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Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 2018, 37 (3), 785-795
Assessment of the core competencies
of veterinarians: implications for policy
decisions in India
P.V.K. Sasidhar (1)* & M. Suvedi (2)
(1) School of Extension and Development Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU),
New Delhi-110068, India
(2) Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
of America
*Corresponding author: pvksasidhar@ignou.ac.in
Summary
The objectives of this study were two-fold – to assess the technical competencies
of veterinarians and their application, and to investigate veterinarians’ activities
and appropriate ways for them to acquire and enhance competencies. The study
was undertaken in three South Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Telangana. The survey data, collected in 2015–2016 from nine districts in the
three states, came from in-depth questionnaires completed by 270 veterinary
assistant surgeons (VASs). The key survey questions were related to: specific
technical competencies and their application, appropriate ways to acquire
them, additional competencies needed and recommended activities to enhance
them. Each respondent’s rating was obtained on a) how important are these
competencies and b) what is their current level of knowledge and/or skills to
perform them? The findings revealed that the current level of knowledge and/or
skills was inadequate in production, para-clinical and clinical areas in the day-to-
day work of VASs. The findings suggested that pre-service, in-service and basic
induction training, and attending national and international seminars, workshops
and Webinars, are appropriate ways to acquire competencies. Additional skills
perceived as necessary by respondents include: time and stress management
skills, motivational techniques, digital communication technologies, and writing
and presentation skills. Specific policy interventions suggested and discussed
include: adequate hands-on pre-service instruction in veterinary colleges and
assessment of competencies before certification, introducing a veterinary
licensing examination, reinforcing competencies through induction training,
in-service or continuing veterinary education programmes, and improving the
institutional mechanisms to assess competencies at regular intervals.
Keywords
Core competency – India – Veterinarian.
Introduction
India’s livestock sector is one of the largest in the world,
with 56.7% of the world’s buffaloes, 12.5% of the cattle,
20.4% of the small ruminants, 2.4% of the camels, 1.4%
of the equines, 1.5% of the pigs and 3.1% of the poultry.
India had 512.05 million livestock and 729.2 million
poultry in 2012 – an increase of 12.39% over the previous
census in 2007 (1). The livestock sector grew at an annual
rate of 5.3% during the 1980s, 3.9% during the 1990s and
3.6% during the 2000s. Despite this modest deceleration,
growth in the livestock sector remained about 1.5 times
greater than that of the crop sector, which implies a critical
role in cushioning agricultural growth rates. The overall
contribution of the livestock sector to India’s gross domestic
product (GDP) is nearly 4.11%; which is about 21.58% of
the agricultural GDP (1, 2). This indicates that the livestock
sector is emerging as an engine of growth in the agricultural
sector.
doi: 10.20506/37.3.2885
786 Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
Rationale for the study
The observed pattern of growth in crossbred dairy cows,
plus the improvements in breeds of buffalo, sheep, pigs
and poultry, indicate a shift in India towards species that
are economically more efficient. In the case of bovines, the
incremental growth is lower in populations of males than
in females, mainly because animal draught power is being
replaced by mechanical power and the emphasis is now on
milk production. In the case of poultry, broiler production
has shown greater annual growth than layer production (1).
This shows that India’s livestock sector is both expanding
and adapting to emerging socio-economic, environmental
and technological forces, with direct implications for
veterinary service delivery (3).
Although the livestock sector is registering phenomenal
growth, several challenges remain unaddressed. These
include a shortage in the number of veterinarians (4, 5), poor
collaborative linkages (3) and inadequate competencies
among veterinarians (6, 7, 8). In India, currently, there are
48 veterinary colleges recognised by the Veterinary Council
of India (VCI). In addition, the Indian Veterinary Research
Institute started offering an undergraduate programme
in the academic year 2015–2016. Ten veterinary colleges
are functioning in the study area, i.e. Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka and Telangana states. There is a severe shortage
of veterinarians in the country. India needs about
72,000 veterinarians, against the availability of 43,000. All
the colleges combined produce about 1,707 graduates per
year, whereas the demand for graduates is about 2,500 per
year – a shortfall of 31.72% (5).
