Background of the Skills Lab

The Flemish development organization (VVOB) introduced the Skillslab methodology in 1999 to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) to improve the competence of the health workers' training in the college. KMTC accepted the innovative approach of skills- training since it realized it did not want to become stranded, to paraphrase David Lodge, on the mudflats of an obsolete ideology – the traditional training approach. KMTC appreciated the fact that it must become a change champion, so as to remain relevant, given its crucial role in the Kenyan health system.

The pilot phase of the project, which ran for five years (2000 – 2004), involved two departments - Nursing and Clinical Medicine – at the Nairobi campus. Based on the good results posted by the pilot phase, KMTC undertook to implement the same training strategy in all its constituent colleges countrywide. VVOB and KMTC agreed to participate in funding this expansion for the period 2004-2008 for a total budget of about Kshs. 220 million (€ 2.3 million).

The VVOB contribution of Kshs 100 million (€ 1.0 million) was used for training of staff, development of learning materials, skillslab related logistical assistance to medical training institutions and attachment of two external project advisors. The KMTC contribution of KES 130 million (€ 1.3 million) was in the form of staff salaries and benefits, insurance of purchased materials, construction and maintenance of skillslab buildings, provision of water and electricity and all recurrent expenses to implement Skillslab training.

By mid-2007, the project had covered 24 colleges, them to implement the Skillslab methodology. The expansion phase of the project has registered considerable success going by several monitoring and evaluation activities done on quarterly and yearly basis. Naturally, some schools were slow in adopting the change owing to the usual resistance to change and the far reaching implications that this new training method brought to the traditional teaching and learning culture in tertiary institutions.

The Skillslab National Coordination Centre (SNACC) was set up by KMTC in 2004 to manage the expansion phase. The SNACC reports to the Project Implementing Committee and the Project Steering Committee. VVOB also sends in mid-term and end-term evaluators to assess the project process and impact. So far the feedback has been positive and encouraging.

Vision, Mission and Core Values

Vision:
To be an excellent reference centre for innovative methods in training competent health workers.

Mission:
To promote and support Skillslab methodology, Student Centered Learning and other innovative training methods related to Competency Based Learning in health care training institutions in Kenya and beyond.

Core Values:

• Give services to all interested parties without discrimination
• Let others learn from us as we learn from them
• Put maximum effort to provide professional and high quality services

Core Activities of The SNACC:






Eight years of experience in implementing Skillslab methodology, as detailed in the table above, has convinced the SNACC team that they are good in the following:

• Starting new Skillslabs
• Giving support to established Skillslabs
• Producing learning materials related to Skillslab
• Facilitate selection, tender, purchase and distribution of the necessary manikins and medical equipment
• Support integration of Skillslab in curricula and master rotations
• Support in implementation of other innovative learning strategies
• Evaluating the effects of implementation of the Skillslab methodology

Announcement from SNACC
1. Study guides and procedure manuals for clinical medicine are available at from their MTCs 2000kshs.
2. Logbooks for clinical medicine available at

• Kshs 300 for third years
• Kshs 300 for second year
• Kshs 150 for first years

3. Procedure manuals and study guides for nursing students are available from their MTCs at kshs1500