Title:	Global health organizations and programme management
Keywords:	Resource management Project Management Planning and programming Financing
Country:	Spain
Institution:	Spain - Barcelona Institute for Global Health - University of Barcelona
Course coordinator:	Marina Espriu Enric Grau
Date start:	2026-06-10
Date end:	2026-06-19
About duration and dates:	● 8 full days + 1 additional day before the course starts for pre-readings made available 2 weeks prior to the course commencement ● Application deadline: 2 weeks prior to first presence course day
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Barcelona Institute for Global Health – University of Barcelona Barcelona Institute for Global Health – University of Barcelona School of Medicine and Health Sciences Campus Clínic August Pi i Sunyer Room: Aula Manuel Corachan C/ Casanova, 143 08036 Barcelona
ECTS credit points:	3 ECTS credits
SIT: 75 hours SIT ● Contact hours face-to-face: 30h ● Self-study hours (reading and preparing for in-class exercises and evaluation activities): 25h ● Independent work for the course evaluation: 20h
Language:	English
Description: At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. Develop strategic thinking and apply essential management tools to build coherent and efficient global health organizations and programmes. 2. Critically assess innovative management approaches to global health challenges by promoting local innovation ecosystems and applying entrepreneurship tools like the business model canvas to global health interventions. 3. Apply international standards such as the logical framework approach to design, plan, monitor and evaluate global health programmes. 4. Adopt effective communication and fundraising tools to promote and sustain global health initiatives. 5. Assess the financial status of global health organisations and properly budget health interventions. 6. Recognise key issues to build, manage and lead teams in international and multicultural environments.
Assessment Procedures: The course assessment is based on a case study called the “Rural Health Care Foundation (RHCF) case: Reaching primary health care to the bottom of the pyramid”. The case will be distributed to students on the first session of the course and will be used as a reference for class discussions and examples. The case study will be worked in groups to be announced on the first day of the course. There are two assignments to assess student performance. A “Work Group Work Peer Assessment” will be filled in by each group at the beginning and at the end of the two assignments and sent to Coordinators with Assignment 2. A positive work team assessment is required to be rated. The two assignments are the following: • Assignment 1: RHCF Business Model Canvas, Strategy and Innovation (40% of the final grade - group assignment). Based on the case, students will apply the Business Model Canvas tool to the Rural Health Care Foundation, identify main challenges and potential solutions and areas of innovation. Assignment 1 will be presented by groups and discussed in class on session 15. Two documents will be submitted to the course coordinators via Virtual Campus on the indicated date: 1) Full Assignment 1 in word format (maximum length of 3000 words excluding references, figures and tables). 2) PowerPoint presentation with Business Model Canvas represented in only 1 slide (all the groups) and 3-5 slides to go in depth to the part of the Assignment 1 appointed to each group. The two elements of assignment 1 are graded together and compensated; the full Assignment 1 in word format accounts for 30% of the grade and the PowerPoint presentation for 10% of the total 40%. • Assignment 2: RHCF Management questions (60% of the final grade - group assignment). Questions about financial viability, capacity, partnership, communication and fundraising strategy and human resource performance shaping the future of the Foundation will have to be addressed by the students. Assignment 2 and the “Group Work Group Peer Assessment” will be submitted to the Coordinators via Virtual Campus by the indicated date. The assignment will have a maximum length of 3000 words excluding references, figures and tables. A final grade of 5 out of 10 is required to pass the course, the grades of the two assignments compensate for each other grade. The final grade will be notified to students within 15 days after the submission of the Assignment 2. Course coordinators will be always available during the course for questions. Appointments will be made via Virtual Campus or email. A rubric for evaluation of the two assignments will be provided. Resit: Students that fail will have the chance to resit the same two assignments, with dates and details informed about in advance. During the resit assessment, students will have one week to complete the final assessment and send it by email to the course coordinators. Resit students can work on the assessment in groups remotely (online).