Livestock production systems and practices are changing,
and farmers are increasingly aware of new technologies
and improved practices. Competencies of veterinarians
need to be enhanced to handle the challenges and meet
the expectations of farmers. Over all, veterinarians need
to address these challenges and provide the following
three types of integrated support to farmers (9):
– delivery of technical services (clinical and para-clinical
health care of livestock)
– to make available and provide access to input services
and products such as artificial insemination, vaccines,
medicines, special equipment, veterinary instruments,
appropriate feedstuffs, etc. (to augment production and
productivity)
– livestock extension and advisory services (to enrich the
knowledge and improve the skills of farmers).
To provide this integrated support efficiently, veterinarians
need to have or acquire core technical competencies, remain
current with emerging technologies and demonstrate
competency in their services (10).
In general terms, competence is a concept that integrates
knowledge, skills and attitudes, the application of which
enables the veterinarian to perform effectively, and to
respond to contingencies, change and the unexpected
(11). Core competencies are a collection of observable
dimensions – individual skills, knowledge, attitudes,
behaviours, and collective processes and capabilities –
necessary for individual, organisational and programme
success (12). Being only knowledgeable and/or intelligent
does not indicate that a person is an effective and
efficient provider of services – performance is a function
of knowledge plus skills and attitudes (13). Hence,
competencies of veterinarians should be judged on a) how
knowledgeable they are in their technical subject areas,
and b) how skilful and able they are in applying that
knowledge when delivering services to clients.
Aims of the study
The main aims of the study were:
– to assess the competencies of veterinarians in technical
subject matter and their skills for the application of
competencies
– to investigate veterinarians’ activities and appropriate
ways to acquire and enhance core competencies.
Methodology
Study locale and sampling
The study was undertaken in three South Indian states,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, by application of a
survey in 2015–2016. Three districts each in Andhra Pradesh
(Anantapur, Guntur and East Godavari), Karnataka (Bidar,
Chitradurga and Shivamogga) and Telangana (Karimnagar,
Khammam and Ranga Reddy) were selected randomly. From
each district, 30 veterinary assistant surgeons (VASs) were
randomly selected to obtain a total of 270 respondents from
the three states.
Operationalisation and measurement
of variables
Technical competencies
Technical competencies were defined as the basic sets of
knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours in technical
areas that VASs require to provide integrated support
services to farmers. The technical competencies were
categorised under four areas covered by India’s Bachelor in
Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH)
curriculum that VASs need to be familiar with to perform
tasks well:
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Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
a) basic bio-veterinary competencies (Anatomy, Physiology
and Biochemistry)
b) production competencies (Animal Nutrition, Animal
Genetics, Livestock Production and Management [LPM],
Livestock Products Technology [LPT], Poultry and Dairy)
c) para-clinical competencies (Microbiology, Pharmacology,
Parasitology and Pathology)
d) clinical competencies (Surgery, Medicine and
Gynaecology).
Application of technical competencies
This was defined as the ability of VASs to demonstrate
the application of technical competencies in their work,
understand new technologies and associated risks, and refer
to and make use of technical publications.
A questionnaire comprising five items was administered to
assess the competencies. While keeping in mind their day-
to-day work, the respondents were asked to rate the above
competencies on:
A. How important are these competencies, on a 1 to 5 scale?
1 = not important; 2 = somewhat important; 3 = average
importance; 4 = important; 5 = very important.
B. Their current level of knowledge and/or skills to
perform each task, on a 1 to 5 scale: 1 = very low; 2 = low;
3 = moderate; 4 = high; 5 = very high.
To determine any difference between the two means, the
independent sample t-test was applied.
Appropriate ways to acquire core competencies
This was defined as the perception of VASs regarding
methods used to acquire the competencies through pre-service,
in-service and basic induction training and by participating in
seminars and workshops. The respondents were asked to rate
these on a four-point Likert scale (not appropriate, somewhat
appropriate, appropriate, very appropriate, with scores of 1,
2, 3 and 4, respectively). The responses were tabulated using
frequencies and percentages.
