BIREME continues to support the development of its team’s technical and behavioral skills, through actions and activities for integration and engagement in an environment that recognizes the importance of individual and collective dedication and commitment. This action continues to be part of its 2024-2025 Biannual Work Plan (BWP 24-25) and has achieved important results in line with current trends that support the implementation of the Center’s mission. Artificial Intelligence, Agile Culture, Psychological Safety, High-Performance Teams and Communication are the themes in focus for the development of support activities in the 2024-2025 biennium.
The communication actions and the updating of the institutional communication channels aim to share information on all BIREME instances with its advances, developments and innovations in the areas of technical cooperation, management and operation, with emphasis on the BIREME Bulletin with monthly publication, the Social Networks, and the internal vehicles such as the Intranet and the weekly newsletter Fique Por Dentro. This enables decision-making at all levels with contextualized information and knowledge, in line with the needs of institutional supporters and users.
In the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the need to improve the Information Products and Services developed by BIREME, its employees were also supported in developing their skills and were all motivated to take part in meetings with experts to exchange information and knowledge. Two meetings stood out in 2024:
- Presentation of Microsoft Copilot by a Microsoft expert highlighting practical use cases and strategies to boost productivity in the development of solutions, integrating artificial intelligence into the workflow, optimizing tasks and reducing the time spent on repetitive processes.
- Speech “Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Solution Development”, where an invited expert explored the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence tools available on the market, with practical demonstrations that illustrated how these technologies can be applied to solve real challenges and enhance the development of innovative solutions.
Besides Microsoft Copilot, specifically in the Edge browser, as part of the Office package adopted by PAHO/WHO, which also organized internal training, BIREME made ChatGPT Plus available to its employees to help increase productivity, including greater support for programmers, helping in a wide variety of programming languages.
In order to further develop the skills needed for innovations and new developments, specific training courses were encouraged: (1) a course on React, a JavaScript framework for developing visual interfaces – already in use for the Traditional Medicine Global Library project and (2) a course on predictive analysis – for developing new functionalities using artificial intelligence.
Other activities and events coordinated by BIREME in 2024 had a positive impact and involved the participation of everyone, from the organization to the implementation, thus stimulating the integration of the entire team, which was able to discuss, evaluate and propose guidelines for continuous improvement and even for complex issues and challenges, increasing engagement and commitment.
Among the highlights was the human capital management workshop in May, which covered institutional tools for performance and innovation, promoting reflection on work management and employee self-development. In June, the traditional Festa Junina, one of the main events in Brazilian culture, strengthened the bonds between employees in a relaxed atmosphere that motivated participation and revealed individual and collective talents.
In August, the schedule for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games inspired the promotion of activities related to sport and health at BIREME, when everyone was invited to take part in a quiz and share photos of themselves practicing their favorite sport.
It is worth highlighting that two BIREME personnel participated in strategic events at PAHO Headquarters in Washington D.C., United States, which reinforced support for development and coordination with the Organization’s Regional Office: (i) Meeting of Human Resources Focal Points with Jobar Farias (AM); and (ii) Dataton-PAHO Forward 2.0 with Ana Kátia Camilo (DEV). The events were held by the Departments of Human Resources and Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, of which BIREME is an integral part.
The end-of-year meeting celebrated the performance of the teams, and the results achieved. The event’s program included the development of skills such as effective communication, psychological safety and other essential practices for building successful teams. Silvia de Valentin, Administrator who works in line with the guidelines of João Paulo Souza, Director, considers that 2024 was an important year for the staff who were able to count, once again, on BIREME’s support in the development of skills, and that 2025 will be a year of good opportunities for the growth of their intellectual and human capital.