Developing a national standard for midwifery mentorship in Uganda

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a national standard for midwifery mentorship in Uganda, part of a wider project which aimed to develop a model of mentorship for Ugandan midwifery using the principles of action research. It aims to stimulate debate about strengthening the capacity of a health regulatory body, midwifery twinning partnerships and the use of international health volunteer placements. Design/methodology/approach - Model of mentorship for Ugandan midwifery was a 20-month project implemented by the Royal College of Midwives UK and the Uganda Private Midwives Association. Following a situational analysis, the project was structured around three action reflection cycles, participatory workshops, individual twinning relationships between UK and Ugandan midwives and peer exchange visits. The capacity of the Ugandan Nurses and Midwives Council (UNMC) to develop a standard for midwifery mentorship was assessed. A capacity building programme was then designed and implemented to develop the standard for midwifery mentorship. Findings - The capacity of UNMC was increased and the standard was developed though has yet to be validated and adopted. However, this intervention may not be replicable as a stand-alone intervention because its success was inextricably linked to the wider programme activities and support structures. Originality/value - This is the first paper describing midwifery twinning to strengthen the capacity of a regulatory body to develop practice standards.