Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) - Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

WHE / CRS / PHL
© Credits

 

 

Note: The FAQs will be regularly revised and updated as the programme evolves.

1. What is the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP)?

The GLLP is a unique workforce development initiative led by six organizations (the GLLP Partners) working globally in the human, animal, and environmental health sectors. The goal of the GLLP is to foster and mentor current and emerging laboratory leaders to build, strengthen, and sustain national laboratory systems. The GLLP combines didactic learning with mentorship, practical experience, and community building to support individual learning and laboratory systems strengthening. 

Click here to visit the GLLP website. 

2. Who are the GLLP Partners?

 

3. What is the aim of the GLLP Partners?

Vision: Laboratory leaders empowering national laboratory systems across the globe using a One Health approach to strengthen health security.  

Mission: To provide laboratory professionals with the tools to develop their laboratory leadership competencies and advance effective national laboratory systems for improved health security using a One Health approach.


4. Why is laboratory leadership so important? 

Strong laboratory leadership is crucial to ensure a functional laboratory system and to date, there are very few programmes that address this need. Specialized training for laboratory leaders, such as the GLLP, support a country’s capacity to respond to future outbreaks and health emergencies.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on health services worldwide, including laboratories. This further highlights the importance of building sustainable national health laboratory systems, run by leaders capable of understanding all system components and working collaboratively across all sectors.
 

5. What is unique about the GLLP?

One Health approach: The GLLP utilizes a multisectoral collaboration with six partnered organizations to develop the GLLP as the first laboratory leadership programme to emphasize a One Health approach, targeting professionals working in human and animal health laboratories, as well as in laboratories with other health functions, such as environmental, agricultural, food, and chemical laboratories. 

Competency based: The GLLP is based on the Laboratory Leadership Competency Framework, the first global consensus on core competencies needed by laboratory leaders from all sectors. 

Laboratory System focus: With a laboratory system focus, the GLLP encourages thinking beyond individual development and laboratory activities to laboratory system building. 

Flexibility: The programme is designed to allow flexibility with a 200-hour curriculum, providing opportunities for implementers to tailor the programme to the specific needs of each country or audience. The GLLP Partners developed the Core GLLP to ensure participants comply with the GLLP’s Core Values and Content when structuring their programme, while still allowing for adaptation to meet country or region’s specific needs.


6. How is the laboratory leadership programme structured? 

The Programme has four components: 

  • Didactic sessions: face-to-face or distance learning of approximatively with timing and distribution to be adapted according to country or institutional needs
  • Mentorship: to ensure participants are supported by selected senior staff at all stages of learning
  • Projects: projects and exercises of different lengths to reinforce learning and apply newly acquired knowledge and skills
  • Community building: to maximize participants’ learning experience and networking

 

7. What is the Core GLLP?

The GLLP Partners have defined Core Values and Core Content with which any programme, adapted to meet country or region’s specific needs, must comply.

Core Values are Sustainability and One Health.

Core Content is:

1) Didactic sessions: 100 contact hours of didactic sessions, including specific Mandatory Modules equivalent to approximately 50 contact hours 

2) Mentorship

3) Participant projects: at a minimum, three projects including a larger capstone project  

For more information on the Core GLLP, please refer to the GLLP Planning and Implementation Guide in the GLLP Learning Package. Participants are required to complete the Core GLLP but are welcome to expand beyond these requirements to fit the needs of their country.


8. Who is the target audience of the GLLP?

The GLLP targets current and emerging laboratory leaders, including mid- to upper-level career laboratory professionals with a minimum of two years of managerial, leadership, and decision-making experience related to laboratory services. 

GLLP participants may include, but are not limited to laboratory managers, supervisory laboratory scientists, laboratory directors, and non-bench laboratory personnel in multidisciplinary, private, university, and public sectors related to laboratory services. 

Multidisciplinary and multisectoral participant cohorts are encouraged to support the integration of the One Health approach at all levels of national health laboratory systems, as well as the sustained development of communities of practice for health laboratory leaders. 


9. What are the programme learning objectives?

Upon completion of the programme, participants will be able to:

  • Successfully demonstrate laboratory management and leadership skills including effective communication
  • Mentor laboratory professionals in order to help build human resource capacity
  • Assess the laboratory system performance and formulate plans to advance and sustain the system
  • Recognize, adopt, and apply best practices in the human, animal, and environmental sectors to ensure quality laboratory services
  • Advocate for the contribution of human, animal and environmental laboratories

 

10. How is the One Health approach integrated in the GLLP? 

Programme materials and delivery methods address the entire “National Health Laboratory System”, defined as: “A grouping of laboratories and other partners within a country that supports the overall health system within that country. The national laboratory system members may include various laboratory networks operating within that country and other stakeholders and operate in an interconnected and interdependent way to facilitate the exchange of information, optimize laboratory services, and help control and prevent diseases and other health threats across the span of human, animal and environmental health.”

Acknowledging the interrelatedness of human, animal, and environmental health, the GLLP and the Laboratory Leadership Competency Framework employ a multisectoral, One Health approach. Concerted effort has been made to present sector specificities and areas of collaboration for each topic in the GLLP Learning Package that was developed or reviewed by contributors from the three sectors: Human Health, Animal Health and Environmental Health.


11. What is the foundation of the GLLP? 

The Laboratory Leadership Competency Framework provides the foundation for the GLLP and Learning Package content. It represents the first global consensus on core competencies needed for laboratory leaders to build and manage sustainable national laboratory systems. 

The Framework details nine essential laboratory leadership competencies: 

  1. Laboratory system
  2. Leadership
  3. Management
  4. Communication
  5. Quality management system
  6. Biosafety and biosecurity
  7. Disease surveillance and outbreak investigation
  8. Emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
  9. Research

 The Competency Framework target audience is national or regional authorities from all health sectors and disciplines, regulatory agencies, educational institutions, as well as other stakeholders such as nongovernmental organizations and private sector organizations contributing to the laboratory system. 

The Competency Framework is available in English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese

12. What is the GLLP Learning Package? 

The GLLP Learning Package provides the materials necessary to implement a laboratory leadership programme in any region, country, or educational institution in the world and includes:  

  • GLLP Readiness Assessment Guide
  • GLLP Planning and Implementation Guide
  • GLLP Implementation Toolbox
  • GLLP Mentorship Guide
  • GLLP Project Guide
  • Virtual and in-person course materials for 43 modules
    • PowerPoint presentations
    • Instructor Guides
    • Participant Guides

Some of the modules and approaches described in the guides have been rolled out in several countries. Feedback obtained is integrated into the Learning Package materials on a regular basis.


13. How can I access the Learning Package? 

The GLLP Learning Package is hosted on the WHO Health Security Learning Platform. Access to the full set of materials will initially be restricted, as the Partners continue to refine the Learning Package based on feedback. For more information, contact gllp@who.int.


14. Is the programme open to individual participants? 

Currently, the programme is not open to individual participants. E-learning modules for self-guided learning are being developed and will be announced once ready. 

However, individuals interested in strengthening their leadership competencies can refer to the Laboratory Leadership Competency Framework to assess their current level of knowledge, skills and abilities, and identify areas in need of improvement.


15. Who will implement the programme using the GLLP Learning Package?

The GLLP may be implemented by ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture), educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, etc. These entities may also partner to implement a programme within one country or regionally across several countries.

 

16. What do I do if I want to implement the programme in my country/region? 

To request information on the GLLP in general or on the implementation process, please contact the GLLP Partners at gllp@who.int.