Additional competencies required
The respondents were asked using open-ended questions
to name additional competencies, if any were needed, that
were not covered in the study.
Recommended activities to enhance core
competencies
The respondents were asked, using open-ended questions,
to recommend activities or programmes to enhance
competencies among VASs.
Data collection and analysis
The questionnaire covering all the items was developed and
pre-tested with 28 participants of the National Workshop on
‘Capacity Needs Assessment of Extension Advisory Service
Providers’ held on 6–7 October 2015, in Hyderabad, India.
Based on the pre-testing experience, the questionnaire was
modified and duplicated for data collection. Data were
collected from the VASs during their monthly meetings
in district headquarters. The data obtained were coded,
entered into a spreadsheet and analysed using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences, version 17.0 (14).
Results and discussion
Technical competencies
Among the technical competencies, the mean scores for
the importance of each competency, for production (4.29),
para-clinical (3.63) and clinical (4.28) competencies, were
Table I
Technical competencies
Technical competencies
How important is this
competency?
(scale = 1–5)*
Mean (SD)
Current level of
knowledge and/or skills
to perform the
tasks (scale = 1–5)**
Mean (SD)
t value Significance
(two-tailed)
Basic bio-veterinary competencies (Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry) 3.31 (1.27) 3.27 (0.73) 0.46 0.647
Production competencies (Animal Nutrition, LPM, LPT, Poultry and Dairy) 4.29 (0.76) 3.67 (0.72) 9.70 0.000
Para-clinical competencies (Microbiology, Pharmacology, Parasitology and
Pathology)
3.63 (1.05) 3.41 (0.71) 2.87 0.004
Clinical competencies (Surgery, Medicine and Gynaecology) 4.28 (0.89) 3.74 (0.76) 7.61 0.000
Overall technical competencies 15.51 (3.07) 14.09 (2.24) 6.15 0.000
* Scale values: 1 = not important; 2 = somewhat important; 3 = average importance;
4 = important; and 5 = very important
** Scale values: 1= very low; 2 = low; 3 = moderate; 4 = high; and 5 = very high
LPM: livestock production and management
LPT: livestock products technology
SD: standard deviation
788 Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
significantly higher than their corresponding mean scores
(3.67, 3.41 and 3.74) for ‘current level of knowledge and/
or skills to perform’. However, the mean scores on basic
bio-veterinary competencies revealed a non-significant
difference. The mean score for the importance of overall
technical competencies (15.51) was significantly higher
than the current level of knowledge and/or skills to perform
the tasks (14.09) (Table I).
The results for technical competencies revealed that
VASs need more pre-service and in-service training on
improving production competencies (Animal Nutrition,
LPM, LPT, Poultry and Dairy), para-clinical competencies
(Microbiology, Pharmacology, Parasitology and Pathology)
and clinical competencies (Surgery, Medicine and
Gynaecology).
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the United
Kingdom has prescribed essential technical competencies to
be achieved in pre-service training as part of the curriculum
under three main areas (11), and these are reflected in both
the ‘day one’ and the ‘year one’ requirements as:
– general professional competencies and attributes,
describing the distinguishing characteristics of a veterinarian
– underpinning knowledge and understanding,
describing in general terms the breadth of knowledge and
understanding needed for a career as a veterinarian, and for
subsequent professional development in whatever sphere of
veterinary science the individual wishes to pursue
– practical-based veterinary competencies, describing the
basic practical competencies that are expected a) at the
point of graduation, and b) following an extended period of
further professional training in practice.
Though the main emphasis of animal husbandry
departments (AHDs) in Indian states has been on
production, diagnostic and curative animal health services,
the results of this study revealed a significant gap between
the importance of these competencies and the current level
of knowledge and/or skills to perform the tasks among
VASs in India. This suggests the need for more pre-service
and in-service training on production, para-clinical and
clinical competencies in order to provide integrated support
services to farmers.
