This project uses an action research/action learning approach to
develop a better understanding of management practices in
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health
Services, and to give the managers of these services the
opportunity to share and build their knowledge and skills. The
project starts from the belief that the managers know what their
strengths, challenges and problems are, and have insights to share
which are invaluable to informing the development of better
practice and policy in Indigenous health.
The project team consists of project Leaders Dr Cindy Shannon
and Associate Professor Judith Dwyer (Head, Health Policy and
Management Department, La Trobe University), and Aboriginal
Research Officer Ms Shirley Godwin. All the team bring unique and
valuable perspectives, Judith through her extensive experience with
Aboriginal and mainstream medical services and Cindy and Shirley,
both Aboriginal women, through their highly respected work in the
Aboriginal health research arena. A formal partnership agreement
has been developed between the project team and the Queensland
Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) to work
collaboratively towards shared outcomes. The participants in the
study are co-researchers involved in identifying what skills and
knowledge they want to share and also those they want to further
develop.
The project involves a set of workshops that consist of two
parts—one for formal learning through structured seminars and
case study analysis; one for shared problem-solving through a
technique called 'learning sets'. The learning sets involve small
groups of people (six to eight people) who each bring a real
problem they are currently trying to solve, and share it within the
group (confidentially) to work out strategies to address the
problem. Members of the learning sets usually find they get new
insights into the problems they encounter, together with a variety
of strategies to deal with them.
Importantly they also explore, challenge and develop their own
ways of thinking and strengthen themselves as managers.
It works because it lets the managers define the problems and
work together to solve them, and then see if, how and why solutions
work or don’t work. This way the big issues are covered, with
the participants developing new skills and knowledge through the
real life situations of their work, rather than solely through
theory or text books.
The project team has arranged for the formal learning program to
be accredited as a unit of postgraduate study at La Trobe
University, equivalent to a quarter of a graduate certificate in
health service management. QAIHC staff are in discussions with
Queensland universities with the aim of ensuring that those
participants who complete the required academic work are able to
use the credit they get from this program to continue with
postgraduate study towards a formal qualification.
In addition to providing an opportunity for the managers to
further develop their management skills, the plan is that the CRC
for Aboriginal Health will use the results of the workshops to
inform future research and make sure its research is helpful to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations. It is
envisaged that the project will help health services to keep their
management strong and make sure their systems and policies work
well. It is also hoped that governments and the mainstream health
system will learn something about how to do better on their side of
working with Indigenous organisations.
From CRCAH Annual
Report 2004/200
For more information, go to project
profile.
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