[e-drug] Civil Society Skills Building Workshop, Uganda, 17-23 Feb 2008

["Andrew Chetley" <chetley.a@healthlink.org.uk>]

E-DRUG: Civil Society Skills Building Workshop, Uganda, 17-23 Feb 2008
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(apologies for any cross posting)

Interested in access to medicines?
 Interested in governance, transparency and accountability processes? 

If the answer to either of those questions is yes, and you are working in a civil society
organisation in Ghana, Uganda or Tanzania, an upcoming workshop in
Entebbe, Uganda in February 2008 may be of help.

The workshop is the first step in a two-year programme of civil society
capacity strengthening as part of the work of the international
Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA). MeTA aims to use a
multi-stakeholder approach towards increasing transparency around the
regulation, selection, procurement, sale, distribution and use of
medicines in developing countries, thereby strengthening governance,
encouraging responsible business practices and ultimately improving
access to medicines, especially for the poor.

The meaningful participation of civil society in these multistakeholder
activities in the countries in which the MeTA process will be launched
during 2008 is critical to the success of the process. This seven-day
workshop, with a particular emphasis on strengthening those with the
least power to engage with the process, will help participants:
*	feel more prepared and comfortable to engage with national
policy processes, including the multi-stakeholder working groups
envisaged by MeTA
*	acquire specific knowledge on issues related to access to
medicines, in particular transparency, accountability and efficiency
issues
*	acquire skills to promote greater transparency and
accountability at national, district and community levels
*	strengthen networking in their own country, and across countries
*	develop possible ideas on campaigns and advocacy on medicines
issues for use in their own MeTA pilot countries.

The workshop will be participatory in nature and make use of the
knowledge, skills and experiences of participants as a major resource
throughout. Hosted by HEPS (www.heps.org), working in partnership with
HERA (Health Research for Action: www.herabelgium.com/index.php) and
Healthlink Worldwide (www.healthlink.org.uk), and fully funded by the UK
Department for International Development (DFID - www.dfid.gov.uk), a
multidisciplinary team of facilitators drawn from Uganda and other
African countries, will be guided by Wilbert Bannenberg and Andrew
Chetley acting as course directors. Both have more than 25 years
experience of work in improving access to medicines and their rational
use, much of it in Africa. 

The workshop will include knowledge sharing, skills development,
experience sharing and country planning sessions each day. A mid-week
field visit will provide participants with an opportunity for direct
learning about the issues of transparency in the Ugandan pharmaceutical
sector. 

Topics to be covered will include: an introduction to MeTA;
availability, accessibility and affordability of medicines; medicine
financing; the procurement and supply chain for medicines; governance,
transparency and accountability - the role of civil society; ethical
practice and the rational use of medicines. Skills that are likely to be
covered include: monitoring prices, interpreting data, networking and
collaboration, negotiating policies, working with media, understanding
policy processes, interview techniques, computer and knowledge
management skills, documentation and effective communication.

There are a limited number of places available (7 from each of the three
countries) for participation in the workshop. Accordingly, an
application process will be used.

 Participants who are:
*	active in a reliable, active CSO or network 
*	interested in MeTA issues (medicines, health, transparency,
governance, accountability)
*	willing to write half page motivation letter, which should state
how the participant intends to use the knowledge and skills acquired 
*	if invited to participate, willing to write one page about a
project or campaign that they have personally been involved in,
highlighting the significant change that occurred and why they think it
was significant OR one page analyzing something that you think needs
attention in your country, and why it is important to work on this in
your context
are invited to follow the following application procedure:
*	Consider whether you qualify (using the participant criteria
above)
*	Notify the organizers of your interest to participate by 15
January 2008 by email to metacso@healthlink.org.uk, attach a participant
form (see below) and motivation letter
*	The organizers will study your application, consider the
participants mix and take a decision. They may also ask you more
questions by email or phone.
*	If the organizers invite you, which will be done by 22 January
2008, write your one page story, attach your CV, sign a conflict of
information form, and submit by email or fax (details for this will be
sent out to you with the invitation)
*	The course directors reserve the right not to admit anyone

Participant form (No more than 1 page)
Name
Position
Name of organisation/network
Address of organisation/network
Telephone/Fax number of organisation; your home/mobile phone number
(indicate which is preferred)
Your email address
Organisation/network website
Brief (100 word) summary about what your organisation does in relation
to medicines, health or governance/transparency
Brief outline of major linkages your organisation has with institutions
in your country that work on health, medicines, development or
governance/transparency: civil society, governmental, academic, private
sector

Don't forget to add an additional half-page motivational letter about
how you would apply the learning from the workshop in your work.

Send the completed form and motivational letter to
metacso@healthlink.org.uk  by 17.00 GMT on 15 January 2008.

If you are invited to attend the workshop, you will be notified by 22
January, and all travel and participation costs will be met, thanks to
funding from DFID.

Please feel free to circulate this email to other civil society
organisations or networks who you think might be interested in
attending.

A second workshop for civil society organisations working in Jordan,
Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines and Peru, will be held in the Phillipines in
March. A detailed announcement about this workshop will be circulated in
early 2008.

For more info on MeTA:
*	see website http://www.dfidhealthrc.org/meta/ 
To contact the course directors directly:
*	Andrew Chetley, Healthlink Worldwide,
chetley.a@healthlink.org.uk  
*	Wilbert Bannenberg, public health consultant, wjb@wxs.nl

From
Andrew Chetley
Executive Director
Healthlink Worldwide
56-64 Leonard Street
London EC2A 4LT
UK
chetley.a@healthlink.org.uk
+44 20 7549 0255 (direct)
www.healthlink.org.uk 
"Andrew Chetley" <chetley.a@healthlink.org.uk>