A Self-Guided Training and Self-Assessment App for Safeguarding Procedures in Malawi
May 5, 2021
By Griffin Danes, Giannina Garcia, Michelle Riccio and Suyin Taunton
Our cross-functional team of Griffin Danes, Giannina Garcia, Michelle Riccio, and Suyin Taunton is working in partnership with the Malawi-based organization Supreme Sanitary Pads to develop a mobile health application that aids with their functional and public health goals. We bring a diverse set of skills including experience in program management, global maternal and child health, nonprofit management, and private sector medical marketing.
Supreme is an organization that seeks to empower women and improve feminine health by developing vocational skills through the development and distribution of sanitary pads and dissemination of women’s health education. Supreme staff are sometimes met with sensitive social and legal situations (e.g., child abuse, child marriage) that are required to be reported internally and/or externally to the relevant authorities. Adherence to these procedures is essential to protect at-risk groups and disseminate sensitive information quickly and accurately.
The purpose of this application is to provide a self-guided training and self-assessment tool for improving staff understanding of and adherence to safeguarding procedures. It will also be used by veteran staff to increase their knowledge and efficiently train new hires. Safeguarding procedures are constantly changing and this app will serve as a way to disseminate new information efficiently across all districts through new app releases. Additionally, the app will minimize the administrative burden of staff trainings, decrease related costs, and in light of COVID, enable effective remote learning.
In the pilot version, there are four types of learning tools: I) graded spotchecks to test knowledge of terms and procedures, II) a guided walk through of safeguarding procedures, III) walk through of a scenario that evaluates comprehension of all safeguarding elements and IV) a “how to” reporting guide.