Content: S1. Introduction to Global Health Organisations and Management Challenges ● Contribution of management tools and concepts to health interventions. ● Definition and key components of organizations (systems, structures and processes); trends in organizational models. ● For-profit, not-for-profit and social business organizations; common ground and differences. ● Major challenges for global health not-for-profit organizations: legitimacy, governance, accountability, impact measure and sustainability S2. Strategic Planning: an introduction ● Recognise why a clear vision and a thoughtful strategic plan are vital for any organisation ● Understand the importance of developing a plan to develop a strategic plan, including stakeholder mapping, timelines, review and approval process, and eventual socialization ● Appreciate the importance of not letting strategic planning paralyse the work of an organization ● Be able to articulate the value of a one-page strategic plan S3. Local Innovation Ecosystems Case study: Country Innovation Platform in Ghana ● Understand typical models for Global Health Innovation ● Appreciate why existing innovation models have failed end-users in low-income countries (LICs) and lower middle-income countries (LMICs) ● Be able to articulate the case for the development of local innovation ecosystems to develop fit-for-purpose solutions to local challenges. S4. Managing Teams in global health organisations Case study: Rural Health Care Foundation ● Team building and team management in unstable and multicultural contexts; Lifelong Learning, career planning and professional development. ● COVID-19 pandemic as turning point for human resources and team management. ● Assessing personnel needs and recruiting personnel. ● Screening personnel and deciding compensation issues. S5 & S6. Entrepreneurship and Innovation I & II Case study: Narayana Health ● Acquire innovation and social business concepts. ● Apply entrepreneurship tools like the Business Model Canvas to Global Health interventions. ● Analyse business model innovation. S7. Introduction to marketing communications in non-profits Case study: Rural Health Care Foundation ● Adopt effective communication and fundraising tools to promote and sustain global health initiatives ● Change attitudes, or change behaviours? Our objectives in communications ● Left brain, right brain: impact, and human stories o Case study: Rural Health Care Foundation https://www.ruralhealthcarefoundation.com ● Building a community o Stakeholder analysis o Value Proposition o Service Matrix o Advocacy and campaigns in building community – the example of MSF ● Ethics in communications ● The AIDA model in communications ● Communication two ways: how to listen to, and learn from your audience S8. Fundraising Case study: Rural Health Care Foundation ● Who gives? Key segments in the fundraising market ● Why give? Donor motivations and giving ● Three key trends in philanthropy, and why they are important to the management of global health organisations ● Tools in Fundraising, 1: The Donate Button Case study: Rural Health Care Foundation https://www.ruralhealthcarefoundation.com ● Tools in Fundraising, 2: Prospect Value Chain ● Tools in Fundraising, 3: Value proposition and the Elevator Pitch ● Build a plan for fundraising S9. Finances I: Fundamentals: How to read financials statements ● The profit and loss statement (P&L). ● Fixed and variable costs. Depreciation. ● Operating profit (EBITDA) and the net profit. ● The balance sheet: assets and liabilities. ● Organization growth and need of funds S10. Finances II: Challenging financial risks of global health organisations Case study: Narayana Health ● Profit generation. Profitability ratio and break-even point. ● Meet financial obligations. Cash-flow, liquidity and solvency. ● Non-profit organizations financial statements. S11. Finances III: Planning and Budgeting Case Study: MALTEM: Malaria Elimination in Mozambique ● Project planning and budgeting: purposes and uses. ● Total project budget and activity budget. ● Budget direct and indirect costs (overheads) and main budget lines. ● Co-funding requirements. ● Foreign currency, exchange rates fluctuations. ● Budget tracking, reporting and auditing. S12 & 13. Project Management I – Project Design Case study: PAHO Covid-19 case project design ● Introduction to the Logical Framework Approach as a project management tool. ● Context and stakeholders’ analysis. ● Problem tree analysis and Objectives tree analysis. ● Selection of strategies of intervention. ● Logical framework structure (objectives, results, activities, indicators, sources of verification, resources and timeline). S14. Project Management II – Project Monitoring & Evaluation Case study: PAHO Covid-19 case project design ● The role of monitoring and evaluation in health and development programmes. ● Monitoring and evaluation international principles, standards and tools. ● Evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficacy, impact, sustainability); the Paris declaration on aid effectiveness. ● Identifying lessons learnt and defining capitalization approaches. S15. Presentation and Discussion Final Evaluation Assignment 1 ● RHCF Case study Assignment 1: send the assignment to coordinators the day before and presentation and discussion in class.
