Capacity Strengthening Using Digital Tools
Capacity Strengthening Using Digital Tools
Cost-effective workforce development for high-quality lifesaving services and sustainable health systems
Digital tools—including AI-enhanced e-learning, educational apps, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and virtual platforms for peer-to-peer learning and exchange—enable countries to equip more health workers, faster and more affordably, with the knowledge and skills to be capable of delivering lifesaving care where and when it’s needed.
The Challenge: Meeting Health Care Demands with Fewer Resources
A capable, motivated, and appropriately deployed health workforce—with the tools and support needed to perform—is the foundation for delivering high quality lifesaving services. Health workers must know what to do, how to do it, and be backed by systems that ensure consistent, quality services. Likewise, health system leaders need well-governed institutions and the capacity to make evidence-based decisions about priorities, resource use, and solutions to critical challenges.
Sudden cuts in foreign assistance for humanitarian and development efforts are intensifying strain on already limited resources. Countries must now deliver essential services more efficiently and cost-effectively—without sacrificing access or quality. This makes it more urgent than ever for local health sector actors to strengthen their capacity to lead, manage, and operate all aspects of effective, resilient health systems.
To meet these challenges, countries need low-cost, high-impact solutions to strengthen the capacity and performance of both healthcare providers and health system leaders and managers.
The Solution: Proven, Scalable and Sustainable Approaches to Workforce Development
We invite you to partner with us to implement practical, cost-effective approaches for capacity strengthening that improve performance, quality of care, and long-term impact. MSH offers deep expertise in learning strategies, instructional design, and digital technologies; and we have a strong track record of supporting governments in optimizing workforce development systems, to get the right people in the right place at the right time.
We collaborate with our partners to co-develop contextualized digital, face-to-face and blended learning solutions that address key health priorities. We move away from traditional, resource-heavy training models—e.g., project-owned, INGO-led TOTs and cascaded in-person workshops—toward helping Ministries of Health set up and manage national Learning Management Systems (LMS) that host online courses, track participation and certification status as well as developing scalable e-learning programs linked to clinical monitoring and supportive supervision. We also foster collaboration between government institutions, professional associations, and academia to ensure training leads to continuous professional development (CPD) credits and workforce accreditation.
With mobile technology reaching even remote areas and rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), there are growing opportunities to enhance learning and improve the quality of care. MSH is ready to explore these innovations with you!
MSH Partnerships in Workforce Development | MTaPS Virtual Learning Platforms and Online Courses
Examples of MSH’s partnerships in workforce development using digital tools
The multi-country Leading & Managing for Results in Pandemics (LMRP) program
With support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Building Capacity for National Public Health Institutes (NPHI) project, MSH developed, delivered and evaluated the LMRP program (2022-23) that strengthened leadership and management capacities of public health teams in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda and Uganda. The LMRP featured blended learning, with a series of online modules, live virtual sessions, and face-to-face collaborative learning as well as an online learning hub. The program was adapted in partnership with the Kenya Medical Training College and the Rwandan Ministry of Health.
For more information: https://msh.org/resources/msh-lmrp-outcome-harvesting-evaluation-report/ and https://msh.org/resources/leadership-and-management-accelerator-lma/
The National Learning Management System (LMS) for health workforce development in Mali
With Global Fund (GF) support via a contract from the Mali GF Principal Recipient, Plan International (PI), MSH collaborated with the Malian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (MOHPH) to enhance its national LMS to include AI functionality, improve security, and enable learner tracking. MSH also provided technical assistance to develop an e-learning Plan that will formalize and structure the trainings offered by the GF for HIV, TB, malaria and health system strengthening grants in Mali. These were informed by a comprehensive instructional design process, whereby learning needs were assessed and prioritized, LMS specifications were determined, and deliverables were co-designed through a close partnership between MSH, PI-Mali, and the MOHPH.