Application of technical competencies
The mean scores for the importance of each competency,
for application of all five technical competencies, were
higher than their corresponding mean scores for current
level of knowledge and/or skills to perform the tasks, with
a significant difference for all of them. Also, the mean
score for the importance of overall application of the
competencies (19.86) was significantly higher than that for
the current level of knowledge and/or skills to perform the
competencies (17.30) (Table II).
The results revealed that VASs need more refresher training
on the application of specific subject matter competencies
in their work. The identified capacity-building areas in the
application of technical subject matter for field veterinarians
included: utilisation of livestock by-products, value chain
development, regulations on food safety, sanitary and
phytosanitary (SPS) measures, standards and certification,
Table II
Technical subject matter application competencies
Technical subject matter application competencies
How important is this
competency?
(scale = 1–5)*
Mean (SD)
Current level of knowledge
and/or skills to perform the
tasks (scale = 1–5)**
Mean (SD)
t value Significance
(two-tailed)
Demonstrate basic knowledge in discipline 3.60 (1.09) 3.36 (0.64) 3.08 0.002
Understand the new technology being promoted
(i.e. what it is, why and how it works)
4.06 (0.80) 3.51 (0.64) 8.75 0.000
Be able to educate community members about different
types of risk and uncertainty (due to climate change, market
fluctuations, disasters)
4.20 (0.75) 3.54 (0.72) 10.29 0.000
Refer to and make use of publications – journals, research
reports, etc.
4.07 (0.82) 3.56 (0.70) 7.76 0.000
Demonstrate basic knowledge of livestock businesses, and
help entrepreneurship development among clientele
3.94 (0.92) 3.32 (0.75) 8.47 0.000
Overall technical subject matter application expertise 19.86 (3.08) 17.30 (2.50) 10.62 0.000
* Scale values: 1 = not important; 2 = somewhat important; 3 = average importance; 4 = important; and 5 = very important
** Scale values: 1 = very low; 2 = low; 3 = moderate; 4 = high; and 5 = very high
SD: standard deviation
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Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
entrepreneurship and market intelligence, diagnostic kits
and laboratory techniques, specialisation in application of
clinical skills, reducing livestock-associated greenhouse gas
emissions and fodder crisis management (3).
Appropriate ways to acquire the core
competencies
More than 50% of the respondents considered all four
methods, pre-service training, in-service training, basic
induction training and seminars both at national and
international levels, as appropriate ways to acquire the
core competencies. Similarly, a considerable percentage
of respondents also perceived all these methods to be
appropriate at some level, indicating that these methods
could be employed to enhance their core competencies
(Table III).
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
Guidelines on the Veterinary Education Core Curriculum
(15) recommend acquiring core competencies through
pre-service training. Also, the Indian course curriculum
of the BVSc & AH covers most of the core competencies
assessed in this study during pre-service training
(16, 17). The minimum competencies have to be defined
in the learning objectives of each course, so that these
outcomes can be used in the design and management of the
undergraduate veterinary curriculum. Providing students,
staff and the profession with explicit statements on the day
one competencies required enables all stakeholders to work
towards the common goal of ensuring that these skills are
delivered through pre-service training (18).
Additional competencies
The respondents suggested some additional competencies
that VASs need to perform their day-to-day activities but
that were not covered in the study. They are summarised
in Box 1.
Recommended activities to enhance core
competencies
The respondents suggested activities and programmes
to enhance core competencies, which are summarised in
Box 2.
