Integrating competency-based assessment into training with peer counsellors providing support at scale to children, adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Zimbabwe: an implementation pilot case study

Zvandiri is a differentiated psychosocial support program delivering peer-counselling to children, adolescents and young adults living with HIV (CAYALHIV) to improve HIV and mental health outcomes, functioning at a national scale in Zimbabwe and in 14 other African countries sought to pragmatically address the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating the World Health Organization's EQUIP (Ensuring Quality in Psychological Support) competency-based assessment into a standard peer-counsellor training program. Baseline and endline assessments using EQUIP were conducted. The pilot of the EQUIP's competency-based approach effectively identified gaps in counselling skills on baseline assessment, enabling trainers to target these competencies throughout the training. The endline assessment demonstrated that all 16 participants developed stronger foundational counselling skills. Based on these findings, Zvandiri will integrate EQUIP assessments i) into the initial training provided to peer-counsellors when they first join Zvandiri and ii) within the CATS’ regular group supervision, in a targeted way to support the identification of further skills strengthening required to maintain the quality delivery of counselling services at scale by peer-counsellors.