A blended learning program in Leadership, Management and Governance (LMG) for Decentralized Health Management Teams in Morocco
MSH, through a contract from the local organization South Bridge A&I, collaborated with the MOH in Morocco to develop a tailored LMG program for the top leaders of a new structure within the MOH: Decentralized Health Management Teams (DHMTs) across the country. MSH designed the overall program (learning objectives and approach), developed the course materials and facilitation guide, and advised on the program business plan and monitoring & evaluation (M&E) mechanisms for the LMG strengthening program. It features 11 modules to be completed by 12 DHMTs via a combination of virtual training sessions, team-based learning, and coaching.
National Malaria e-Toolkit and e-University in Nigeria
MSH, under the US President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) project (2018-25) in Nigeria, worked with the government to develop two digital tools hosted on the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) website: the NMEP Electronic Toolkit, an online library of up-to-date malaria policies, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and job aids, organized by topic, providing health workers and managers with easy access to standard resources – which over 25,000 users have accessed; and e-University, an interactive e-learning platform offering self-paced malaria trainings on diagnosis, treatment, prevention (like IPTp and SMC), and data reporting – and since its launch, over 12,000 health workers have registered, of which 9,000 have completed courses. These tools have standardized training and supported CPD, to build a more capable health workforce across Nigeria in order improving malaria service quality and access.
Uganda’s Health Supply Chain and Learning Platform
As part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Supply Chain Systems (SSCS) project in Uganda, MSH created an LMS – using the low-cost, open-source Moodle software – to host the project’s Health Supply Chain and Learning Platform, which provided online training to enhance systems and capacity for delivery of supply chain interventions at the national and sub-national levels. For sustainability, MSH built capacity of the Ugandan Ministry of Health’s Department of Pharmaceuticals and Natural Medicines to maintain the platform and administer the online courses.
Digital Supervision, Performance Assessment, and Recognition Strategy (SPARS) App in Uganda
Also under SSCS in Uganda, the Supervision, Performance Assessment, and Recognition Strategy (SPARS) was introduced into the supply chain and pharmaceutical system order to enhance human resource capabilities for management of health commodities. It combines basic formal supply chain trainings with mentorship, scheduled supervision, and assessments of performance/status of the supply chain, intervening based on assessment results, applying regulatory measures through collaboration with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, and recognizing good performance. MSH brought innovation by transforming the SPARS program into a digital tool and upgrading it to include a self-assessment with results that orient the users to tailored learning pathways for self-paced e-learning. This tool doubled as a skills-building platform and continuous quality improvement (CQI) platform. For sustainability, it has been embedded into the MOH standards and patient protection department and will soon be a mandatory CPD requirement for supply chain staff across Uganda.
LeaderNet, MSH’s Community of Practice and Virtual Platform for Leadership and Management Strengthening
MSH, through the USAID-funded global Management and Leadership (M&L) Program in 2002, launched LeaderNet, an online learning and exchange platform for global health professionals working to strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. It offered health care managers and facilitators a virtual network for collaborative learning and coaching in leadership and management skills. Learning was delivered through a suite of facilitated or self-directed features for learners of all styles; and it served as a Community of Practice, with live events, a blog, and a resource library. By 2017, LeaderNet had over 9,000 concurrently active members from 172 countries. The platform was taken offline in 2024, as MSH explores its migration into a new open-source platform.
Upskilling and certifying consultants to provide high-quality STTA to Global Fund Recipients
Under the USAID-funded Grant Management Solutions (GMS) Program (2012-17), MSH provided urgent short-term technical assistance (STTA) to Global Fund (GF) recipient countries—350 grants with a value of US$13.3 billion, representing 49% of the total GF portfolio—to achieve grant objectives, mobilize resources and spend them efficiently, make health budgets more transparent, and implement results-based financing. GMS built a robust roster of global experts with Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) and Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RCM) experience. To ensure high-quality STTA that met GMS standards, leveraged proven approaches, and aligned with MSH’s values, consultants completed a rigorous training and certification process—including orientation, in-person boot camps, specialized workshops, and ongoing webinars. MSH created an online portal containing a consultant database and an LMS, enabling GMS to track the status of consultants’ training completion and certification status, then rapidly identify and match consultants to urgent requests for STTA.
