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.

Zvandiri是一项面向人类免疫缺陷病毒（Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV）感染者儿童、青少年及青年群体（CAYALHIV）提供同伴咨询服务的差异化社会心理支持项目，旨在改善该群体的艾滋病感染相关结局与心理健康水平。该项目目前在津巴布韦及其他14个非洲国家实现全国范围规模化运行，核心目标为务实探讨将世界卫生组织（World Health Organization, WHO）推出的EQUIP（Ensuring Quality in Psychological Support，心理支持质量保障）胜任力评估体系整合入标准化同伴咨询师培训项目的可行性与有效性。研究采用EQUIP工具开展了基线评估与终末评估。本次EQUIP胜任力评估方法的试点应用，有效识别出基线评估阶段参训人员的咨询技能短板，使得培训师能够在全培训周期内针对这些胜任力维度开展定向强化教学。终末评估结果显示，全部16名参训学员的基础咨询技能均得到显著提升。基于上述研究发现，Zvandiri将从两方面整合EQUIP评估体系：一是将其纳入同伴咨询师首次加入Zvandiri时接受的初始培训内容；二是将其融入CATS的常规团体督导环节，通过精准识别后续技能提升需求，助力同伴咨询师保障规模化开展咨询服务的服务质量。