Two articles from the series, called “Improving the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of health worker in-service training: Closing the gaps between evidence, practice and outcomes,” are now available through the open-access journal Human Resources for Health.

A framework for outcome-level evaluation of in-service training of health care workers/I-TECH presents findings from a PEPFAR project that developed an evaluation framework for health training programs in diverse international settings.
Effective in-service training design and delivery: evidence from an integrative literature review identifies effective training approaches for health worker continuing professional education through a review of education and training literature.
Three more articles will be published over the next few months. Developed in collaboration with USAID, IntraHealth, Jhpiego, and I-TECH, the series was initiated through the USAID Health Care Improvement Project and over 100 experts from over 26 countries who developed and reached consensus on the Global Improvement Framework for Health Worker In-service Training. The framework provides good practices for improving IST effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability and offers guidance on strengthening training systems to support better performance and health care outcomes.

The framework, which will launch later this year, will serve as a tool for program implementers, Ministries of Health, and professional and regulatory bodies to aid IST program self-assessment and improvement.

In-service training represents a significant proportion of investments made by Ministries of Health and development partners in building the capacity of health workers to provide quality health services competently, safely, and efficiently. Yet, IST programs are rarely evaluated and, in many instances, are not used to support the development of national continuing education or professional development systems for health workers. Recognizing the lack of literature on improving IST and strengthening training systems, this series seeks to promote the use of evidence and evaluation to inform better practices, maximize training outcomes, and stimulate further research in the field..