Policy Training and Mentorship Application

Zambia Data to Policy Training and Mentorship Application
Introduction
With the financial support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Vital Strategies and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) developed a Data to Policy (D2P) training and will provide mentorship. The skills-based D2P training will assist the Ministry of Health (MoH) in developing policy briefs for identified high priority health policy using local, regional, and national data. The policy topic and possible solutions will be required prior to initiating the training. The training consists of one 5-day classroom session (March 14-18, 2016) followed by 4 days of one-on-one mentorship (March 21-24, 2016) then 4 months of ongoing remote mentorship from CDC Headquarters in Atlanta (April-July 2016). We will then bring attendees back together for a second 5-day classroom session to finalize their policy briefs (August 2016). Strong mentorship will be provided during and between training sessions. At the end of the training program, participants will have completed a polished policy-brief on a topic important to the government and be prepared to present the brief to the MoH and relevant stakeholders. NOTE: Travel expenses, lodging, and food will be provided by the program. Per diems will NOT be provided to attend the training.
Policy Topic Guidelines
In addition to reflecting government priorities for immediate action, policy topics should:
- Include both an important public health problem and potential solutions
(e.g., problem: high rates of lung cancer; potential solution: the reduction of smoking rates via tobacco taxes or warning labels). NOTE: If appropriate policy-solutions have not yet been identified, participants must commit to determining them before the second training session
- Be able to take advantage of existing data sources
(e.g. health surveys such as DHS, STEPS, Vital Statistics data, and health management information systems, etc.)
- Must be a topic that can be investigated and completed within a 4-6 month period between training sessions

Instructions
The application contains four sections:
- Applicant Info
- Computer Literacy (Internet queries/searches for research articles, Excel, Power Point, Word, etc.)
- Policy Proposal
- CV with Letters of Support
Instructions for filling out the application are provided in each section.
You may begin your application even if your letter(s) of support are not ready, but applicants will not be able to submit their applications without uploading the additional requested materials (ex. CV and Letter(s) of support).
You may make changes to your application multiple times before submitting, if you accidentally close the window or refresh the screen while you are working on the form, your entries will automatically save with the last updated info. Please note that this feature saves the data into the local browser storage of the user's computer or device, so it's required to continue using the same computer or device and browser if you choose to end your session and return later.
If you experience any difficulty with the application or have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Mine Metitiri at mmetitiri@vitalstrategies.org
NOTE: Participants are required to have a laptop computer for participation in the training. Laptops MUST have wireless internet capabilities with valid virus protection software installed prior to attendance.

Date*
MonthDayYear
Applicant Profile

Complete all required fields
Please fill in your name exactly as it appears on your passport.
Title*
Gender*
Participant Name*
Given NameMiddle NameFamily Name (surname)
Contact Information
Mobile Phone Number*
Country code + Number
E-mail*
Work Mailing Address*
Street Address
Street Address Line 2
CityState / Province
Postal Code (If no code, enter '00000')Country
Please provide information about your organization and your roles and responsibilities.
Participant's Institution/Organization Name*
Current Position (Job Title)*
Job Description*
Provide a brief description of your role and responsibilities in your current position.

Computer Literacy
Read these instructions carefully before filling out the following section. Complete all required fields
Note: a few required fields ask for information that may not be relevant to every participant (ex. Postal Codes), please follow the instructions provided in the sub-headings where appropriate.
Computer Literacy
Indicate your level of profiency and use of the following programs, Word, Excel, Epi Info, STATA, SAS, SPSS, and Internet Search Engines
Provide the frequency in which you use a computer for data analysis.
All participants are required to bring a laptop computer to the training course. The laptop must be Windows compatible, English keyboard, with valid virus protection softwar installed.
How often do you use a computer to perform data analysis?*
ex. calculations, descriptive analysis, summary analysis
Please indicate your level of proficiency in the following (proficiciency with statistical analysis software (STATA, SPSS, SAS) is not required for entry:
Proficient:  Expert knowledge and technical skill; frequent user
Intermediate:  Advanced knowledge and some technical skill; occasional user
Beginner:  General knowledge and basic technical skill; seldom user
Never Used: No experience or knowledge
Word*
Excel*
Epi Info*
STATA*
SAS*
SPSS*
Power Point*
Internet Searches/Queries*
ex. PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, WHO

Policy Proposal
Application Instructions
Read these instructions carefully before filling out the following section. Complete all required fields.
Note: a few required fields ask for information that may not be relevant to every participant (ex. Postal Codes), please follow the instructions provided in the sub-headings where appropriate.

