Health Systems Management Course

Introduction
This course is developed and directed by the Division of Health Systems of the Department of Community Health Sciences ( CHS).

The course is designed to provide basic conceptual and technical skills required in undertaking Health Systems Management.  The course is expected to enhance managerial capacity of participants and would help them to make evidence-based decision making and manage resources more effectively. This course has been offered regularly since 1995 and to date fourteen courses have been organized for 252 local and international participants. Off campus specially designed version of this course has also been offered on request within and outside Pakistan.

It addresses critical managerial problems such as inappropriate leadership, poor team work, ineffective health planning, improper implementation of health interventions, delayed monitoring and lack of its utilization at field level, lack of budgetary planning and forecasting, inability to improve quality and incompetent advocacy. Special emphasis is given to application of concepts in the devolution system.

Goal
This course is aimed at strengthening the professional expertise and organisational/managerial skills of participants in Health Systems Management (HSM).

Objectives
By the end of the course, the participants would be able to describe and apply principles of:

• Health planning and implementation
• Monitoring tools and system
• Financial planning
• Quality tools and mechanisms
• Leadership and team work
• Advocacy tools
  

Course Contents

• Health, health Issues and determinants of Health
• Health Care System and its Planning
• Management Information System
• Financial and budgetary Management and auditing
• Quality in Health Care
• Human Resource Management
• Stakeholders of Health Care Research
• Advocacy and Evidence-Based decision making
  

Putting Theory into Practice
This course provides a practical opportunity to each participant to apply concepts and skills learned towards addressing management issues related to their work setting. Participants will be exposed to real life situation through simulations and field visits. During the course, each participant will be required to develop individual assignment based on the each of the learned concepts. Participants will also be encouraged to select at least one assignment that each of them would pursue after completion of the course.

Structure
HSM is a full time course lasting three weeks. It is conducted in English and instructions are provided mainly by the faculty of the Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS) at Aga Khan University (AKU). Participants bring with them a breadth of experience from different backgrounds and learning is encouraged through a mutual sharing of experiences. Pre and post-course tests are conducted to evaluate the performance of the course and the value of the program to its participants.

Who Should Attend
The course is designed for the mid level health care managers but anyone who is involved or interested in health systems management can participate. 

Medium of Instruction
As English is the exclusive language of instruction, participants must be comfortable to read, write and speak in English language. 

Teaching Method
A participatory method of teaching and learning is followed which includes interactive lectures; large and small group discussions; and group presentations. Case studies and video presentations are used to better understand practical problems of health systems management. 

Duration of the Course
The duration of the course is 15 working days. The scheduled dates are from September 14 – October 02, 2010, both days inclusive.

Tuition Fees
The course tuition fee is Rs 28,000/= (US $ 400/= applicable for international participants), which covers classroom instructions, course material, refreshment, and simple lunch during working hours.  

Deadline to Receive Applications
Interested candidates should send brief CV along with filled registration form
Registration Form latest by July 20, 2010 to:

Mr Amin Hirani
Senior Programme Officer
Continuing Education Programme CHS 
Email: amin.hirani@aku.edu
Tel: +92-21-34864839/34864802

Course Director
Dr Narjis Rizvi
Assistant Professor
Tel: +92-21-34864811
Email: narjis.rizvi@aku.edu