Governance of Health Systems and Health Organizations

Governance of Health Systems and Health Organizations is intended to support the important work of the leaders who govern health service delivery organizations. While the principles and practices described in this chapter apply to diverse organizations in a country’s health sector, including health insurance organizations and pharmaceutical and biomedical supply organizations, the focus here is principally on organizations that deliver health services or advocate for better health care and health gain. The chapter presents the four essential practices for good governance in health sectors and health institutions and explains the application of the four practices within governmental organizations, multi-sectoral organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or civil society organizations (CSOs), respectively. These practices are cultivate accountability, engage with stakeholders, set shared direction, and steward resources. (This publication is Chapter 3 of Health Systems in Action: An eHandbook for Leaders and Managers.)