Abstract
Introduction
Thank you for all that you do to improve the performance of your health system Good governing practices not only enable you to achieve more signi cant results in your work but also more sustainable results Governance in the context of health has come into sharper focus over the past decade It is one of the essential factors in the pursuit of stronger health systems and greater health impact There is an emerging body of evidence that shows that e ective governance improves health outcomes Conversely, poor governance overall, and especially in the health sector, contributes to poor health outcomes It undermines the vitality of a health system, making it less e ective, less e cient, less equitable, and less responsive to the people it is intended to serve.
Studies, roundtable discussions, and fieldwork done by the Leadership, Management, and Governance (LMG) Project1 funded by the US Agency for International Development de ned ve governing practices as essential to the effective functioning of governing bodies:
- Cultivating accountability
- Engaging stakeholders
- Setting a shared strategic direction
- Stewarding resources
- Assessing and enhancing governance
The LMG Project developed this series of guides and the accompanying training handbooks to help you operationalize each of the ve governing practices in your organization You will have an opportunity to use (1) guides that explain each of the ve practices; (2) training handbooks that support and prepare you to apply the governing practices described in the guides, and (3) a series of reading materials, case studies, tools, and resources
We hope you will find the materials and the training course based on them useful and, as a result of investing your time in the course, that you will be more comfortable, con dent, and competent in your governing role As governance leaders or members of governing bodies, using these guides you will be able to apply the five effective governing practices in your organization, and improve your governance performance and in turn, your organization’s performance Training course based on these guides will make the learning of the ve governing practices more effective and the course will enable you to develop and implement a governance enhancement plan for your organization The course uses the ve guides as required readings for the participants We have also developed a separate training facilitator’s handbook to help the facilitators deliver the governance enhancement training in a structured way and with maximum effectiveness
