviewing data collection and visualization features in both web-based and mobile devices. For system configuration, we focus on making configuration changes across aggregate, tracker, and Android-based systems. In the development processes category, we have courses on creating custom applications for both the Android and web, as well as looking at various aspects of server administration. The implementation category focuses on areas related to project planning, implementation considerations, and systems evaluations. Courses in this category often do not require any specific DHIS2 background. Lastly, we have subject specific courses. This includes DHIS2 use for education, surveillance, data quality, logistics, and other types of subject specific areas based on needs assessments that are occurring regularly. Referring to our academy model, we have level one academies that are offered every one to two years on our regional basis. Level two academies that are offered periodically for a global audience, and when we consider how these are funded, our in-person training usually last six days, and participant fees for registration average around 500 to 800 US dollars per person. Our online courses can also vary in length, and these are between five to ten days long, three to four hours per day. Typically, there is no fee for participation in these online events. We make sure to keep histories of all our previous material. This includes any of our recordings, exercises, and other material associated with our academies. A couple resources are available within this presentation for you to review. With our review of the DHIS2 academy program complete, let's discuss in-country capacity building. Earlier, we broke down capacity building into two categories, performance and learning solutions. It is at the country level where emphasis on performance solutions and learning solutions needs to be emphasized equally. Some performance solutions include evaluation practices, so this can include reviewing staff performance routinely and incentivizing staff to perform well, creating this concept of stickiness. This is referred to as well in the presentation on the DHIS2 core team. We may also consider aspects of job modification. This can include updating existing terms of reference in response to evolving needs and modifying current job roles to meet new tasks, as well as clearly communicating these new responsibilities to all parties that are involved. There is also some focus on hiring practices. This can involve creating new positions and new terms of reference in order to clearly spell out responsibilities that various individuals might have as part of this work. We also want to clearly define the criteria for selecting correct candidates and budget for these additional staff. We also have this concept of building a DHIS2 core team which is discussed in a separate presentation in much more detail. When we review learning solutions, we can also break these down into several different categorizations. Examples include job aids, in-person training, and online training. Each of these types has various methods that can be used to contribute to a broader training solution. It is typical for these learning solutions to be combined in order to obtain a useful outcome. When we think about these learning solutions in country, the majority of this in-country training is performed by the HIST network through technical assistance efforts. This supports development of skills in broad thematic areas similar to the DHIS2 Academy. However, these skills are applied to their specific implementation rather than generic principles that are seen during global and regional trainings. Crucially, these types of training improve the in-country team's ability to deliver additional training following training of trainer's model. This can include specific sessions or material focusing on the delivery of specific content to support this training process. This supports scaling up the system as implementations cannot rely solely on external support to reach all of their users. The HIST network works in close partnership with global efforts when delivering in-country training. This can involve making localized materials or adapting global materials or templates if available to them. After the training is performed, they will provide feedback on the training they perform in order to inform global efforts, materials, and approaches. It is important to train end users at systemic or regular intervals. This is because the system is continuously evolving, including the implementation of new features and various forms, indicators, and different reporting frameworks. End users can be trained through a combination of approaches that include formal in-person training or online training to start, where specific, often detailed job aids can be provided, and this should be combined with on-the-job coaching and mentorship after the training to ensure these concepts are implemented in practice. End user training is typically provided by local national team staff that had been trained by the HIST team through this training of trainer's approach that we have discussed previously. End users can be trained on a mix of topics depending on their level of engagement. Data entry and data use are usually prioritized at the beginning of an implementation while configuration concepts are often limited to a smaller subset of individuals, usually being trained by the core team as their capacity grows and they start to delegate these tasks to others within the system. The approach to train new staff versus training experienced staff can be quite different. If no new concepts are being introduced, experienced staff will require less formal training. New staff should always be given formal training. Training needs need to be continuous as the system expands. The staff are hired and or promoted or exit these local ministries, and the frequency and the type of training should be informed by performing a training needs assessment at the local level. To wrap up our key areas of discussion, let us discuss budgeting principles. Capacity building for DHIS-2 can involve adding budget lines for relevant training for the core DHIS-2 team and program staff. Direct costs often include academy registration fees, travel and per diem and additional staff to cover work tasks when there are others away attending these academies. In-country training for DHIS-2 core team and program staffs where direct costs can include technical assistance from the HISP, the development of training materials, venues or online infrastructure if remote training is being performed, and travel and per diem at both the local level or the participants as well as the international level if HISP team members are being brought to perform the training. End user training for all users can then be cascaded through a training of trainers model, and direct costs often include the development of this training material, the trainers themselves who might have to travel around to various locations if this is being performed in person, a venue for the training itself, and various travel and per diem costs. We also have a cost potentially for supporting environments to facilitate training. This can include additional software license fees and other types of server or infrastructure fees for hosting and maintaining these various pieces of software. These costs are recurring and need to be planned over an extended period of time. This includes the various technical tools we discussed to support training, refresher training which is maintaining familiarity with core DHIS-2 concepts as well as when the DHIS-2 application is modified or changed, planning for team growth and staff turnover, expansion of the system, this includes after performing DHIS-2 upgrades, adding new forms, indicators, reporting frameworks and workflows. This all needs to be planned over an extended period of time and is not a cost that it only occurs once. So in summary, capacity building is a foundational principle associated with scaling DHIS-2 implementations. However, some critical aspects are often overlooked. Funding for the three levels of training needs to be routinely supported and built in to country planning. This includes DHIS-2 Academy attendance by the core team, in-country core team training performed by the HISP network, and in-country end-user training by the in-country team. This last aspect in particular reflects the scale of the system. Maintenance of the tools to support training can often be overlooked. This can include the development of various trading material as well as various software licensing fees or other infrastructure required to support the actual training itself. This is a recurrent cost that should be considered. At the country level, equal emphasis needs to be placed on both performance and learning solutions. One without the other is often not enough to incur the change that is needed to support the system over a long period of time. And lastly, DHIS-2 capacity building is an ongoing continuous effort. The system is constantly evolving as new requirements are being developed and introduced and this should be considered in any training plan.