The first joint Health Cluster Coordination Training for current and potential Health Cluster Coordinators and Information Management Officers took place at the Dead Sea, Jordan from the 6 to 13 November 2016. The Health Cluster Capacity Development Strategy 2016 - 2019, the Health Cluster Coordination Competency Framework and the Standards for Public Health Information Services in Activated Health Clusters are all at an advanced stage and this training enabled the joint piloting of implementing these initiatives.
The training was designed by the Global Health Cluster Capacity Building Task Team and the Public Health Information Services Task Team and other members of WHO staff by means of a Joint Training Working Group which was set up specifically for this purpose. The training also built on the recommendations in the Health Cluster Professional Development Initial Findings and Recommendations November 2014, and the experience of re-launching Health Cluster Coordinator Training in Divonne-Les-Bains France, from the 14 to 20 September 2015.
The eight-day training programme contained a blend of didactic and practical sessions, including desk top exercises and a two-day simulation exercise, and closely followed the Humanitarian Programme Cycle.
The aims of this training were:
- Build and strengthen the capacity of Health Cluster Coordinators to lead and coordinate the planning, implementation and monitoring of more effective, efficient, timely and predictable evidence based humanitarian health interventions in acute and protracted emergencies.
- Build and strengthen the capacity of Information Management Officers/Public Health Information Services Officers to lead and coordinate the generation of evidence based planning, implementation and monitoring of humanitarian health interventions in acute and protracted emergencies.
- Ensure that participants can effectively and collaboratively carry out the tasks and duties associated with the Terms of Reference for Health Cluster Coordinators and Information Management Officer/ Public Health Information Services Officers.
The training was attended by 42 participants with a wide range of experience, and who represented EMRO, AFRO, EURO and SEARO regions. There were 25 current or potential Health Cluster Coordinators and 17 Information Management Officers. 29 were working for WHO and 13 were working for international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), including Save the Children UK, GOAL, Malteser International, Medair, Première Urgence Internationale, World Vision International, International Rescue Committee and Norwegian Refugee Council.
Funding was provided by the World Health Organization, European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), Save the Children UK and the Government of Macau.