Most GHFP Professional Development (PD) activities are intended to benefit all USAID staff working in the health sector. Fellows are also able to take advantage of opportunities designed specifically for them.
TRAINING:
Training provided through GHFP supports participants’ professional development in areas such as leadership, management, personal effectiveness, technical training, and career development. GHFP offers more than 20 unique courses throughout the year in our training facility in Washington, in coordination with the Office of Professional Development and Management Support of USAID’s Global Health Bureau. Almost all of these opportunities are open to all USAID staff in the health sector, and there are no fees required for participation. The Program also offers courses in the field at Health Managers’ Workshops and for specific Missions or other USAID units upon request.
Click here for a list of illustrative courses:
INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS:
Each GHFP fellow receives $2,500 per fellowship year for their individual professional development. These funds can be used for a variety of professional development opportunities. Examples include:
- Language training
- Professional coaching (see below)
- Registration fees for professional conferences
- Subscriptions to journals or other publications
- Memberships to professional organizations or societies
- Training events offered outside USAID or GHFP, such as
o Graduate level university seminars or institutes
o American Management Association courses
o Training in the use of specialized tools, software, or other technology
COACHING:
Fellows may elect to use some of their individual professional development funds for professional coaching. Coaching is characterized by a one-on-one relationship between a coach and the fellow with a focus on helping the fellow achieve his/her goals. Our coaches work in partnership with fellows to help them overcome personal barriers, achieve goals, develop new management skills, take action, and improve performance. In working with a coach, a fellow can strategize, consider alternative approaches, practice new behaviors, and reinforce lessons learned to improve his/her competency as a leader and manager. Coaching allows the fellow to learn on the job and to apply the knowledge right away.
GHFP’s coaches have been screened and oriented to working in the USAID health sector environment. Each has years of practice in professional coaching and working in and with public-sector organizations.
PERFORMANCE SUPPORT AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT:
As part of their fellowship, each fellow develops an annual workplan and individual development plan within the first six months of their placement, and then annually on their employment anniversary date. The annual workplan lays out the fellow’s major work objectives for the year, and the individual development plan identifies skills, knowledge and/or competencies that that fellow can develop to enhance his/her job performance. With each identified professional development need, the individual development plan includes an “action” or way of addressing this need (e.g., conference, training, coaching, etc.).
Each fellow receives one-on-one support from a GHFP-dedicated staff member at one of the partner universities – known as a Performance and Career Development Advisor. The Performance and Career Development Advisor is a resource for the fellow and provides guidance in several important areas:
- Helping to develop, monitor, and update the fellow’s annual workplan and individual development plan
- Assisting the fellow in selecting individual professional development activities, including opportunities outside of USAID or GHFP
- Working with onsite managers to maximize support for on-the-job professional development opportunities
- Offering career development workshops focusing on topics such as networking, personal branding, and resume writing
- Connecting the fellow to university resources, such as library resources or faculty mentors
MENTORING:
Each fellow has the option of establishing a mentoring relationship with a GHFP partner university senior global health faculty member. This faculty mentor can provide a fellow with state-of-the-art technical expertise and resources, networking opportunities, career counseling and personalized professional development support. If a fellow elects this career-enhancing option, the Performance and Career Development Advisor works with the fellow to identify a mentor based on factors such as the technical areas outlined in the fellowship scope of work and the fellow’s professional interests.
