Ministry of Health Public Health Officers and Technicians Council - Kenya STUDENT INDEXING GUIDELINES December 2014
Ministry of Health Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya Student Indexing Guidelines DECEMBER 2014
Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya, 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya FOREWORD 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 5 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 6 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 7 1.0. ROLE AND MANDATE OF PHOTC 8 2.0. INDEXING 9 3.0. IMPLEMENTATION 12 4.0. APPENDICES 16 APPENDIX I: INDEXING APPLICATION FORM 16 APPENDIX II: TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP MEMBERS 17 3
FOREWORD The objective and purpose of the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council (PHOTC) as prescribed in the public health officers (Training, Registration and Licensing) Act No.12 of 2013 is to exercise general supervision and control over the training, practice and employment of Public Health Officers and Technicians in Kenya, and to advise the government in relation to all aspects thereof. PHOTC cultivating a culture of excellence in standards setting and monitoring in line with the Act. Training regulation is a mandate of PHOTC; in addition to capacity building, registration and licensing of public health officers and technicians. The council is also involved in regulation of standards of practice. PHOTC therefore shall ensure quality training and practice regulation by practitioners to deliver quality preventive and promotive health services to Kenyans hence the establishment of the. Student indexing is a mandatory procedure for registration of students by assigning them unique identifiers. It is intended to facilitate the tracking of registered students during and after completion of training. It also provides for regulated processes in training and registration of public health professionals. The guidelines are part of the PHOTC standards and constitute the first step for all prospective students joining accredited training institutions in pursuit of certificate, diploma and degree levels of training for an Environmental Health course in Kenya. The indexing guidelines outline the requirements for certificate, diploma and degree training programs for accredited training institutions in Kenya. They have been designed to offer an easy, informative and transparent step-by-step guide for students enrolling into the program. In addition, this document distinctively outlines the roles of students, training institutions and PHOTC in regard to student indexing. These training guidelines outline PHOTC minimum guidelines for admission, indexing procedure and implementation of the indexing process. An indexing form is provided for ease of reference regarding compliance to these guidelines. These guidelines are an important tool for all public health students, trainers and administrators of training institutions. Kioko Kiilu Chairman, Public Health Officers and Technicians Council 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The PHOTC indexing guidelines document comes at a time when there is greater need to regulate professional training and practice. The collaborative effort of PHOTC membership, experts drawn from public and private institutions offering training in Environmental Health and other stakeholders, was invaluable throughout the entire process. I express sincere gratitude to various stakeholders for their rigorous commitment.in particular, I thank the representatives of various institutions and departments including; Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Human Resource Department - Ministry of Health (MoH), Moi University, and other institutions of higher learning whose participation proved invaluable in the development of this document. I acknowledge the Commission for University Education (CUE) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), for their contribution throughout the entire process. Further, I recognize the support from the Association of Public Health Officers, Kenya (APHOK), the input from EMORY University-Kenya Health Workforce project and the valuable technical and material support from the USAID-funded FUNZOKenya project, Intrahealth International through the stewardship of Dr James Mwanzia. I also acknowledge the momentous contribution of all members of the Technical Working Group, the peer review team and members of the PHOTC Secretariat for providing the much desired thrust for the entire process. Last but not least, I sincerely acknowledge the contribution of individuals, organizations and institutions whose direct or indirect involvement in the process guaranteed the accomplishment of this document. KEPHA.M. OMBACHO, PhD, MBS REGISTRAR PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICERS AND TECHNICIANS COUNCIL, KENYA 5
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS APHOK B.ScEVH B.Sc CEO CUE KACE KCE KCSE KEMRI KHWP KMTC KNEC MOH MOH-HRD PEPFAR PHOTC SOP USAID Association of Public Health Officers of Kenya Bachelor of Science - Environmental Health Bachelor of Science Chief Executive Officer Commission for University Education Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education Kenya Certificate of Education Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Kenya Medical Research Institute Kenya Health Workforce Project Kenya Medical Training College Kenya National Examinations Council Ministry of Health Ministry of Health, Human Resource Development President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya Standard Operating Procedure United States Agency for International Development 6
