Key stakeholders (including government personnel from public health, veterinary and biodiversity services; wildlife rescue centers staff; field veterinarians; biologists; laboratory technicians; and inhabitants of indigenous communities), were trained to survey for zoonotic disease spillover risk using the USAID PREDICT surveillance protocols. Training covered diverse topics including biosafety and PPE use, animal capture, sampling methods for various species of animals, data collection, sample packing and shipment, emergency preparedness, early warning systems, and safe laboratory operations. Woven into all training on surveillance tools was the emphasis on clear communication channels. All stakeholders were made aware of the specific agencies and individuals to liaise with regarding wildlife disease risk, so that the appropriate parties can be notified in a timely and effective manner.
In Bolivia, English is little spoken by public servers and community members, thus, having local trainers providing training in Spanish was fundamental to facilitate the learning process. Applying a One Health lens to the training broadened the surveillance system to include stakeholders that had not been a part of the process previously. This more inclusive approach from the early point of training resulted in an effective disease surveillance system.
In countries where education and actualization possibilities are limited, especially on novel topics such as wildlife health and surveillance, providing training possibilities to different stakeholders was a good strategy to generate local human capacities and awareness, while engaging people from different sectors and geographic areas to help on wildlife diseases surveillance. Following these trainings, the appropriate stakeholders were empowered with an understanding of what to do when wildlife is experiencing a disease event, who should take samples, the safety methods to implement, and the proper channels of communication. By implementing multi-disciplinary, inter-sectorial and inter-institutional trainings, dialogue, good communication and long-term collaborations among the diverse project´s partners from different sectors were facilitated, while the inclusion of the public health sector enabled the quick and efficient response to prevent a spillover event during the yellow fever epizooty detected on howler monkeys.
This building block involved facilitating dialogues between previously siloed actors: government agencies, research, local people, etc. When the gaps between sectors are addressed before solution implementation, diverse voices and opinions can be considered and the solutions developed are often more readily implemented and accepted.
All actors need to be open to collaboration, feedback, and input from sectors they may not have considered relevant to past projects.
Having a leading organization (the Wildlife Conservation Society in Bolivia) with a long history of work in the country, with a well based experience and good institutional relationships established, was crucial to facilitate the rapid implementation and good development of the PREDICT project activities. During the time that PREDICT was working in Bolivia (from 2010 to 2013), efforts were done to facilitate the establish a national Zoonoses Surveillance Plan where the Ministry of Health, the National Veterinary Service and the General Directorate of Biodiversity could ensure a permanent and sustainable collaboration among sectors to prevent zoonotic diseases in the country. Unfortunately, this goal couldn´t be accomplished in the project period, nevertheless, the basis for such collaborative framework were established and many inter-institutional and multi-disciplinary collaborations to investigate further non-human primates yellow fever events and rodent-borne diseases, took place in the following years as a result.
What gets measured, gets done. WinS monitoring and recognition systems strengthen large-scale WinS implementation.
The program supports the national integration of SDG indicators related to school health and WASH in Schools, as well as implementation of the WinS Three Star Approach – an integrated monitoring and recognition system that guides and encourages stepwise improvements and enables more specific WinS programme management. The programme further supports visualization of data using a WinS dashboard, regular reports and feedback mechanisms to schools.
WinS/Three Star monitoring and recognition system (Philippines, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Indonesia) has helped to move WinS improvments forward, but is a process that takes time and needs to involve the Ministry in the driver´s seat and partners willing to align and support
Data visualization via WinS dashboards can be a powerful tool to create transparency and allow schools, districts and provinces to develop a sense of where they stand relative to others - which in turn might motivate further improvements
The WinS/Three Star monitoring system in Cambodia and the availability of national data proved crucial to plan for COVID-19 response measures and support and illustrated the practical application of monitoring data for various ministries involved
Monitoring and self assessment serve as a strong capacity development measure - through careful design schools can be guided on what to prioritze and how to progress through improvements over time
Sample Structure of a WinS MOOC for school implementers
GIZ Fit for School
Large-scale capacity development embedded in the education system.
WinS Massive Open Online Courses are conducted to build management and leadership capacities of staff at the school and division levels. Between 2019 and 2021 a number of 22,500 educators have enrolled in the course.
Knowledge products such as manuals and videos are produced to provide practical implementation guidelines.
Seven International Learning Exchanges serve as capacity building through exchange of ideas and best practices to trigger action and improve implementation.
Training roll-out should consider long-term feasibility: by utilizing existing Ministry meeting structures (e.g. the district education advisor´s regular technical meetings with school principals) can keep costs at a minimum and help to focus the content into digestible chunks
When designing larger scale capacity measures, such as online courses for education sector personnel, best utilize existing Ministry platforms for training delivery and seek accreditation for the course as part of the development process to create in-system incentives for personnel to complete the course
Links between the Fit for School Concept and the SDGs
GIZ Fit for School
Alignment of relevant sectors (health & WASH) under the leadership of the education sector.
The program works on strengthening intersectoral working groups, setting clear roles and coordination mechanisms at all levels, integration of public health topics in education sector policies and structures, and provides platforms for international learning exchange.
A school health or WASH in schools policy serves as a solid basis for clarifying roles with other sectors and to coordinate collaboration.
A policy framework supports alignment and harmonization of development partner support.
Regular exchange and joint decision-making through e.g. a technical working group facilitates moving the topic foward and keeping all relevant actors involved.
