Washington, D.C. January 31, 2013. To achieve effective delivery of healthcare services, it is fundamental to have competent managers and enabling environments for them to lead and manage efficiently.

It is widely recognized that management plays a crucial role in the achievement of health goals and the improvement of the health and wellbeing of populations.  Healthcare delivery services face critical situations and challenges, high among them insufficient number of managers with appropriate competencies, poor support systems and lack of enabling conditions and environments for effective discharge of their responsibilities.  This in turn leads to poor performance and inefficiencies and consequently affects the health situation of the population.

On Jan. 29–30, a group of experts from recognized organizations held a meeting to discuss the development of an International Competency Framework for Healthcare Managers. During this technical meeting, participants explored and discussed the core healthcare management competencies required for good leadership and management of healthcare delivery organizations with a view to propose a global model. In addition, participants shared experiences on the development and application of competencies in the areas of leadership, professional and social responsibility, knowledge of the health systems and healthcare environments, engagement and collaboration, and business skills and knowledge.

The identification, development and dissemination of a core set of competencies for healthcare managers is viewed as an enormous contribution to the professionalization of this important group of health workers and the improved performance of health systems. It will help to achieve the objectives of transforming health systems and services that demand strengthening of managerial capacity at all levels

Organizations and experts in the Meeting

• Pan American Health Organization
• American College of Healthcare Executives
• International Hospital Federation
• Health management Institute of Ireland and representing European Association of Health managers
• Lecturer Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies
• Jamaican Association of Health Services
• Taiwan Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation and representing Taiwan College of Health Care Executives
• Australasian College of Health Service Management
• Leadership Management Governance project & MSH
• Canadian College of Health Leaders

 

 Meeting documents

  Meeting Agenda (74.3 kB)

 

Related links

Health Systems based on Primary Health Care

Developing Physician-Leaders: Key Competencies and Available Programs. (James K. Stoller)

Health Systems in Action: an eHandbook for Leaders and Managers  (Management Sciences for Health)

Managers who lead. A Handbook for Improving Health Services  (Management Sciences for Health)

NCHL Health Leadership Competency Model.