GLOSSARY OF TERMS Accreditation: Is the formal recognition, by Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, of a training institution as compliant with the set minimum standards and capable to offer a course in Environmental Health. Accredited Training Institution: Is any training institution formally recognized by PHOTC as compliant with the set minimum standards and capable to offer a course in Environmental Health. Council: It refers herein to the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council. Eligible student: Is a student applicant who meets the minimum requirements for indexing as prescribed by the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council. Indexing: Is the registration of students pursuing a course in Environmental Health by assigning them unique identifiers and is intended to facilitate the tracking of registered students during and after completion of training. Registration: Is the act or process of entering information about an eligible professional into the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council s system of records and the subsequent issuance of a certificate at a prescribed fee. 7
1 ROLE AND MANDATE OF PHOTC 1.1. Background of PHOTC The Public Health Officers and Technicians Council (PHOTC) was established by an Act of Parliament, Public Health Officers (Training, Registration and Licensing) Act No.12 of 2013. The Act was published as a means of addressing the increasing need to streamline and regulate the public health training and practice in Kenya. 1.2 PHOTC Mandate PHOTC specific mandate is to exercise general supervision and control over the training, practice and employment of public health officers and technicians in Kenya and to advice the government in relation to all aspects thereof. 1.3 Vision and Mission Statement 1.3.1 Vision To be a World class public health regulatory body for maintaining standards of public health training and practice. 1.3.2 Mission To guarantee appropriate regulation of public health practice by ensuring compliance with standards for training, registration and licensing. 1.4 Core Values PHOTC embraces the following core values and the same is expected of its associates and those regulated; Professionalism Excellence Integrity Transparency and accountability Innovation Team work Gender equity 8
2 INDEXING Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya Indexing is a process of registration of eligible students by assigning them unique identifiers. This process is applicable to all those enrolled for certificate, diploma and degree courses in Environmental Health from an accredited training institution. 2.1. Introduction The PHOTC aims to establish and maintain a database of students pursuing Environmental Health programs at certificate, diploma and degree levels in accredited training institutions. The data will be essential for tracking the development of professionals in the field of Environmental Health. It will also ensure that quality standards in training are maintained including but not limited to the criteria of admission and student to teacher ratio. Indexing will provide a link between the learners, accredited training institutions and the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council. It will provide data for forecasting, manpower planning, employment and deployment to the public health labor market. 2.2. Rationale for Indexing Indexing is a mandatory procedure by PHOTC and is intended to facilitate the tracking of registered students during and after training and to streamline regulatory process of training and registration. Indexing also provides data on the students enrolled in training institutions to facilitate forecasting for both training and professional needs within and outside Kenya. Indexing provides for tracking of students on the health care workforce from enrolment in the training pipeline to completion rates. It is essential for planning, distribution, allocation and deployment of human resources in training and service provision in the field of Environmental Health in Kenya. 2.3. Academic Qualifications for Indexing All students seeking to pursue careers in the field of Environmental Health must do so in accredited institutions and approved programs. Students will be indexed in accordance with the regulations upon meeting the minimum requirements set out in the PHOTC core curriculum. The minimum requirements set are as follows: 9
2.3.1. Minimum Entry Requirements for a Certificate course in Environmental Health The minimum requirements shall be a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) aggregate grade C- (minus) or its equivalent as ascertained by the Ministry of Education in addition to other requirements as set by the PHOTC. The mandatory subject clusters shall be a minimum of grade C- (Minus) in English/Kiswahili and Biology/Biological Sciences/Physical Sciences. Additionally, the applicant will have scored a minimum of D+ in any of the following subjects: a) Physics b) Chemistry c) Mathematics d) Home Science e) Agriculture f) General Science 2.3.2. Minimum Entry Requirements for a Diploma course in Environmental Health The minimum requirements shall be a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) aggregate Grade C (plain) or its equivalent as ascertained by the Ministry of Education in addition to other requirements as set by the PHOTC. The mandatory subject clusters shall be a grade C (plain) in English/Kiswahili,Biology/ Biological sciences. Additionally the applicant shall have scored a minimum grade of C-(Minus) in Mathematics and any of the following: a) Physics b) Chemistry c) Physical Sciences 2.3.3. Minimum Entry Requirements for Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Health To be admitted to the of Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health program, applicants must satisfy the minimum entry requirement of grade C+ (Plus) in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education or equivalent qualification. In addition: a) Candidates must have passed with a minimum aggregate grade C+(Plus) in cluster subjects: Biology/Biological Sciences, Chemistry/Physical Sciences, Mathematics/Physics and English/Kiswahili. 10
