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ABOUT
ABOUT
The Social Behavior Change (SBC) course was created as a study abroad opportunity for students to work alongside public health professionals to develop implementable strategies and interventions to mitigate health challenges at local and regional levels across the globe. After several iterations, the course garnered interest from several UN agencies and public health organizations as a tool and workshop to train local public health workers in creating implementable, science-driven, and country-specific public health strategies.
In fall 2022, UNICEF Paraguay approached NYU GPH to partner and adapt the SBC course to address specific health challenges that Paraguayan public helath professionals were tackling. This marked the first time the SBC course was delivered exclusively as a professional development workshop, and the first time we delivered it in a different language.
SPECS
SPECS
Project Timeline: Jan. – June, 2023
Top-Skills: Program Management, Stakeholder Management, Partnership Building, Course Development, Adaptation & Alignment, Strategic Communication.
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES
1. Adaptation and Alignment
Adapt and align course to address local health challenges. Identify Spanish-speaking counterparts for each course topic to ensure adequate teaching and instruction. Collaborate with UNICEF Paraguay to identify local health challenges for course alignment.
2. Full Course Development
Deliver full course in Spanish, including the translation of the course curriculum, online modules, and supplemental documents.
3. Capacity Building ("Train the trainer")
Ensure successful knowledge-transfer, including capacity-building tools, frameworks, and online course modules for local organizations to continue implementing strategies, and teach local health workers.
MY ROLE
MY ROLE
Own the end-to-end delivery of program components including the course timeline proposal, adaptation of online modules, and the development of the live course agenda.
Guide and align NYU and UNICEF staff member's actions to larger objectives, reducing friction between teams, managing the completion of tasks and project phases, while ensuring visibility across all stakeholder levels.
Ensure successful knowledge-transfer, including capacity-building tools, frameworks, and online course modules for local organizations to continue implementing strategies, and teaching local health workers.
ACTION #1
ACTION #1
Utilize Airtable to develop a detailed project plan, outline tasks and specific timelines, and define specific roles and assignments within teams.
PROJECT PLAN
PROJECT PLAN
Screenshot of the Airtable base outlining the project plan and timeline.
The project plan serves as the foundation of the project, outlining project phases, defining deadlines, and creating a roadmap. It also serves as a tool to provide visibility across all management levels, while tracking and measuring progress. We also understand that plans change, and utilizing a tool like Airtable, helps readjust priorities, mobilize for roadblocks, and quickly roll-out workaround solutions.
Once our plans were laid out, we could then begin work on the larger course components which include the online modules, and the live-course agenda.
Once our plans were laid out, we could then begin work on the larger course components which include the online modules, and the live-course agenda.
ACTION #2
ACTION #2
Adapt and translate online modules and course materials.
ONLINE MODULES
ONLINE MODULES
Research and identify company to provide Spanish translation services within project parameters and requirements.
Translate all online module information and build out course site on Google sites to bypass D2L/Brightspace restrictions.
Complete and publish course-site at least 3 weeks in advance of live-course.
Beginning the adaptation and translation of course materials was top in our priority list given the volume of information, the technical component of building out the online module, and the iterative process of working with the medical translation firm.
Partnered with Connected Care who ensured the timely delivery of all 6 modules and supporting documents within a 3-week timeline.
The total cost for translation services came under-budget, and having the course translated to Spanish enabled us to run the course in other Spanish-speaking countries.
COURSE AGENDA
COURSE AGENDA
Identify Spanish-speaking counterparts to instruct and teach specific topics.
Schedule weekly meetings with course instructors to design live program, teaching cadence, breakout activities, and workshop sessions.
Utilizing UNICEF Paraguay and UNICEF LACRO's regional and local networks, we identified experts from academic institutions to lead sessions typically taught by our English-speaking faculty.
We identified experts from Universidad Iberoamericana and Universidad del Norte to lead sessions in anthropology, human-centered design, community engagement, social behavior change, ensuring curriculum adaptation.
ACTION #3
ACTION #3
Execute and spearhead the delivery of all administrative and operational components.
ADMIN. COMPONENTS
ADMIN. COMPONENTS
NYU x UNICEF Paraguay service agreement
Budget proposal
Program fee invoicing
Project plan
Course announcement & marketing materials
Application form
Administrative information
Course program/itinerary
Participant onboarding
Hotel contract & travel accommodations
Post-course report
While our top priorities involved the development of the online modules, the live course agenda, and the full course adaptation, this could not be possible without all the administrative work that supports educators, participants, and their stakeholders.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Delivery of SBC course online modules and in-person instruction in May 2023.
Facilitated a program with 50 participants representing 7 Latin American countries resulting in the development of 8 public health strategies.
Successful knowledge-transfer of public health competencies for training and capacity building.
CHALLENGES/ LIMITATIONS
CHALLENGES/ LIMITATIONS
Department leadership changes/transitions
Course platform technical limitations
In early 2023, the Department underwent a leadership transition with the appointment of a new Interim Chair. During this period, all ongoing partner collaborations and agreements were temporarily paused, forcing our team to halt work on the course. This delay significantly compressed our timeline for developing key course components, particularly the online modules. To mitigate these challenges, we kept stakeholders informed with regular updates and proposed alternative timelines to ensure the project stayed on track despite the leadership transition.Due to privacy regulations, NYU’s course management platform is restricted to NYU-affiliates only. As the course participants were external to NYU, we could not host them on our learning platform without generating individual login credentials, a cumbersome and multi-step process. This approach –which we previously used– created roadblocks, as participants often had challenges activating their accounts, accessing the course site, and/or navigating the platform. To circumvent these issues, we used Google Sites to host the online modules, which ensured ease of accessibility and user-friendliness. Due to these challenges and limitations, our team translated, adapted, and built the google course site within a tight 3-week timeline.
PARTNERS
PARTNERS
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Google Sites
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