The Implementation and Evaluation of the James Hakim Leadership Development Program in Africa: process, lessons Learned, and Feedback from the Participants

Background Effective leadership is crucial for improving the quality of health professionals trained in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, many health professions training institutions lack formal faculty mentorship programs for leaders, leaving faculty to learn on the job without formal support. To address this gap, the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) developed an innovative leadership capacity-strengthening program, named after the late educator and research, James Hakim. Objective This article describes the design and implementation of the AFREhealth leadership training program and how it could bridge the leadership skills gap in health professions education in SSA. The objective of the article is to describe the program’s implementation process, share the experiences of participants, and discuss lessons learned. Methods The AFREhealth leadership training program was developed through consultative meetings, after a landscape review of existing leadership training programs. The program was designed to be delivered virtually over a 12-week period, and the curriculum included modules on leadership styles and personality, mentorship, change management, conflict management, budgeting, resource mobilization, building partnerships, inter-professional education & collaborative practice, and working on inter-professional teams. Training activities included weekly workshops, small group discussions, readings, reflective sessions with senior health leaders/experts, focused mentorship sessions, and a guided project design capstone. Surveys were conducted to obtain feedback from participants and assess the program’s impact on their ongoing leadership roles in their institutions. Results The leadership training program was implemented twice in a 20-month period, with 68 trainees completing the program. Participants reported increased knowledge, skills, and confidence in attaining key leadership competencies. The virtual delivery of the training allowed for a wide pool of applicants to participate, and the curriculum was designed to be adaptable for other institutions. Conclusion The AFREhealth leadership development program demonstrated the need for mentoring health professions education leaders in Africa and the effectiveness of virtual training methods. The innovative curriculum and delivery model provide a valuable resource for other institutions seeking to build leadership capacity in health professions education.