Conclusions and
recommendations for policy
The study assessed core competencies of field veterinarians
in three Indian states, with twin objectives: a) to assess the
Table III
Appropriate ways to acquire the core competencies
Appropriate ways to acquire core competencies Not appropriate Somewhat
appropriate Appropriate Very
appropriate
F (%) F (%) F (%) F (%)
Pre-service training (e.g. undergraduate/postgraduate education in veterinary colleges) 10 (3.7) 7 (2.6) 147 (54.4) 106 (39.3)
In-service training (e.g. training offered in AHDs, veterinary colleges, extension education
institutes, ICAR institutes, administrative staff colleges, etc.) 0 (0) 24 (8.9) 161 (59.6) 85 (31.5)
Basic induction training 2 (0.7) 49 (18.1) 152 (56.3) 67 (24.8)
National and international seminars, workshops, Webinars, etc. 37 (13.7) 48 (17.8) 126 (46.7) 59 (21.9)
AHD: Animal Husbandry Department
ICAR: Indian Council of Agricultural Research
F: frequency
Box 1
Additional competencies
– Time-management skills
– Stress management
– Motivational techniques
– Digital communication technologies
– Writing and oratory skills
– Priority-setting methods
– Performance appraisal methods
– Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
(SWOT) analysis
– Team work and group dynamics
– Value chain and market analysis
– Policy facilitation
– Economics and business management
– Legislation related to veterinary medicine and animal
husbandry
790 Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
Box 2
Recommended activities/programmes to enhance core competencies
– Assessment of core competencies at regular intervals
– Better infrastructure at regional capacity-building centres
– Basic infrastructure development at veterinary hospital level to match the competencies
– Provision of support staff in each veterinary hospital to use existing competencies
– More frequent meetings at divisional or district level for knowledge-sharing
– More frequent training, exposure visits, workshops and Webinars to enhance core competencies at regional, national and international levels
– Continuing veterinary education (CVE) programmes on advanced animal production, para-clinical and clinical competencies
– Provision of audio-visual aids to each field-level institution for effective extension work
– Extension work and technical services to be delivered by separate veterinarians at field level
– Online multimedia manual on core competencies
competencies of veterinarians in technical subject matter,
and their application, and b) to suggest activities and
appropriate ways to acquire and enhance competencies. The
findings lead to the conclusion that the core competencies
of veterinarians are inadequate to provide three types of
integrated support services to farmers: delivery of technical
services, making available and providing access to input
services, and livestock extension and advisory services.
The ratings by respondents and overall analysis of the
results point to the conclusion that veterinarians are aware
how important these core competencies are and what
level of knowledge and/or skills they currently possess to
perform the required competencies. Keeping this
in mind, and in order to bridge the gap in competencies,
the following specific policy interventions are
recommended.
Improving competencies through
pre-service training
There are significant advantages to incorporating
accurately defined competency outcomes in the BVSc
& AH curriculum in veterinary colleges. Once the
minimum competencies have been defined, these outcomes
can be used to design a veterinary curriculum for effective
pre-service training. Providing explicit statements to
students and faculty on the expected competencies enables
them to achieve these competencies through pre-service
training (18). At the global level, the OIE guidelines
(15) also recommend acquiring core competencies
through pre-service training. To help to improve
competencies through pre-service training/undergraduate
training, the VCI and veterinary colleges together should
develop a system of evaluation or accreditation of the
colleges, like those in Europe and North America, as per
the guidelines of the OIE.
National veterinary licensing examination
The requirements for licensure to practise veterinary
medicine in India are the completion of the BVSc
& AH, internship and registration with the VCI or with
respective state veterinary councils. India’s BVSc & AH
curriculum, which is the same for the entire country,
includes most of the core competencies assessed in this
study. However, infrastructure, faculty strength and
exposure of students to clinical cases vary among veterinary
colleges in the country. Therefore, the concern is to achieve
equivalent and effective pre-service training and hands-
on instruction in different Indian veterinary colleges. To
confirm the competencies and introduce uniformity, it is
recommended to conduct a national veterinary licensing
examination for proper assessment of competencies before
licensure.
Improving competencies through induction
and in-service training
Basic education and refresher/in-service training courses are
the main, and in most cases the only, forms of veterinary
capacity development in India. Though the country has
several agencies involved in the training of extension
personnel, most of the focus has been on crop development.
Infrastructure for training for livestock development is
considerably weaker (19). The Planning Commission
of India (20) also emphasised that it is paramount for
field veterinarians to be re-trained to address recent
developments and that they should attend mandatory
refresher courses every five years during their careers. To
provide induction and in-service training in technical areas
to field veterinarians, the AHDs have regional training
centres in each state. In addition, veterinary colleges and
animal science research institutes are also providing in-
service technical training programmes, to a limited extent.
