Today, the Early Childhood Workforce Initiative launches the brand new User's Guide for the Home Visiting Workforce Needs Assessment Tool.
The Tool supports policymakers responsible for policy planning and personnel management of ECD programs around the early childhood workforce, focusing mainly on personnel supporting home visiting programs delivered across sectors for pregnant mothers and caregivers with children under 3. The Tool was recently updated and translated into Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish after two pilots in Kenya and Bulgaria in 2019.
Recognizing that the feasibility and sustainability of using the Tool will depend on the ease with which country stakeholders can operationalize it independently, R4D and ISSA developed the User's Guide.
It draws on lessons learned from the two countries where the Tool was piloted in 2019 (Bulgaria and Siaya County, Kenya); the User's Guide lays out the steps needed to:
- Prepare for the application of the Tool,
- Organize and facilitate a workshop with stakeholders at both the national and sub-national levels, and
- Take action on findings generated from the workshop.
In September 2020, the Initiative hosted an online learning exchange and consultation on the early childhood workforce. During the meeting, representatives from 14 countries took a more in-depth look into the User's Guide and exchanged ideas on how to support and strengthen the early childhood workforce, particularly home visiting personnel.
"The objectives and steps to follow in the User's Guide are clearly described. I also liked that promoting a positive workplace culture was part of the Tool to increase the collaboration among Home Visitors and supervisors as well as to reduce potential conflicts and burn out," a meeting participant tells us.
The User's Guide completes a package containing the Tool, supporting materials, handouts, and annexes. It is available as a PDF and as a printable package that is easy to download, translate, and adapt to your context.
Get the first look at the User's Guide here!