1. Leadership for Public Health
A vision for the future
16-17 May 2013
LINQ Conference Rome
Katarzyna Czabanowska and Daniela Popa, Maastricht University
on behalf of Leaders for European Public Health (Lephie)
Developing Effective Public Health Leaders: a case study
based on the Lephie Project
2. Background
Why Leadership? What?
• The results of the on-line survey
seemed to suggest that there is a
need for Leadership courses offered in
a more on-line, problem-based
fashion.
• Priorities and objectives of EU Lifelong
learning Program (LLLP)
• Health 2020 (WHO, The new
European policy for health – Health
2020)
• Leaders for European Public Health
(LEPHIE) Erasmus Multilateral, Curriculum
Development project – funded in 2010 by
EU LLP.
• Develop an integrated, collaborative
Public Health Leadership curriculum for
PH professionals.
– Competence-based
– Addressing Essential Public Health
Services and European Public Health
context
– Problem-based/Blended Learning
– Problems around public health
priorities in European
– Mutual recognition of achieved
qualifications
– Stimulating the development of
collaborative and shared leadership.
4. Project structure
Main Goals of the Lephie project:
Development of Problem-based, Blended Learning Leadership curriculum
for European Public Health professionals supported by modern on-line technology
such as: Elluminate (a web-conferencing program), Skype and Blackboard or
Moodle (learning management systems).
Stiring a discussion around:
Public Health Leadership in Europe
Development of Public Health Leaders
Challenges confronting Public Health Leaders of today
Target groups of the project:
PH professionals, tutors/teachers, lecturers, PH employers, PH professional
organizations and decision makers at higher education establishments.
5. WP 8 – Management and quality control
WP 9 – Exploitation strategy
WP 1 – Development of competence
based Public Health Leadership
Curriculum
WP 2 – Blended Learning Practice
WP 3 – Piloting the curriculum in at Sheffield Hallam University
(Sheffield Pilot)
WP 4 – Evaluation studies,
methodology and
guidelines
WP 5 – Implementation
and Educational Quality
WP 6 – Country Case
studies Maastricht Pilot
Kaunas Pilot
Graz Pilot
WP 7 – Dissemination
ContinuousQualityAssurance
ContinuousQualityAssurance
Project structure
PARTNERS:
Maastricht University (NL)
Sheffield Hallam University (UK)
Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LT)
Medical University of Graz (AT)
The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (BE)
Collaborating institutions: Griffith University (AU)
Canterbury Christ Church University (UK)
6. The main outcomes of the project
1. Curriculum on leadership for European PH
professionals including educational interactive e-
learning materials in a Problem-based/Blended
Learning (PBL/BL)
2. Trained staff in partner institutions in BL and PBL
3. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the PBL/BL
practice
4. Quality assurance mechanisms
5. Educational blended learning network comprising
partner countries
6. Central repository (interactive web-page
www.lephie.eu)
7. Scientific publication(s) conferences workshops.
7. What we teach and how?
Content
The Module on Leadership in Public Health is designed to introduce many
facets of leading in the modern public health environment in Europe
and help the participants to develop leadership competencies
through the following:
Examining the key debates around Leadership in Public Health in
relationship to modernism, postmodernism, technological
change and their implications for leaders within
organisations.
Introducing key theoretical frameworks that underpin leadership
learning, and enable the critical use of this knowledge and
understanding by applying theory to actual practice within
the context of Public Health.
Developing the ability to reflect on the Public Health leadership role and
development needs of individuals, so that personal and
professional development planning for a leadership role is
built upon sound analysis of self in context.
Stimulating self-assessment of leadership competencies by the
participants to help identify knowledge gaps and further
training needs in leadership.
9. Systems Thinking Political Leadership Building & Leading
Interdisciplinary Teams
Leadership &
Communication
Leading Change Emotional Intelligence &
Leadership in Team-
based organisations
Leadership,
Organisational Learning,
& Development
Ethics & Professionalism
Understand current public
health issues and engage in
systemic change to address
them.
Foresee potential impacts
and consequences of
decision-making in both
internal and external
situations.
Provide an environment
conductive to opinion sharing.
Demonstrate effective written
and oral communication, and
presentation skills.
Facilitate reassessment and
adaptation of mission to
match vision.
Demonstrate awareness of the
impact of your own beliefs,
values, and behaviours on
your own decision-making and
the reactions of others.
Foster an environment of
ttrust.
Adhere to ethical legal and
regulatory standards
Synthesise and integrate
divergent viewpoints for the
good of the organisation.
Understand and apply
effective techniques for
working with boards and
governance structures.
Model effective group process
behaviours including listening,
dialoguing, negotiating,
rewarding, encouraging, and
motivating.
Recognise and use non-verbal
forms of communication when
putting across your own
perspective on a situation.
Manage staff to effectively
deal with change.
Demonstrate empathy and
concern for people as
individuals while ensuring that
organisational goals and
objectives are met.
Develop and mentor potential
future leaders within the
organisation.
Encourage a high level of
commitment to the purposes
and values of the
organisation.
Understand Reflective Leadership
and demonstrate that all
leadership begins from within.
Evaluate and determine
appropriate actions
regarding critical political
issues.
Model effective team
leadership traits including
integrity, credibility,
enthusiasm, commitment,
honesty, caring, and trust.
