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Governance

Challenge

A variety of problems that confront health systems relate to governance. These include, for example, financial management practices that permit corruption; unavailable information on planning, operations, and financing, thereby reducing accountability; lack of capacity of civil society and elected officials to hold health sector actors accountable; and failures of MOHs and local governments to engage stakeholders in health decision-making and priority setting.

Approach

The Health Systems 20/20 approach tackles both the demand and supply sides of governance. On the demand side, work with citizens and oversight entities inside and outside of government enhances capacity to exercise voice and accountability. These practices go hand-in-hand with strengthening the MOH and other health sector actors: the supply-side of governance improvement. Health Systems 20/20 promotes institutional arrangements that enhance the likelihood of positive results. Examples of such arrangements include decentralization, public-private partnerships, and checks and balances among health sector executive agencies, legislators, and accountability actors (auditors, courts, citizens’ groups).

Download Health Systems 20/20 and Governance brief.

Using Facility-based Governance Committees to Improve Quality of Health Services in the Philippines

Mar 9 2010

In three sites in Mindanao, Philippines, Health Systems 20/20 is supporting the establishment of facility-based governance committees that focus on improving the quality of health services.

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GTZ Newsletter Cites Health Systems 20/20 Project's Measurement of Governance

Dec 30 2009

Health Systems 20/20 was highlighted as a leader in the measurement of governance and anti-corruption progress by Boston University's Taryn Vian in an interview in GTZ's Public Finance Reform December '09 Newsletter.

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Health Systems 20/20 Releases Year 2 Annual Report

Dec 31 2008

Read about project activities in Year 2 to increase the use of priority population, health, and nutrition services, especially by the disadvantaged through improvements in health financing, governance, operations, and capacity building.

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From Humanitarian and Post-conflict Assistance to Health System Strengthening in Fragile States

Dec 10 2008

This policy brief focuses on the transition from emergency assistance and relief to strengthening the health system for the long term, and the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and how they can help fragile states to rehabilitate their health systems.

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Health Systems Innovations at Mini-University

Sep 24 2008

Presenting at the USAID and George Washington University School of Public Health’s Mini-U on September 12 were Health Systems 20/20 staff Derick Brinkerhoff on civil society participation in health governance, and Catherine Connor and Amy Taye leading a hands-on introduction to the Health Systems Assessment Approach.

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