To strengthen in-service training, there is a need to establish
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Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
regional academic staff colleges exclusively to increase the
skills and competence of field veterinarians; this was also
recommended in an earlier study (3). Further infrastructure
and faculties in the existing training centres of AHDs need
to be strengthened to impart need-based technical skills to
field veterinarians at the local level.
Competency development through continuing
veterinary education
Adequate mechanisms for capacity-building through
continuing veterinary education (CVE) programmes do
not exist in India at present. Among field veterinarians,
the demand for capacity-building is related to knowledge
and competencies in new or frontier areas. Some of the
additional competencies identified in this study were also
reported in several earlier reports:
– understanding the transition in livestock production
systems – a shift in focus from grazing to stall feeding, from
social to economic issues, and from backyard to commercial/
contract farming (21, 22, 23)
– increasing demand for livestock products, adding value,
trade in livestock products, SPS standards (3, 24, 25)
– feed and fodder scarcity, crop-residue feeding and
associated greenhouse gas emissions from livestock,
increasing costs of inputs and labour, emerging diseases and
lack of expertise in very specialised clinical subjects (8, 26,
27)
– the changing role of veterinarians and the information
needs of livestock farmers (6, 7, 22, 25).
To meet the evolving challenges confronting the livestock
sector, field veterinarians need to acquire new competencies
by attending CVE programmes on topics identified in this
study, among others.
To supplement on-campus skill-oriented CVE training
programmes, distance learning methodologies need to be
adopted to impart knowledge-based CVE programmes.
Distance education can increase the capacity of current
facilities and faculty and can provide increased flexibility,
convenience and high-quality technology-enabled learning
experiences. It also allows VASs to acquire knowledge
at a reasonable cost while still being employed (28,
29, 30).
Improving the institutional mechanisms
for core competencies
The recommended institutional mechanisms or programmes
needed to enhance core competencies are: assessment of core
competencies at regular intervals to identify capacity gaps
and training needs, better infrastructure at regional training
centres and veterinary hospitals with support staff, more
frequent meetings, training programmes, exposure visits,
workshops and Webinars, CVE programmes on technical
subjects, de-linking of extension work and technical
services and developing an online multimedia manual on
core competencies. In all these cases, the emphasis must be
on quality rather than on the number of programmes. The
training organisers must be effective in imparting their skills
and developing positive attitudes among veterinarians,
rather than on improving knowledge alone. In addition,
proper coordination is required among AHDs, veterinary
colleges and animal science research institutes involved in
capacity-building of field veterinarians.
If implemented, the above policy actions would be useful
in strengthening the competencies of veterinarians and
improving the effectiveness of overall veterinary service
delivery across India.
Acknowledgements
The study was made possible by the generous support of
the American people through the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID) – Modernizing
Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS) project. In
addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge the support
received from the officials of the MEAS project, Indira
Gandhi National Open University and Michigan State
University. The authors would like to thank all respondents
to the study who graciously gave their time and inputs.
Warm thanks and appreciation go to Ramjee Ghimire,
PhD Scholar at Michigan State University, who assisted in the
development of the core competency assessment. Finally, the
authors are grateful to Prof. S.V.N. Rao, Rajiv Gandhi Institute
of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry, and
Dr V. Rasheed Sulaiman, Centre for Research on Innovation
and Science Policy, Hyderabad, for their helpful comments
on an earlier draft of this paper.
792 Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
Évaluation des compétences de base des vétérinaires :
conséquences sur les politiques à mener en Inde
P.V.K. Sasidhar & M. Suvedi
Résumé
Les objectifs de cette étude sont doubles : d’une part une évaluation des
compétences techniques des vétérinaires et leur mise en œuvre et d’autre
part une enquête sur les activités vétérinaires et les moyens appropriés pour
permettre aux vétérinaires d’acquérir des compétences et de les améliorer.