NOTE: Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya b) Candidates holding Diploma in Environmental Health Sciences and a mean grade C (Plain) in KCSE with C plain in Biology, Chemistry and Physics OR Mathematics and English/Kiswahili will also qualify for admission. c) A-level candidates should have a Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE) of 2 principals + 1 subsidiary in a Science combination, one of which must be in Biology. 1. PHOTC accepts bridging by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and other institutions whose accreditation it recognizes. 2. Equivalent qualification from alternative systems of education and grading shall be authenticated by PHOTC in liaison with KNEC, CUE and other competent authorities. 11
3 IMPLEMENTATION Implementation of the indexing process shall be coordinated by the PHOTC secretariat in consultation with the Public Health Officers Technicians Council. The PHOTC Secretariat and accredited training institutions will be involved in the implementation process. 3.1. Role of PHOTC in Indexing a) Approval of the indexing policy b) Approval of indexing standards c) Appointing members of the Indexing Secretariat 3.2. Role of Training Committee in Indexing a) Steering the development of indexing policies for Council s approval b) Steering the development of indexing standards for Council s approval c) Steering the evaluation of training institutions for indexing purposes 3.3. Role of the Secretariat in Indexing a) In liaison with the training committee, conduct evaluation of training institutions for indexing purposes b) Evaluating eligible students for indexing purposes and correspond with the institutions c) Receive, review and process duly completed documents for indexing purposes d) Grant index numbers to eligible students and institutions e) Provide feedback to training institutions on the status of indexing applications f) Keep safely, maintain and update records of indexed students and institutions 3.4. Role of Training Institutions in Indexing a) Provide a list of students eligible for indexing to the PHOTC b) Communicate information about indexing to the students c) Facilitate the payments/remittance of student indexing fees to the PHOTC d) Provide feedback to PHOTC on the status of indexed students enrolled in the institution e) Provide feedback to PHOTC on the indexed students who successfully complete studies in each academic year 12
3.5. Indexing application Procedure Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya a) All official application forms duly filled and with the relevant certified attachments and upon payment of prescribed fee, shall be submitted in the prescribed format to the PHOTC secretariat through applicants training institutions b) Applications for indexing shall be submitted to PHOTC by the training institution with an accompanying cover letter c) The PHOTC will acknowledge receipt of the indexing application documents from the training institutions d) Validation of documents provided shall be undertaken by the PHOTC Secretariat and the findings communicated to the Registration Committee e) The PHOTC Registrar/CEO shall process the indexing applications as per the SOPs and periodically report to the PHOTC Registration Committee f) The allocated identifiers (Index Numbers) will be dispatched to the applicants, upon completion of the process, through the training institution 3.6. Documents Required for Indexing The following documents shall be provided by each applicant through their training institution to be considered for indexing: a) Duly filled indexing application forms (Appendix 1) attached with cover letter from accredited training institution b) Two (2) recent Passport size photos c) Certified copies of relevant academic certificates d) Certified copy of national identity card or passport e) Certified copy of student s identification card f) Certified copy of valid passport or relevant immigration documents for foreign students g) Official payment receipt NOTE: The following conditions shall apply: 1) All duly application forms with relevant supporting documents SHALL be submitted to PHOTC by accredited training institutions 2) Certified copies of documents shall bear an authorized signature and stamp of the institution 3.7. Approval of Indexing Process After the verification and validation of the indexing documents, approval of the process will be effected as follows: 13