Methods: Synchronous face-to-face sessions (30h) including online connection with global experts in two sessions. The course includes presentations by experts, class discussions, group work and presentations. Global health management case studies and real-world management issues are used as the framework for problem solving activities, with students playing the role of managers and decision-makers. As part of the independent study and research work (25h), participants should go through essential readings and audio-visual materials prior to each session that will be discussed in class. During the course, students will work in group on a case study (20h) as the course evaluation, coached by the course coordinators. Students will submit and present assignment 1 on the case study during the last session of the course. Students will have one extra week for the completion of assignment 2.
Prerequisites: No specific prerequisites required for this course. Applicants have to provide an English language level TOEFL test 550 or 213 computer-based or 79/80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0 or equivalent. tropEd students from other tropEd institutions are assumed to comply with these language requirements.
Attendance: Minimum of 10 students. Maximum of 35 students. No limitations for tropEd students. We will confirm if the course takes place at least 4 weeks in advance.
Selection: For tropEd students: First come, first served principle
Fees: 630 € + University taxes (approx. 90 Euro)
Scholarships: N/A
Major changes since initial accreditation: The curriculum has been strategically restructured to improve session alignment, strengthen teamwork, and reflect the evolving global health management landscape. The updated syllabus places a stronger emphasis on innovation, strategic partnerships, and a holistic vision, directly addressing students feedback. Key modifications: ● Streamlined Course Alignment: The "Operations I & II" sessions were removed to ensure a more cohesive narrative. Students previously found these sessions overly technical and less connected to the core management themes. ● Innovation & Global Vision through Case Study Protagonists: The curriculum now centres on innovation through strategic partnerships, featuring the real-world leaders behind the sessions' case studies. Students engage directly with the experts behind global health challenges, including a strategy executive from Narayana Health (India) and a lead innovation expert from Ghana. ● Enhanced Practical Application: Following high student ratings, the "Project Management Design" module was expanded to two sessions. This provides more time for mentored group work and the in-depth application of management tools through case studies. ● Applied Strategic Planning: Redesigned for greater participation, this session now focuses on a "one-page strategic plan" tool to help students translate complex organizational visions into actionable results.
Student evaluation: Student Evaluation Summary: Overall Module Rating for module relevance, coordination, and student experience: 4.4 / 5 Key Strengths: ● High-Caliber Faculty: Exceptional ratings for instructors' ability to bridge academic theory with professional practice. ● Practical Frameworks: Strong appreciation for hands-on tools like the Business Model Canvas. ● Collaborative Learning: High satisfaction with the interactive sessions and peer-to-peer networking.
Lessons learned: 25. Lessons learned ● Strategy over Density: Streamlining the curriculum by removing technical sessions (such as Operations; which have been moved to pre-readings) has proved that a cohesive, strategic narrative drives higher student engagement than pure technical depth. ● Protagonist-Led Learning: Direct interaction with case study protagonists (such as experts from Ghana and India) has proven to be the most effective way to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world execution. ● Mentorship as a Quality Driver: Dedicated time for mentored group work is essential and is integrated throughout the sessions. Expanding the Project Management module ensures students can accurately apply complex tools with expert guidance. ● Actionable Frameworks: Students favour high-impact, simplified tools like the business model canvas and the one-page strategic plan over dense documentation, as these allows them to efficiently translate broad visions into clear, actionable results.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in June 2016, Heidelberg (Germany; Re-accredited Online GA Feb 2021; Re-accredited Online GA Jan. 2026. This accreditation is valid until Jan. 2031
Email Address:	nuria.casamitjana@isglobal.org
Date Of Record Creation:	2016-06-07 18:51:45 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2016-06-07 23:04:39 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2021-03-02 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2026-02-27 11:55:42 (W3C-DTF)