Cette étude a été réalisée dans trois états du sud de l’Inde : Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka et Telangana. Des questionnaires détaillés ont été remplis par
270 auxiliaires vétérinaires dans neuf districts de ces trois états en 2015 et 2016.
Les questions posées concernaient principalement les compétences techniques
spécifiques et leur mise en œuvre, les moyens appropriés pour apprendre des
techniques spécifiques, les compétences complémentaires nécessaires, et
les moyens permettant d’améliorer les compétences techniques. Les scores
attribués aux participants ont été pondérés en fonction de (a) l’importance de
chaque compétence et (b) le niveau actuel de connaissance/capacité technique
et exécutoire. Les résultats montrent que le niveau actuel de connaissance/
capacité technique et exécutoire des auxiliaires vétérinaires est insuffisant, ne
permettant pas la réalisation des activités vétérinaires quotidiennes dans les
domaines clinique, paraclinique et de production. D’après les observations des
participants, les moyens appropriés pour acquérir les compétences nécessaires
sont la formation initiale, la formation d’initiation, la formation continue et la
participation aux séminaires nationaux et internationaux ainsi qu’aux ateliers de
formation et webinaires. Selon les participants, les compétences complémentaires
à acquérir sont la gestion du temps et du stress, les techniques de motivation,
les technologies numériques de communication et les compétences orales et
écrites. Parmi les interventions spécifiques à envisager pour une politique de
formation, on peut citer : des apprentissages pratiques dès l’école vétérinaire,
une évaluation avant l’octroi du certificat, la création d’un examen diplômant de
fin d’études, le renforcement des capacités à travers des programmes d’initiation
et de formation continue et une amélioration des mécanismes institutionnels
d’évaluation régulière des compétences.
Mots-clés
Compétences de base – Inde – Vétérinaire.
Evaluación de las competencias básicas de los veterinarios y su
efecto sobre las decisiones normativas en la India
P.V.K. Sasidhar & M. Suvedi
Resumen
Los autores describen un estudio que respondía a un doble objetivo: evaluar
las competencias técnicas de los veterinarios y su aplicación práctica;
y analizar las actividades de estos profesionales y los cauces adecuados para
que adquieran competencias y las perfeccionen. El estudio discurrió en tres
estados del sur de la India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka y Telangana. Empleando
un detallado cuestionario que cumplimentaron 270 veterinarios, entre 2015 y
793
Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 37 (3)
2016 se reunieron datos de nueve distritos de esos tres estados. Las principales
preguntas del cuestionario guardaban relación con lo siguiente: competencias
técnicas específicas y su aplicación, cauces adecuados para adquirirlas, otras
competencias necesarias, y actividades recomendadas para perfeccionarlas.
Después se obtuvo la clasificación establecida por cada persona interrogada
respecto de: (a) cuán importantes son esas competencias; y (b) cuál es
actualmente su nivel de conocimientos y/o aptitudes para ponerlas en práctica.
Los resultados pusieron de relieve que el actual nivel de conocimientos y/o
aptitudes era insuficiente en tres ámbitos del trabajo cotidiano de un veterinario:
la producción, la labor paraclínica y la clínica. Del estudio se desprende que la
formación previa, la formación continua y la formación básica introductoria, así
como la asistencia a seminarios, talleres y seminarios interactivos por Internet
de ámbito nacional e internacional, son cauces adecuados para adquirir
competencias. De las demás competencias que los encuestados consideraron
necesarias destacan las siguientes: capacidad de gestión del tiempo y el estrés;
técnicas de motivación; tecnologías digitales de comunicación; y aptitudes de
escritura y oratoria. Entre las intervenciones normativas específicas que se
propusieron y discutieron figuran: en la etapa estudiantil, formación práctica
adecuada en las facultades de veterinaria y evaluación de estas competencias
como condición para la entrega del título; implantación de un examen para la
concesión de licencia para ejercer la veterinaria; refuerzo de las competencias
mediante cursos de iniciación y programas de formación continua veterinaria;
y mejora de los mecanismos institucionales para evaluar periódicamente las
competencias.
Palabras clave
Competencia básica – India – Veterinario.
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