Expanding leadership training and professional development opportunities
AMBS Associate Cris Sachikonye has established a non-profit organisation, The Manchester Review Board (MRB), to improve management and leadership training in Africa.
Dr Sachikonye, who has taught on AMBS NHS leadership programmes for several years, was inspired to set up the venture after getting requests from business contacts in Zambia, where he has previously worked, asking about whether he could offer mentorship training.
He says educational systems across the African continent often face significant challenges and the quality of leadership training can be poor, so there is huge latent demand for management training among professionals across both the private and public sector.
First programme
Last October the MRB launched its first dedicated one-year programme in Zambia for 15 female doctors in managerial positions via its contacts with the Medical Women’s Association of Zambia. Training is provided by MRB through a mix of online and in-person tuition and the hope is that the programme – which is run entirely by volunteer tutors and is free - will run again in Zambia next year, with plans to run similar courses for professionals in Malawi and Zimbabwe too.
Practice-oriented
As Dr Sachikonye explains: “Thanks to volunteers working as tutors, the mission is to bridge management training gaps by offering high-quality leadership development programmes that would otherwise be costly to deliver. Our approach is practice-oriented with managers completing activities that build real-world skills and offer insights into leadership.”
He says that the programme adopts best practice from across the UK, US and Australia in order to create an advanced leadership framework. “Regulations around leadership training are also increasing in some countries in Africa, and MRB can potentially help regulators in terms of adopting higher standards too.
“Our ultimate purpose is to improve the quality, credibility and impact of professional learning. We recognise that learning happens in practice and believe our programmes can create lasting social value. We also hope that by studying on our programmes, students may also be encouraged to come and study in the UK one day too.”
Worthwhile
Naomi Chambers, Professor of Healthcare Management at AMBS and Advisory Board member to MRB, said: “This is such a worthwhile initiative to be able to offer this programme to hard-working healthcare professionals in resource constrained environments, who would otherwise have difficulty in accessing this experience. Everyone, not least the patients we ultimately serve, benefits. I want to pay tribute to all those, including my own colleagues, who are giving up their time to contribute to this endeavour.”
Fiona Meechan, an Executive Education Associate at AMBS who teaches on the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Programme, is a volunteer tutor for the Manchester Review Board.
She added: “When I was asked to be a volunteer tutor on the programme, I agreed straight away. I’m really passionate about the importance of delivering high-quality leadership development, given how critical leaders are for ensuring the delivery of safe and effective services, especially in healthcare. So many people don’t get a chance to benefit from leadership development programmes, not just in the UK but across the world.
“We have some very special applied programmes in AMBS, and to be able to share our knowledge and experience from those with others in this way is extremely positive. I hope we can create a bit of a ripple effect to grow more programmes like this one.”
Challenges
AMBS lecturer Aniekan Ekpenyong volunteers to deliver workshops for MRB. He added: “When I was approached to support the work of the MRB, I found it a privilege to contribute to the initiative. I have a strong desire to improve leadership and, having worked in the healthcare sector in Africa, I understand the challenges faced on the continent.
“Due to more pressing issues, including a lack of desperately needed resources, leadership development is often not prioritised, even though we know that when healthcare professionals are trained to become better leaders and managers, it enhances the quality of patient care, improves staff wellbeing, and strengthens population health.
“It is an excellent idea to bring AMBS expertise into this area, given that the UK, and AMBS in particular, is widely recognised as a leading centre for healthcare leadership education. I look forward to seeing how the MRB can continue to grow and transform leadership development across the continent and beyond.”
I’ve already learnt an enormous amount from this course which makes me critically think and reflect about everything I do. I’ve realised that you can learn critical thinking skills, and of the importance of working with colleagues to find solutions to problems. It’s really pushed me out of my comfort zone, learnt how to strategise, and think about the big picture.
In healthcare you will always face everyday crises, so it’s about how you best manage them. I love the fact that the course is so practical and I am sure its impact will continue to trickle down. There is a huge demand for this kind of training in Africa.
For me the attraction of the course was that I wanted a proper understanding of what it means to be a leader because I have had no formal training on how to be a leader. I really agree with Kanunga’s points about the importance of reflection in leadership and asking ‘what kind of leader am I?’.
I have learnt hugely about self-management and the importance of not spending time on things that are of no benefit. Being on this course has also enthused me to teach others about leadership in the future, and I also like the fact that people in our cohort come from a very diverse range of backgrounds and we all have different experiences. This is a very ambitious initiative, but I think its impact will trickle down.