SHORT COURSE ON

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF LOCAL HEALTH SYSTEMS

1.    OBJECTIVES

The aim of this course is to empower participants to play an active role in the development of local health systems (LHS) in developing countries. It focuses on the local health system defined as the network of public and private healthcare providers at the first line and first referral services, operating within a specific policy environment including the many actors and their influences. The system is analyzed from an organizational and managerial perspective aiming at improving coordination and performance.

The target group for this 8-weeks course are professionals with management functions in health care, supervising or regulating and advocacy organizations or institutions (government or non-governmental). The course is experience-based. At the end participants present their analysis of and proposed solutions for a managerial/organizational problem they experience during their professional practice.

1.    COURSE PROGRAMME AND CONTENT

The short course is Strategic Management of Local Health Systems has a study load of 10ECTS credits (approx. 300 hours study time). The course length is 8 weeks, organized through March and April (exact dates see website).

The backbone of the short course is an assignment that runs throughout the course. In coached peer-groups, the participant analyses his/her own organization from a health service manager's perspective. The central question is: "How does my own organization contribute to the public-health goals of the local health system (problem analysis) and how can this contribution be improved (solution analysis)?" Interactive lectures present theories, methods and tools to carry out the different steps of the assignment:

• General framework for analysis of performance of public-oriented health systems:

evaluation of performance based on public health values and on criteria that take the complexity and systemic nature of health systems into account.

• Theories on organizations: organizational configurations, culture, characteristics of the environment (including stakeholder analysis) and leadership.
• Resource management: financial, human resources, information and quality.
• Influences of and influencing the health policies.

3. EVALUATION AND CREDITS

The evaluation of participants consists of three elements: a seminar (25% of total mark), a literature review paper (25%) and a presentation of the final result of the assignment, followed by an oral synthetic exam (50%). A Credit Certificate is issued to those who pass. In case of failure, a Certificate of Attendance is provided.

4.    ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND LANGUAGE

The short course targets holders of a master's diploma in public health (MPH) or equivalent and/or professionals with relevant experience in management of health organizations (health care provision, providing expertise and guidance for health care provision, advocacy and networking for health ...) or researchers in these domains.

The course is alternatively organized in English (= even years) and French. Officially attested good knowledge of the course language (French or English; e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, embassy ...) is essential of the candidates from a country where the course language is not the official language. Candidates for the French course need to prove their competence in reading English.

Application forms are available from the course secretariat or can be downloaded from our website www.itg.be and should be returned latest on November 1^st. Accepted candidates will be notified end of December of the same year.

5.    TUITION FEE AND SCHOLARSHIPS

You will find information on the exact fee and scholarships in the general ITM course overview and on our website or you can contact the ITM Student Service at Alamat e-mail ini telah dilindungi dari tindakan spam bots, Anda butuh Javascript dan diaktifkan untuk melihatnya . Students from developing countries and the European Union can apply for a scholarship through the ITM (limited number available; for more information contact the course secretariat).

The tuition fee should be paid into the ITM's account nr. 220-0531111-72 (Fortis Bank, Warandeberg 3, 1000 Brussel), BIC/SWIFT: GEBABEBB, IBAN BE 38 2200 5311 1172. Bank charges are at the expense of the applicant.