Governance and Health

Governance is a structured process used by a group of people—usually referred to as a governing body—to make decisions about policy, plans, and rules of collective action. For health organizations, the focus of this collective action is to strengthen health systems in order to expand access to quality health services. This leads to better, more sustainable health outcomes.

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the important role that governance plays in the health sector in resource-constrained countries, detailing how governance is different but synergistic with management and leadership approaches, and ultimately contributes to the highest attainable level of health system performance and good health outcomes for beneficiaries. You will be introduced to key governance terms, concepts, and definitions, and gain an understanding of how governance works in the public sector and within civil society organizations.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Clearly define key governance terms and concepts in the context of health
• Explain the differences between governance, leadership, and management
• Understand the rationale for investing in governance improvements
• Recognize the role that good governance plays as an enabler of sound management, and that sound management plays as an enabler of high-quality service delivery
• Identify enablers of good governance
• Name the key shifts that leaders who govern need to make to improve their organization’s performance
• Appreciate specificities of governance in the public sector and within civil society organizations