Teaching Management and Communication in MCH

1. Teaching Management and Communication in MCH Donna J. Petersen, MHS, ScD APHA Continuing Education November 7, 2004

2. Teaching Management and Communication in MCH • Overview of this Session • Introduction: competency and practice context • Nature and scope of material included • Instructional approaches • Linking to the practice community • Engaging students • Evaluating student performance

3. Introduction: The Competency and Practice Context

4. Introduction: Competency and Practice Context • Practice Context for Management and Communication Competencies • MCH programs are public health programs that exist within governmental structures • MCH programs are population-based, prevention-oriented and system-focused • MCH programs are both part of, and the leaders of, intricate systems designed to serve comprehensive needs of a large constituency

5. Introduction: Competency and Practice Context • Practice Context for Management and Communication Competencies • MCH programs must engage the public, the communities of interest, in order to be successful in the public policy arena • MCH is highly political • Needs assessment, program planning, resource allocation, monitoring, evaluation, and systems advocacy are all political activities

6. Introduction: Competency and Practice Context • Practice Context for Management and Communication Competencies • In sum, the managementof these programs is a complicated and critical task, and • Excellent communication within governmental structures and with the community at large is essential • Teaching these competencies to emerging MCH professionals is extremely important

7. Introduction: Competency and Practice Context • Competency Context for Management and Communication • Increasingly, public health education at the graduate and professional development levels, is being driven by competencies • It is not enough to describe what is being taught • We must describe what has been learned through the demonstration of competence

8. Introduction: Competency and Practice Context • In the classroom, this requires the creation of a learning community • Students must have the opportunity to “try on” different approaches, to test new models, to practice new skills • Ultimately, students must develop proficiency in the subject matter and the skill-set sufficient to demonstrate mastery of the competency area • We must be able to assess whether they can “ride the bike”

9. The MCH Competencies: Management and Communication

10. Nature and Scope of ContentManagement and Communication 1. Organizational and management theories and practices and their administration 2. Application of inter-organizational theories 3. Purpose, rationale, activities and performance measures for major MCH programs 4. Appropriate use of networking, team building, small group processes, advocacy, negotiation, conflict resolution skills

11. Nature and Scope of Content 4. Knowledge of community organization and coalition-building techniques 5. Soliciting and maintaining consumer and constituency involvement 6. Quality improvement and management techniques 7. Develop, plan, staff, administer and evaluate integrated service systems in MCH

12. Nature and Scope of Content 8. Integrate population-based health promotion, disease prevention strategies in service systems 9. Monitor and evaluate systems for quality and effectiveness 10. Develop, justify, present a budget 11. Grant writing 12. Effective communication skills

13. Nature and Scope of Content 13. Professional development and continuing education 14. Apply management techniques to resolve conflicts 15. Maintain affiliations with boards, coalitions 16. Effective use of information technology 17. Strategies to assure integrated service systems for MCH populations

14. Example • Let’s work through an MCH example • Ideas?

15. Nature and Scope of ContentA note . . . • Management is NOT Leadership • Management is about doing things right • Efficient operations • Organizational structures • Supervisory relationships • Human resources, employee development • Union contracts • Budgets • Policies and procedures

16. Instructional Approaches

17. Instructional ApproachesManagement and Communication • Individual Graduate Course • In management or in communication • Modules or components of other courses • Web-based or web-enhanced modules • Field-based instruction • Field-based internships or practica • Individual assignments in any of these • Content integrated into other courses

18. Instructional Approaches:Management • Group Projects or Individual Assignments • Conduct an internal assessment of an agency • Strengths, weaknesses • Relate it to an external analysis, opportunities and threats • Evaluate specific components of an agency • e.g. personnel classifications and pay scales, performance systems, etc • Analyze case studies and present findings • Develop management-based case studies • Interview managers

19. Instructional Approaches:Communication • Group or Individual Assignments • Write a press release • Develop a Public Service Announcement • Develop a comprehensive media plan • Present to a community group • Analyze case studies and present • Develop communication-based case studies • Conduct an assessment of intra-or inter-agency communication pathways • Prepare legislative testimony

20. Linking to the Practice Communityfor Field-Based Instruction • The previous classroom based assignments can be done in the abstract or in the real, involving real agencies and real managers and communication specialists • Students can visit agencies or professionals to gather information • Students can present to these agencies or groups

