5 KEY BENEFITS
The 5 key benefits of the programme are:
Develop essential skills
L4UHC develops the personal and collective leadership skills needed to broker consensus and gain political commitment for change. A key part of this is learning how to mobilise others through listening, dialogue and advocacy. Indeed, good communication is not only essential for building coalitions for change but also for resolving the inevitable conflicts and obstacles along the way. It is also critical for making better decisions: taking the time to listen to others, to see things from their perspective, and to avoid knee-jerk decisions.
Learn from other countries
Teams from different countries work together, share experiences, and visit ‘host’ countries that have developed UHC. The emphasis is on learning from both the successes and failures of other countries. One of the striking features of the programme is that participants often gain more from identifying weaknesses in other countries’ approaches than from spotting initiatives that they want to imitate. These insights are particularly powerful when participants visit health facilities in the host country and see the practical realities first-hand with the benefit of being outside the system.
Build teams for change
We help participants from different fields, such as health and finance, form coalitions for collective action in their home countries. There are well-known steps for creating an an effective team, such as setting clear, mutually agreed goals and indicators, but one of the most important is co-creation. A significant amount of time is spent on this, particularly when deciding on collective action initiatives, so that all team members input into the process, feel comfortable that the final decision is contextually right and do-able, and have a shared sense of ownership. We break this co-creation process down into manageable pieces, and make it as enjoyable as possible – another key ingredient for success.
Develop initiatives in your country
One of the key features of the programme is that each team develops and implements a practical, UHC initiative in their country. Each team focuses on a specific problem in their country that is slowing UHC progress. A Rapid Results Approach is then used to map out a plan for quickly addressing the problem, typically within 100 days, with clear short- and medium-term outputs and, crucially, measurable outcomes.
Enjoy ongoing support
After the programme ends, our development partners in your country can provide technical and financial support to help you make greater progress. In each country, we have L4UHC focal points to help you identify and mobilise the necessary support, building on the existing support that you are receiving for your current programme.