CommCare Mobile App for case management and contact tracing in Madagascar
The MSH-led, USAID-funded Accessible Continuum of Care and Essential Services Sustained (ACCESS) program in Madagascar (2018-25) worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) to deploy the CommCare platform to assist community health volunteers (CHVs) and basic health center (CSB) staff with client case management and provider supervision. In 2022, ACCESS helped expand the functionality of CommCare by developing a COVID-19 e-learning module on national open-source web-based health information system (DHIS2) to improve response activities. With the mobile app that has offline functionality, CHVs – who were at the frontlines of the fight against the pandemic – could effectively conduct contact tracing and reporting on Coronavirus using their smartphones or tablets. It improved improved the quality of care, reduced the burden of paper-based reporting and supervision, and eased communication between CHVs in isolated communities and their supporting health centers. MSH trained the national government to manage the digital tool and trained CHVs to use it.
ACCESS University, Madagascar’s MNCH e-learning platform for health professionals
Also under the ACCESS project, MSH worked with the Malagasy MOPH, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and other partners to create ACCESS University, an e-learning platform accessible by laptops and tablets that offers continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities to higher-level health professionals (particularly nurses and midwives), supervisors, and trainers for updated knowledge and skills in advanced clinical topics such as maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH). ACCESS University incorporates World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended best practices and updates; it also features an FAQ section, a messaging system for learner communication, and downloadable resources for offline use. With a blend of text and multimedia elements (images, videos, sounds), the online courses in this platform keep learners highly engaged. Once learners pass the end-of-module knowledge checks, they then progress to skills development labs provided by the MOPH, where their practical skills are examined, earning them a certificate that recognizes their competencies. To ensure smooth implementation and local ownership, a central e-learning Coordination Committee was formed, with clear roles and responsibilities established and capacity strengthening support from MSH to empower the Ministry to manage the e-learning process and oversee the use of the platform.
Sample course content from e-learning programs in Madagascar’s ACCESS University
Virtual Learning Platforms and Online Courses developed under the Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPs) Program
The global MSH-led, USAID-funded MTaPs Program (2018–25) worked closely with MOHs and other local stakeholders to develop e-learning platforms and virtual coursework to reach health workers quickly and efficiently with critical knowledge and skills, finalizing 29 COVID-19 e-learning programs, training 147 local e-learning managers, and transitioning ownership of e-learning platforms to MOHs or other local institutions. A few notable examples of country-specific accomplishments include:
Bangladesh
MSH/MTaPS collaborated with the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to design and deliver training of health workers for improved infection prevention and control (IPC). In just 6 months, the program enrolled 3,105 personnel, of which 776 completed the course, which is currently available on the Muktopaath Government’s LMS.
Philippines
MSH/MTaPS supported the Department of Health (DOH) and FDA to develop and upload 10 online modules on pharmacovigilance, PSCM, and gender in pharmaceutical systems strengthening (PSS) into the DOH Academy e-learning platform. Over 20,248 health workers were trained on PV and PSCM through this program, which is hosted at https://learn.doh.gov.ph.
“One of the challenges in the attainment of UHC [Universal Health Care] is the need to streamline and strengthen supply chain management at all levels of the health system. But with the support of USAID through MTaPS, we have our eLMIS [electronic Logistics Management Information System] to solve and conquer this challenge.”
Undersecretary Maria Carolina Vidal-Taiño, DOH Management Services Team.
Rwanda
MSH/MTaPs supported the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop two training courses to strengthen Regulatory Systems. These are focused on Registration of Medicines and Devices and Pharmacovigilance and are housed at Rwanda’s FDA e-learning platform.
World Health Organization (WHO)
In collaboration with the WHO’s Division of Medicines and Health Products, MSH/MTaPS developed and coordinated the delivery of a course on Managing Conflict of Interest (COI) in National Pharmaceutical Systems, which was completed by 1,401 health workers in its first six months. For more information, see the Managing COI How-to Guide for public pharmaceutical sector committees in low- and middle-income countries and a blog published by MTaPS about this training program and COI resource.
