Training for (specialists) civil servants in the Public Administration of the Health Sector in Latvia

Under the framework of the training the Health Services Management Training Centre is holding a training programme for policy leaders and planners (Latvian Senior Health Executive Programme: Minister of State for Health, Deputy Minister of State for Heath, directors) and for specialists of the Latvian Ministry of Health and its subordinate institutions (Latvian Health Executive Programme). The European Commission has agreed to provide technical and financial support with the Structural Reform Support Programme to the Latvian Ministry of Health for launching this training programme.

It is a four-module long programme in three training groups and the main focus is on the process of change management. The modules are the following:  basics, fundamentals and theories – managing the system; managing the economics of healthcare, managing technologies and infrastructure; managing reform and change; political and crisis communication, project management.

The content of the training programme includes skills training and case studies as well. The EMK works with participants on a “learning-by-doing” basis. Participants are expected to form change management teams and work on a change project related to the reform of the Latvian health system, or to the organizational development of an institution of choice within the Latvian health system. The case studies and project plans are based on their personal ideas and experiences and mentors from EMK are helping them with the project work. As political level is involved, the change projects are consistent with the political framework goals and this ensures the sustainability of the projects. For example, a health-related hackathon, a data visualization solution for publishing public health data, or a health-promoting, unified image campaign with authentic information have been designed within the framework of the previous project works.

The programme was a great success and was nominated by the Latvian participants for the European Public Sector Award (ESPA) 2019.