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DHIS2 Academy: Training & Capacity Building with DHIS2 Experts

The DHIS2 Academy program aims to strengthen national and regional capacity to successfully design, implement and maintain sustainable, locally-owned DHIS2 systems

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    About the DHIS2 Academy

    The DHIS2 Academy program aims to strengthen national and regional capacity to successfully design, implement, maintain and customize sustainable, locally-owned DHIS2 systems. Through a combination of online courses and intensive in-person training — that includes both theoretical and practical sessions — you will become a DHIS2 expert ready to support your organization’s data collection, analysis, and reporting needs using DHIS2.

    Our program provides an understanding of the available DHIS2 tools and best practices, and is regularly updated to include new concepts, program areas, and system features.

    Some benefits of attending an official DHIS2 Academy training program are:

    • Receive a DHIS2 Academy certificate
    • Get to know DHIS2 latest features
    • Network and interact with members of the DHIS2 community
    • Ask questions and provide your feedback to our experts
    • Learn from DHIS2 experts how to address real-world challenges
    • Proven track record: Since 2011, over 10,000 participants from more than 100 countries have been participated in live DHIS2 Academy events. Since the DHIS2 Online Academy launched in 2017, there have been more than 50,000 enrollments in our online courses.

    Courses in the DHIS2 Academy curriculum are divided into categories based on their area of focus (this replaces our previous model of categorizing courses by level, which was used through 2023). You can learn more about the course categories below, or explore the full curriculum in our Academy course catalog.

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    Introduction to DHIS2

    Introduction to DHIS2 is our foundational online course that we recommend for all people who are interested in getting started with DHIS2, who want to refresh their knowledge, or who want to learn more about the larger history and community behind this open-source software project.

    DHIS2 Use

    Courses within the DHIS2 Use category demonstrate and provide instruction on how the core system features within DHIS2 can be utilized. This may involve the utilization of a particular application within DHIS2 or the explanation of a more extensive set of procedures or features associated with DHIS2. These courses may also explore the functionality of supplementary tools in conjunction with specific DHIS2 features, particularly those courses that focus on the creation and management of reporting outputs.

    It’s important to note that DHIS2 Use courses do not provide instruction on how to carry out the majority of configuration tasks in DHIS2 — these are covered by the courses in the DHIS2 Configuration category.

    DHIS2 Configuration

    Configuration courses mainly focus on the setup, customization and/or maintenance of DHIS2. These courses also discuss the effect that configuration has on the utilization or implementation of specific features, and often require prior knowledge on how features that are being configured function in practice. As a result, these courses are often a hybrid of demonstrating how to perform specific maintenance operations in DHIS2 and discussing the best practices related to their implementation.

    Configuration courses focus on utilizing the maintenance application in DHIS2 to perform various system administration tasks. Extensions, scripts, apps or other tools that can be used to configure DHIS2 are not within the scope of the courses included in this category — some of these topics are covered by courses in the Architecture & Extensions category.

    Domain & Program Management

    In this category we focus on two connected areas. Within domain management, the application of specific workflows, tools, and best practices are used to illustrate how DHIS2 can function as an information system within particular domains or sectors. These courses focus on presenting concepts related to both configuration and utilization within these specific domains.

    Within program management, courses shift their focus to the long term sustainability of DHIS2 systems. Instead of discussing specific principles related to the usage or configuration of DHIS2, these courses focus on strategic aspects, including the planning, budgeting, scaling up and evaluation of DHIS2 implementations. These courses do not demand an in-depth understanding of DHIS2 and are designed for individuals in roles capable of influencing the long-term vision and planning of a DHIS2 implementation within their country or organization.

    Architecture & Extensions

    The architecture & extensions category focuses on a variety of supplementary processes and tools that support a DHIS2 implementation. These courses represent the most IT-centric aspects within the DHIS2 curriculum, requiring prior skills and experience in a diverse range of IT processes for successful completion. These courses are not designed for those seeking foundational DHIS2 knowledge. Instead, they cater to those tasked with overseeing specific infrastructure requirements or developing and sustaining workflows and tools that complement the existing functionality of DHIS2.

    Conferences

    DHIS2 Conferences bring together experts and stakeholders from across a region or around the world for presentations, discussions, networking, and strengthening connections between the DHIS2 core team, the HISP network, and the global DHIS2 community. While the specific geographical and topical focus varies from event to event, the emphasis is always on peer-to-peer sharing of experiences, innovations, insights, and best practices from the real-world use of DHIS2.

    Certificates are issued for the successful completion of each DHIS2 Academy course (not the Annual Conference, as this is not primarily a training event). All Academy programs are offered in English, and a selection of courses are also available in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

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    Participants: Building core DHIS2 country teams & training DHIS2 experts

    The DHIS2 Academy program aims to build a global community of DHIS2 users and experts and facilitate sharing of experiences on DHIS2 deployments and strategies for sustainable, national-scale, and locally-owned information systems in health, education, and other sectors. For individual countries, DHIS2 Academy training is a key component of building a DHIS2 core team that has the capacity to take ownership of the national DHIS2 system, customize it to local needs, and maintain it over time.

    Everyone with a strong interest in DHIS2 is welcome to attend our Academy programs. We offer a variety of courses that are relevant to people working with DHIS2 in a variety of ways, including DHIS2 implementers, M&E officers, program managers, app developers, and server administrators, among others. Our Academies bring together representatives from government ministries, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and consultants from all countries.

    While registration is open to anyone, more specialized courses are designed for participants with specific skill sets and experience levels. Please carefully review the course descriptions and prerequisites in our course catalog to determine which course is right for you. You can also use our interactive learning paths diagram to explore recommended courses based our your interests or role.

    Please note that enrollment capacity for in-person courses is limited to maintain an appropriate ratio of facilitators to participants and help ensure high quality training, and we reserve the right to place a per-country cap of participation to allow a greater diversity of countries to attend.

    Academy Facilitators: Our Global Team of DHIS2 Experts

    DHIS2 Academy courses are designed and led by DHIS2 experts, including members of the core DHIS2 team based at the University of Oslo (UiO) and trainers from our international network of HISP groups, who have years of experience implementing and working with DHIS2 on the national, regional, and international level. Our facilitators and course designers have educational backgrounds in public health, education, computer science and other relevant topics, and have extensive experience in their fields. All course curricula are designed to global standards, and UiO and the HISP teams collaborate to ensure consistent course quality regardless of country or language.

    During instructor-led Academies, DHIS2 experts will be available to answer questions and guide you on practical work with your DHIS2 databases, whether it is in an initial or more advanced phase, such as designing data sets and collection tools, or indicators and reporting outputs (charts, dashboards, maps, pivot tables, etc.).

    For more information

    We regularly publish updates to our Academy schedule and announcements on new and updated courses. There are a variety of ways you can keep in touch with us to get the latest news:

    Follow the DHIS2 Facebook page for announcements, photos and videos from Academy events

    Join the DHIS2 Community of Practice to ask questions and connect with Academy participants and facilitators

    Sign up for the DHIS2 Newsletter and Academy Bulletin for the latest DHIS2 Academy news

    If you have specific questions about the DHIS2 Academy program, you can also contact us by email at academy@dhis2.org