Since the initial pilot in 2007, pre-service activities have become one of ASCP Global Outreach’s most requested programs.  Pre-service activities are already in various phases in Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Several more countries have allocated funding to begin a curriculum revision this year, including Cambodia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Vietnam.

The pre-service program is usually accomplished in two phases. Phase one includes an assessment, a curriculum review and a curriculum finalization. Phase two includes a monitoring and evaluation activity as well as two mentorship technical assistance activities.

During the assessment, ASCP consultants go into a country to get an overview of how programs already operate within the current structure. They meet with key faculty and directors at the school or university, gather existing laboratory curriculum, and perform a needs assessment, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the current program.

Following the assessment, ASCP consultants and staff return to the country to do a curriculum review. During this week-long workshop with key faculty and stakeholders, the consultants engage the key faculty members and leadership in a gap analysis to determine the needs of their specific programs. Following this workshop, consultants work to develop and adapt curriculum for the country’s program, including lectures, lesson plans, and objective-based tests.
During the curriculum finalization, ASCP consultants and staff return to the country to present the new curriculum, lesson plans, and tests. In a week-long workshop, the participants are trained in teaching methods, lesson planning, and objective-based test writing. The participants are given the opportunity to practice what they have learned utilizing the new curriculum in order to feel comfortable with it. The first phase takes approximately one year to complete.

Phase two begins with a monitoring and evaluation activity facilitated by ASCP consultants and staff. This activity involves traveling to all the schools which have implemented the new curriculum, which can range from one to a dozen schools, depending on the country, observing the new materials being taught and meeting with faculty. Phase two is usually complemented with two mentorship activities. These mentorship activities involve an ASCP consultant serving as a mentor and educator at a specific school for up to two months. The second phase also takes about one year to complete.

Since each country that Global Outreach works in is different and has varying need, pre-service activities are tailored to fit the country’s needs and realities. The goal is to build capacity and knowledge in a manner that is sustainable and appropriate for each country’s specific needs.  It is hoped that as pre-service activities continue, more and more clinical lab personnel will be equipped with the necessary knowledge to serve patients well around the globe.