Policy Proposal
The problem statement can be written in a word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word), copied and pasted into the field. Please do not include any tables or figures. The problem statement should be written using 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Arial as the minimum font size for the text of the proposal. The statement should include a detailed description of the problem or issue you are focused on. Include in your statement the health policy implications and/or impact.
List the primary audience and stakeholders who will be most interested in the policy implications and thus more likely to refer to the brief. Stakeholders should be included from various sectors (ex. government, political, commercial, NGO, civil society, etc) at the national, regional, and local levels. Also consider stakeholders who would be in favor of the brief and those who would be opposed.
Identify the data sources that you plan to use for analysis to provide evidence-based support for your policy brief.
Problem Statement (500 Words or less)*
The statement should include a description of the problem or issue you are focused on. Include in your statement the health policy implications/impact. NOTE: The problem statement must focus on an issue that can be evaluated within 3-4 months.
Proposed Policy Solutions (500 Words or less)*
Proposed solution(s) should be relevant to the proposed problem provided in the problem statement. (ex. Problem: High rates of diarrheal disease. Potential Solution: Enforced regulation of water sanitation practices in communities.
Primary Stakeholders*
Indicate stakeholders who will be most interested in the policy implications and thus most likely to refer to the brief to make decisions.
Data Sources*
Please list data sources that you will use for your policy brief.
Will you be able to access data for this project?*
Will your data require Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics approval for you to access or perform analysis?*
Has approval been obtained or is it in process?*

Please list the policy proposal sponsor.
A proposal sponsor is an experienced Senior Level MOH staff, who will guide and support the applicant and their policy topic. Ideally the sponsor is someone who can take charge to move the policy issue forward. Applicants MUST identify a proposal sponsor prior to training. NOTE: Sponsors are NOT responsible for providing any form of financial support.
Title*
Sponsor Name*
Given NameFamily Name (surname)
Sponsor's Position in Organization (Job Title)*
Mobile Phone Number*
Country code + Number
E-mail*
Is your sponsor also your supervisor?*
Please list your supporting supervisor.
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that applicants are supported within their institutions to successfully achieve milestones in addition to their day-to-day tasks.
Title*
Supervisor Name*
Given NameFamily Name (surname)
Supervisor's Position in Organization (Job Title)*
Mobile Phone Number*
Country code + Number
E-mail*

Required Documents
The following documents are required with the application prior to final application submission.

PARTICIPANT CVs are required to provide additional insight into the background, experience, skills of each participant. This will help to ensure that the minimal requirements for participation into the training program are met.

LETTER(s) OF SUPPORT are required. Each applicant must submit a letter of support from a project sponsor within the Ministry of Health and a letter of support from their supervisor. If the sponsor and supervisor are the same person, ONE letter is sufficient. The letter of support should approve of the applicant's application to the Data to Policy Training program and the willingness of the institution to support his/her work during the training and mentorship phase of the program.
- Sponsors are responsible for taking charge in guiding and supporting the applicant during the proposal development process on a regular basis and helping champion the briefs upon completion.
- Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that applicants are supported within their institutions to successfully achieve milestones in addition to their day-to-day tasks.
The letter of support from the sponsor should state their anticipated role in providing support to the participant as they work to develop their policy proposal and in moving the final policy brief forward. The letter of support from the supervisor should state their willingness to allow participants to dedicate some time to complete the work required by the training program.

Once you have completed the application and uploaded the required documents, you may then submit.
THE APPLICANT CANNOT ACCESS HIS/HER FILES FOR EDITING OR ADDING MATERIALS AFTER SUBMISSION.
An error will occur for required fields that are incomplete will prevent the application submission. These require fields must be filled before you can submit. You will receive a confirmation when the application is successfully submitted. If you fail to receive a confirmation after submitting, please contact Mine Metitiri immediately at mmetitiri@vitalstrategies.org.
Upload CV*
Upload a File
To remove or change your file, click on the 'Choose File' button again and choose a different file or click on the Cancel button to clear the field.Cancelof
Sponsor Letter of Support*
Upload a File
To remove or change your file, click on the 'Choose File' button again and choose a different file or click on the Cancel button to clear the field.Cancelof
Supervisor Approval Letter*
Upload a File
To remove or change your file, click on the 'Choose File' button again and choose a different file or click on the Cancel button to clear the field.Cancelof
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Zambia Data to Policy Training and Mentorship Application