A self-assessment guide for readiness to govern

Purpose This viewpoint introduces a “Readiness Self-Assessment Guide” that can be used as a diagnostic tool to help health service governors and managers, particularly in Low-Middle Income Countries, or those in the early stages of developing their governance program. Design/methodology/approach The approach uses the conceptual framework for governance developed by Barbazza and Tello (2014). Findings The Guide is based on five foundational elements or components of governance that frame the actual governance activities. The self-assessment process uses a sequence of real-world examples to help users of the Guide assess their organization’s “readiness” or current capacity to strengthen quality. A simple scoring process allows users to rate their organization’s progress through potential evolutionary steps. The resulting analysis is intended to be the starting point of a structured discussion among team members about priorities, enabling factors and constraints. Practical implications Assessment of the institutional context is a fundamental step that will enable quality teams to select the appropriate tools for their priority concerns. This Readiness Self-Assessment Guide can be used as part of that diagnostic assessment. Originality/value This paper is empirically derived from the author’s experience as a consultant helping health service organizations and governing authorities to develop health governance programs in several countries.