Effectively share information
and responsibility at different
organisational levels in pursuit
of population-based goals
Serve as a driving force for
change, including strategies of
change.
Be aware of the impact of
your own behaviours and
reactions on the behaviours
and reactions of others.
Advocate for learning
opportunities within the
organization.
Make a clear declaration of
any conflict of interest that is
likely to affect your
leadership or decision-making
and take appropriate action
to minimise this.
Facilitate the development of
Servant Leadership capacity
including selflessness, integrity,
and perspective mastery
Promote the European and
National Public Health
agenda
Understand and manage
expectations.
Use the media to
communicate routinely with
target audiences regarding
public health needs,
objectives, accomplishments,
and critical crises-related
information.
Make strategic decisions based
on recognised values,
priorities and resources.
Demonstrate personal
responsibility and
accountability for the
achievement of a given task.
Create and communicate a
shared vision for the future
and inspire team members to
achieve it.
Respect diverse cultures and
build upon the strength of
diversity to bring about
innovation and added value
in the work environment.
Recognise the relevance of
adaptive leadership and use it
the appropriate circumstances.
Translate broad strategies
into practical terms for
others.
Offer opportunities for
collaborative learning and
quality improvement.
Share views in a non-
judgmental, non-threatening
way.
Identify and communicate new
system structures as needs are
identified and opportunity
arises.
Respond appropriately to the
positive criticism of others
about your own behaviour or
performance.
Encourage others to feel
ownership in the public
health mission in the
organisation.
Practice and promote
professional accountability and
social responsibility
Recognise the relevance of
leading from behind and use
this in the appropriate
circumstances.
Build alliances, partnerships,
and coalitions to improve
the health of the
community or population
being served.
Exercise the sensitivity needed
to communicate with diverse
cultures and disciplines.
Ensure that organisational
practices are aligned with
changes in the public health
system and the larger social,
political, and economic
environment.
Demonstrate resilience and
the ability to call upon
personal resources and energy
at times of threat or
challenge.
Assist others to clarify
thinking, create consensus,
and develop ideas into
actionable plans.
Actively work towards
reducing inequalities in access
to Public Health.
Identify opportunities for the
growth, innovation, change and
development of the organisation.
Identify and engage
stakeholders in
interdisciplinary projects to
improve public health.
Effectively use negotiation
skills to mediate disputes and
find appropriate and workable
solutions.
Offer opportunities for
collaborative learning and
quality improvement
Advocate and participate in
public health policy
initiatives at the local,
national, and/or
international levels.
10. Leading Change
PBL Case
“Making your institution a magnet care centre for
evidence-based practice for the elderly.”
Europe, January 2012: Today, the European Health
Ministers have issued a common and urgent
announcement via the media:
Scientist and health care experts from several disciplines in
Europe found out that in most European countries – after
more than 20 years of the evidence-based practice (EBP)
movement – best practices are still not achieved in
hospitals and other health care settings, especially
regarding the care for the elderly. Consequently, patient’
outcomes are not satisfying e.g. high prevalence rates of
pressure ulcer or malnutrition can be found, nosocomial
infections are increasing in frequency, medical errors are
alarming. Consequences involve enormous financial
costs, great burden and reduced quality of life for elderly
patients/residents as well as dissatisfaction of
professionals in all health care disciplines.
Educational approach
11.
12. Interviews with top public health leaders
to support the curriculum
An interview
with Helmut
Brand
Public Health Leadership
Interview questions (inspired by Rowitz 2009)
• How would you define leadership?
• What do you think about public health leadership
today and why?
• Who is a living person whom you define as a leader
and why?
• What do you think are the critical strengths needed to
be a successful public health leader?
• What would be the major challenges of public health
in the next 10 years?
• What needs to be done to develop a culturally diverse
leadership workforce?
• Is leadership in public sector similar to leadership in
(business, private) sector?
• What should be done to make public health more
responsive to the needs of the public?
Katarzyna Czabanowska interviewed:
Professor Helmut Brand (Chair, Department of International
Health, FHML,CAPHRI,
Maastricht University, President of ASPHER)
Director Harm Jan Driessen (Chair of the Management Board of
Maastricht UMC+
Director Andrzej Rys (Health Systems and Products Director
SANCO Directorate - European
Commission)
Professor Onno van Schayck (Scientific Director CAPHRI, FHML,
Maastricht University)
Professor Dirk Ruwaard (Chair, Department of Health Services,
CAPHRI, FHML, Maastricht
University)
Director Zsuzanna Jakab (WHO Regional Director for Europe)
http://media02.sv.unimaas.nl/IntHealth/European
Public Health Leadership/Interview Onno van
Schayck.wmv
13. Conclusions
We developed a program which is more comprehensive
and more focused on PH than other general leadership
programs.
The programme has a great potential showing that the use
of ICT can support the learning process and enhance
communication.
The results can offer valuable information to other
universities or Schools of Public Health which want to
design a competence-based curricula in public health
using Blended Learning and online technology to
increase satisfaction and access to educational
provision.
14. Acknowledgement:
This study was supported by the European Commission Lifelong Learning Program in the framework of
ERASMUS Multilateral Curriculum Development project: Leaders for European Public Health (LEPHIE).
Project n° 510176-LLP-1-2010-1-NL-ERASMUS-ECDCE . This publication reflects the views only of the
authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information
contained herein.
www.lephie.eu
