The delivery of sub-regional PVS Pathway Orientation training is a key initial step to strengthen OIE Members’ understanding of, and engagement with, the PVS Pathway. It also supports the development of a sub-regional approach to the PVS Pathway.
The PVS Pathway orientation training workshop for South Asia region and Mongolia was very well received by the 28 trainees representing/selected from the veterinary services of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and few other participants invited from outside the region. Unfortunately, no participants from Afghanistan and Pakistan could attend. The training was organised to enhance the understanding of the PVS Pathway including the new 7th edition of the PVS tool; develop a sub-regional network of national PVS “specialists”; potentiate the option of PVS Self-Evaluation for countries; and promote the PVS Pathway.
Dr John Weaver, Dr Barry Stemshorn, and Dr John Stratton were the trainers for the workshop supported by OIE staff from the OIE Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific. The training workshop used the newly developed 7th edition of the PVS Tool which contained the new critical competencies on antimicrobial resistance and veterinary clinical services and the revised and updated critical competencies (CCs) which now number 45. The training was conducted through presentations and interactive sessions of facilitated group exercises, role plays, and world café sessions.
The training finished on the fourth day with each country presenting on its plans for PVS engagement over the next 12-18 months, and then an assessment of the trainee was done by completing a set of multiple choice questionto test their knowledge acquisition on the PVS Pathway. At the end of the training the facilitators also separately earmarked/identified few potential candidates for future sub-regional network of PVS ‘specialists’ from the region.
The training was hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan with excellent support from the Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. It was the fourth such sub-regional training after the PVS evolution process to strengthen member country understanding of and engagement with the PVS Pathway, as well as to develop a new sub-regional approach to the PVS Pathway training programmes.
The participants from each of the SAARC Member States (MSs) were selected by the OIE expert team based on the 4-5 CVs submitted by each OIE Delegate (Maldives provided only one participant) and experts’ knowledge about the candidates. A participant each representing the SAARC Agriculture Centre and FAO also participated. A small number of candidates from outside the sub-region were also identified by OIE staff and the PVS trainers to be trained as high potential future PVS experts..
The PVS training for South Asia and Mongolia provided a good platform for OIE to showcase the new PVS tool and the evolving PVS Pathway, and for countries to appreciate the usefulness of various forms of engagements possible that could be used to assess country’s capacities in the delivery of veterinary services. Apart from these, the training also could assist the countries with advocacy for increased and better prioritization of the limited resources. The training methodologies were effective enough to productively engage all the participants to contribute to the exercises and plan their PVS engagement for the future.
Besides the actual PVS training, the workshop provided a good opportunity for the participants to understand in more depth the activities and mandates of OIE, good understanding of the overall domain of the veterinary services, and networking amongst the countries on issues of mutual interest.