a) Each qualified applicant will be assigned a unique PHOTC identifier (Index Number) b) Individual files will be opened for each of the qualified applicants c) Approval will be done by the Registration Committee based on the documents provided by each applicant d) A summary report of the indexing process will be prepared by the Secretariat e) The report will be submitted to the Council for ratification and final approval 3.8. Indexing Package Each applicant who has been indexed by PHOTC will receive an indexing package. The package will either be dispatched to the training institution, or collected from the PHOTC Secretariat within 14 days following the completion of indexing process. The indexing package will include the following: a) Indexing card b) PHOTC prospectus c) Code of conduct and ethics for PHOs/PHTs d) Core Curriculum e) The PHOTC Act f) Individual Student Training File 3.9. Records and Archiving of Indexing Documents To facilitate record and follow-up upon completion of indexing process, all the documents for each applicant will be stored by PHOTC in an easily retrievable manner and a database of the same shall be maintained. Specifically, the following will be kept: a) All certified copies of documents required for indexing b) Copies of all duly filled indexing forms c) Copies of all correspondence between the Secretariat and applicants training institution regarding the indexing process d) Copies of Final Approval Reports for indexing e) Copies of the minutes of meetings of the Registration Committee regarding indexing f) Register of indexed students 14
g) Copies of payment receipts h) List of Accredited Institutions i) Copies of the PHOTC Act j) Copies of the Approved core Curriculum k) Copies of Professional Code of Conduct for PHOs/PHTs 3.10. Indexing Queries and Dispute Resolution Complaints on indexing shall be channeled to PHOTC through training institutions. Specifically, in circumstances where an indexing request has been rejected by PHOTC, the decision will be communicated in writing to the applicant through the training institution. 3.11. Review of Indexing Guidelines These indexing guidelines shall be reviewed every four years or as need arises. The PHOTC Secretariat and Registration Committee will be responsible for the review process. 15
4 APPENDICES APPENDIX I: INDEXING APPLICATION FORM FORM 1 PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICERS AND TECHNICIANS COUNCIL, KENYA Email:photc.kenya@gmail.com Website: www.photc.org Telephone: 0721759808/0722 890224 APPLICATION FOR INDEXING IMPORTANT INFORMATION This application MUST be completed in full and submitted to the Registrar, Public Health HEAD OFFICE: KMTC GROUNDS OLD MBAGATHI ROAD OFF NGONG ROAD P.O. BOX 34061-00100NAIROBI PHOTC OFFICIAL USE Index No: Indexing officer: Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya within 30 days following commencement of training. All applications must be accompanied with copies of your National Identity card/passport, certified KCSE examination certificate, secondary school leaving certificate and two (2) coloured passport size photographs. Upgrading applicants MUST attach copies of previous professional certificates The indexing fee is Kshs. 5,000 for Diploma programmes and Kshs.7, 000 for degree programmes. All Payments to PHOTC should be made to: Cooperative Bank of Kenya Upper Hill Branch Account Name: PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICERS AND TECHNICIAN COUNCIL ACCOUNT NUMBER: 01141163029700 SWIFT CODE: KC00KENA APPLICANT INFORMATION Surname ID/passport No. Email: Middle Name Citizenship Tel No: First Name Home address Date of Birth: Sex County of Birth TRAINING INFORMATION Secondary school Attended: Grade obtained: Certificate Held Name of Training Institution Certificate No: Date of training commencement: Duration Expected date of completion: (Clearly tick the course to be undertaken) BSC. Environmental Health HND (Occupational Health and Safety) Dip. Environmental Health Science HND (Epidemiology) Post Graduate Diploma EHS HD (Public Health) HD Environmental Health Science HND (Health Education and Promotion) HND EHS (Food Science and Inspection) Others (Specify) HND (Solid Waste Management) Indexing Details (Tick where relevant) New Application Upgrading Previous Index No. Select mode of training Regular Distance Evening Part time Declaration I hereby declare that the foregoing information is accurate to the best of my knowledge Applicant s signature Date I hereby declare that the applicant is suitable to be indexed. Head/chairperson of department(kindly include official stamp) Name: Signature: Date: ATTACH PASSPORT PHOTO HERE 16
APPENDIX II: TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP MEMBERS 1. Mr. Kioko Kiilu Council chairman 2. Mr. Simon Kimani Council member 3. Mrs. Frida Omwangale Council member 4. Mr. William Kitagwa Council member 5. Mr. Aggrey Oriema Council secretariat 6. Mrs. Racheal Kiiru Council secretariat 7. Mr. Benjamin Murkomen APHOK 8. Prof. Mohammed Karama KEMRI 9. Mr. Samuel Afubwa KMTC 10. Mr. Fred Obaire MOI University 11. Mr. Samuel Kachumbo CUE 12. Dr. Robert Kei Moi University 13. Mrs. Dorothy Njeru MOH-HRD 14. Mr. Victor Were EMORY University, KHWP 15. Mr. David Maingi FUNZOKenya project, Intrahealth International 16. Mr. Peter Shikuku FUNZOKenya project, Intrahealth International 17. Ms. Irene Chami FUNZOKenya project, Intrahealth International 18. Ms. Salome Mwangi FUNZOKenya project, Intrahealth International 17
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Ministry of Health Public Health Officers and Technicians Council, Kenya Kenya Medical Training College Grounds, Old Mbagathi Road- off Ngong' Road, P.O. Box 34061-00100, NAIROBI, KENYA. Tel: +254 721 759 808/+254 722 890 22 Email: photc.kenya@gmail.com Web: www.photc.org The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government