Table 1 Key steps in the accreditation process for private nursing schools in Mali

Stage 1:

Engage key stakeholders

This stage consists of three key steps:

Mapping and identifying relevant stakeholders critical to accreditation

Engaging these stakeholders and working with them to raise their awareness

Building support and involving communities and opinion leaders

Stage 2:

Conduct desk reviews of relevant documents and materials to understand accreditation issues

There are two key steps to complete this stage comprehensively:

Desk review of each regulatory body’s accreditation processes, procedures, and requirements

Desk reviews of relevant documents from individual health training institutions

Stage 3:

Support self-assessment of schools to identify accreditation gaps

This includes developing appropriate assessment tools and using them to identify gaps, barriers, and bottlenecks. Institutions must meet standards for accreditation in five areas (see Table 2):

Curricula

Faculty and staff

Facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources

Governance, fiscal, and administrative capacity

Environment and partnership

Stage 4:

Validate and disseminate self-assessment findings

This stage involves analyzing and validating the data collected and then disseminating the findings to key stakeholders

Stage 5:

Establish school and regional/district accreditation committees

To ensure ownership and sustainability of the accreditation process, this stage involves building the capacity of accreditation committees to evaluate, review, and update their own plans and functionality

Stage 6:

Develop costed accreditation operational plans

This stage involves holding a planning meeting with each school to agree on and prioritize accreditation gaps and issues; draft accreditation operational plans and timelines; clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations of all stakeholders; ensure accreditation operational plans are costed; and develop and sign a memorandum of understanding

Stage 7:

Support region/district to implement costed accreditation operational plans

This stage consists of three key steps:

Advocacy to the region and regulatory bodies for costed plans

Supporting regions to develop and implement program-specific interventions for accreditation

Implementing a plan to increase the number of and quality of course tutors

Stage 8:

Conduct mock accreditation exercise

This stage ensures that a school is prepared for the accreditation process and consists of three key steps:

Conducting a mock accreditation exercise

Inviting the regulatory body for an advisory visit

Implementing recommendations

Stage 9:

Invite the regulatory body for accreditation and resource verification visit

This stage focuses on the accreditation visit itself and consists of two key steps:

Submitting a progress report

Paying and preparing for the regulatory bodies’ accreditation team

Stage 10:

Continuous monitoring and evaluation

The last stage consists of the national or regional accreditation committees conducting quarterly supportive supervision and monitoring of the implementation of the costed accreditation operational plans. This monitoring by the accreditation committee should continue even after accreditation has been awarded to ensure any issues are promptly identified and solved so that accreditation status is maintained