21. Linking to the Practice Communityfor Field-Based Instruction • Faculty can also invite managers and/or communication specialists to guest lecture or to serve as co-instructors • In the spirit of “competency training”, these professionals can stage realistic situations in which students can play roles • A mock legislative hearing with real legislators • A mock media interview with real media folks • A mock community hearing with real advocates • A mock budget hearing with real fiscal managers

22. Linking to the Practice Communityfor Field-Based Instruction • Field-based instruction can also include • Shadowing a manager for a day • Analyzing a manager’s calendar • Shadowing a media relations professional • Attending public agency board meetings, coalition meetings, press conferences, etc • Attending legislative or budget hearings • Attending a staff meeting or training session

23. Linking to the Practice Communityfor Field-Based Instruction • Internships and practica • In management settings • Defined tasks, e.g. financial management, contract management, strategic management of a project, resource allocation, interagency collaboration, etc • With community-based non-profits • In communication settings • With PIO’s in government agencies • With community-based organizations involved in education or advocacy

24. Linking to the Practice Communityfor Field-Based Instruction • Finally, consider opportunities in the community through which students can try out new skills • UAB’s “BodyLove” radio soap opera • Weekly Radio Show “To Your Health” • Cable network shows on Health • Advocacy organizations • Community boards • Encourage them to develop their own activities utilizing these new skills • Street theater • Vaccine-trial participant recruitment

25. Engaging Students • Obviously, any of these can engage students in the practice of management or communication and help them demonstrate their own level of competence • Giving them the opportunity to interact with practicing professionals allows them to test their level of knowledge and comfort with the subject matter • Giving them the opportunity to visit agencies allows them to visualize themselves in similar positions

26. Engaging Students • Integrating content in other courses • Many of these strategies can be utilized in other courses that do not have as their specified focus “management” or “communication” • Public health core courses • MCH core courses • MCH courses on policy, advocacy, needs assessment, evaluation, even research methods

27. Engaging Students • UAB’s Integrated Public Health Core Curriculum • Prepare a press release on lead exposure • Develop and deliver a presentation on breast cancer screening recommendations to different audiences • Health care providers • Insurers • Women at high risk of developing breast cancer • The general public

28. Engaging Students • Semester-long strategic planning exercise • A real US state – external analysis • A fictitious agency – internal analysis • Develop health objectives/strategic goals • Re-organize the agency and its activities • Budget-neutral

29. Engaging Students • Web-enhanced instruction • Many programs using programs like Blackboard or Web-CT to provide enhanced learning opportunities on-line • Works well for case study analysis • Can also provide guidance for field-instruction • Can be a way to engage a manager in a time-limited threaded discussion

30. Evaluating Student Performance • Evaluating competency can be difficult • Need to assess acquisition of • Knowledge • Skills • Abilities • Need to further evaluate demonstration of competency in behavioral terms

31. The South Central Center for Public Health Preparedness Training System Conduct Needs Assessment: Individual and Organizational analysis Define Instructional Goal: Develop Competency-based course objectives Develop Training Outcome Measures Level I: Reactions Are the trainees satisfied? Is training relevant for their job? If not, why not? C O N T I N U O U S L Y I M P R O V E E N H A N C E P R E P A R E D N E S S Design Training: Develop instructional strategy and course materials Level II: Learning Did the trainees improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities? If not, why not? Deliver Training: Implement process used to advertise, register, and access training Level III: Behavior Did the trainees improve their job performance? If not, why not? Level IV: Results Did the training result in the valued training-related outcomes? If not, why not? Use Research Methods to Evaluate Training Effectiveness

32. Evaluating Student Performance • In creating a learning community, other students and faculty participate in student evaluations • In a competency model, students can evaluate their own performance against their expectations • In partnering with community practitioners, they can participate in evaluations of student performance

33. Teaching Competency inManagement and Communication • Mini-case study

34. Teaching Competency inManagement and Communication • Conclusions • Management and communication are critical skills for MCH professionals • Competency-based education in these areas should be part of MCH curricula • Various ways to deliver the content • Opportunities to demonstrate competency in these areas must be created • We must all create “learning communities”

35. Thank you!