Improving Global Health: a win‐win for leadership development and a fairer world?

Abstract

Purpose

Improving Global Health is a one year leadership scheme which places trainee doctors and more experienced nurses, midwives and AHPs in a developing country (Cambodia or Tanzania) to develop leadership and quality improvement skills while contributing to Millennium goals in the developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to report on an independent evaluation of the programme, with the purpose of highlighting lessons learned to inform other leadership development initiatives, and in particular to highlight the vital importance of a receptive NHS environment if maximum value is to be gained from investment in clinical leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

The evaluation methodology comprised literature review; review of documentation, including on line questionnaires to Fellows; interviews with stakeholders and attendance at key scheme events in July‐September 2011. Fellows who had completed an overseas placement in either Cambodia or Tanzania during 2009‐2010 were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire. Mentors and Steering Group members were interviewed using an amended version of the Fellows' questionnaire.

Findings

Impact was found at the level of personal development; working collaboratively; and understanding the value of audit, teaching and quality improvement. There was some impact on the NHS, however, the majority of Fellows struggled to find opportunities to apply their learning immediately on return from their overseas placement.

Research limitations/implications

Resource and time constraints meant that achievements in meeting Millennium goals were excluded from the evaluation; the authors' working assumption is that only Fellows who enjoyed the Fellowship responded to the invitation to take part; judging the extent to which the Fellowship meets its goal of creating a cadre of improvement champions in the NHS will require time to elapse.

Practical implications

Lessons from implementation of this Fellowship scheme are transferable to the wider NHS.

Originality/value

The paper provides lessons on the design of leadership schemes intended to develop quality improvement skills, particularly for clinicians at an early career stage, illustrates the potential of a placement in a developing country to achieve this, and highlights the importance of a receptive NHS environment to realise maximum benefit from investment in leadership development.

Citation

Walmsley, J., Hockey, P., Kitsell, F. and Sewell, A. (2012), "Improving Global Health: a win‐win for leadership development and a fairer world?", International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 216-231. https://doi.org/10.1108/17479881211323607