New partnership allows Yale to further strengthen health care systems in developing countries

As part of the Leadership, Management and Governance Project (LMG) funded by the United States Agency for International Development, Management Science for Health is launching a new partnership with the Yale Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI).

This five-year project will support health systems strengthening in developing countries around the world.

"Investment in leadership and management are critical in helping our own and other countries establish efficient and effective health care systems," says Paul D. Cleary, dean of the Yale School of Public Health. "This collaboration helps Yale achieve on its goals to develop leadership to address health problems that transcend national borders."

The LMG project joins Yale and several other organizations, which can together receive up to $199 million in funds to address gaps in leadership, management and improve governing structures of health care systems at all levels.

Project goals include:

o Develop and test tools and models to assess participatory process, transparency, accountability and monitoring and evaluation of national and local health systems.

o Incorporate tools and models into health programs and health systems to build local capacity in leadership, management and governance.

o Initiate local support and equip managers and providers at all levels of the health system to advocate for and implement inspired leadership, sound management and transparent governance.

o Build on the use of platforms such as Internet, digital and mobile phone-based technologies to make leadership, management and governance tools available at low cost to the widest possible global audience.

o Expand work in pre-service training to ensure that leadership, management and governance models for organizational, programmatic, and financial sustainability are institutionalized and sustained by local universities and training centers.

"Yale is a highly valued partner with a strategic focus on senior level leadership, management and governance," says James A. Rice, project director at Management Sciences for Health. "This is an area that can have a high impact assisting ministries of health in improving their stewardship role for resources in the health sector and influencing policy."

The GHLI work, in particular, will collaborate with ministries across several sectors to help strengthen leadership skills of senior officials and their teams. Eight countries will be included in this project: Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Kenya and Mali. Several different programs will be put into place based on each country’s immediate needs, but could include establishing leadership certificate programs and organizing conferences that focus on priority health issues.

The Global Health Leadership Institute supports health leaders to improve the performance of health systems through leadership development, quality improvement programs, and health systems research.