DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR
CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE NURSING COUNCIL OF SWAZILAND
IN
THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCIES FOR ALL THE NURSING LEVELS
REGISTERED WITH THE SWAZILAND NURSING COUNCIL
1.
Introduction
The Government of Swaziland (GOS) has emphasized health as a priority on the national agenda. The
2009 National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP) identifies critical areas in the health sector that
require support, and aims to improve poor health outcomes and inefficiencies. The Swaziland Nursing
Council is a statutory and regulatory body responsible for regulating nursing education and practice in
the Kingdom of Swaziland by ensuring that standards are developed and enforced. Critical to improving
the quality of nursing care in Swaziland are 1) the development of standards for nursing education in
the public sector; 2) an Entry into Practice Licensing Examination; and 3) an Accreditation Authority
that will accredit training institutions, health facilities, faculty as well as continuing professional
development providers; and 4) competencies for each nursing cadre.
2.
Background Information
The Swaziland Nursing Council (SNC) is a statutory and regulatory body established through the
Nurses and Midwives Act, number 16 of 1965 to regulate, direct and control nursing education and
practice in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Paramount to its mandate is the protection and promotion of
safety and health of the public. To this end the Council’s functions are inter alia:
To regulate nursing education and practice and protect the public from unsafe practices;
To set standards for nursing education and practice to ensure quality care;
To approve nursing education institutions in accordance with the set standards;
Inspect nursing education institutions and health care facilities, withdraw or suspend approval
of any such institutions not complying with prescribed conditions;
 To confer accountability, dignity and status on the nursing profession;
 To advise the Minister of Health on matters falling within the scope of the Nurses and
Midwives Act.
Objectives
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3.
The general objective of the assignment is to work with the Swaziland Nursing Council and its existing
governing laws to improve the quality of health care by establishing sustainable quality assurance
mechanisms. Specifically under this assignment the consultant will work with the SNC to develop
competencies for the following nursing cadres: general nurses, midwives, community health nurses,
community mental health (psychiatry) nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing assistants.
4.
Activities and Functions of the Consultant:
A competency based approach to education differs from the traditional approach because it sets out
objectives to be met through training. Curriculum at different academic institutions can therefore
vary as long as students graduate with a demonstrated command of the established competencies.
In developing the competences, the consultant shall carryout the following activities:
4.1 Consensus Building: To develop practice competencies in Swaziland for nurses, midwives,
community health nurses, mental health (psychiatry) nurses and nursing assistants, the HFG
project under the technical leadership of the consultant will bring together various stakeholders,
including Universities, Councils, Associations, and Ministries of Health and Education to develop
a steering committee for the development of competencies. To share their different experiences
with the current curricula and to build consensus for the development of competencies for the
various nursing cadres. The group will also be encouraged to identify specific health problems
that need to be addressed in Swaziland, and the skills that students need to address the stated
health challenge.
Next, the HFG project proposes working with the Steering Committee to develop multiple
technical working groups (TWG) to develop competencies in specific areas. For example,
TWGs could be established in the areas of basic sciences, clinical science, and integration of
basic and clinical science, professionalism and health systems management. The HFG project and
SNC will develop terms of reference for each of these groups to ensure clarity in scope. HFG
and SCN will also work together to develop a template that can be used by each group to
develop the nursing competencies for each cadre. The templates will be presented to the
Steering Committee for approval.
Deliverables: Steering committee established; TWGs developed with terms of reference;
templates for drafting competencies developed and approved by Steering Committee.
4.2 Development of Competencies: Using the approved templates, the TWGs will host a series
of meetings facilitated by the HFG Project and SNC to develop competencies. The HFG project
and SNC will initiate each meeting with an overview of the purpose of a competency drive
approach to education, and will describe the deliverables expected of each group. The HFG
project will also provide examples from competencies from other countries within and outside
of the region as a point of comparison for each of the groups.
Deliverables: 3-5 meetings by each TWG; draft competencies.
4.3 Validation of Competencies: Once drafts of the nursing competencies are developed by the
TWGs, they will be vetted by the SNC. A second workshop will be held with the Steering
Group to validate the proposed competencies. The Steering Group will also identify an
institution to pilot the competencies.
Deliverables: Final list of competencies; pilot institution identified.
5.
Deliverables
 Inception report
 Steering committee established;
 TWGs developed with terms of reference;
 Templates for drafting competencies approved by Steering Committee;
 3-5 meetings by each TWG;
 Draft competencies for each nursing cadre;
 Final list of competencies for each nursing cadre;
 Pilot institution identified;
 Initial meeting(s) with University Deans and professors;
6.
Required Qualifications for the Consultant
Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree in Nursing Science or equivalent, (PhD will be a plus), with
at least seven (7) years of experience in nursing profession regulation and no fewer than three (3)
successful experiences in competency and accreditation process development for purposes of
accreditation, registration and certification in nursing. Experience working in Southern Africa
preferred.
7.
Contract Duration and Payment Schedule
TBD