Municipal Health Management

THE COURSE

The course in Municipal Health Management, developed in partnership with the Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses (ANMP), aims to equip participants with critical knowledge and skills regarding the role and responsibilities of municipal bodies in the process of health-related competence decentralization.

The first edition of this course combines a practical approach with a strong theoretical component, aiming to contribute to the development of local solutions for building a healthier future. It features a distinguished panel of renowned health sector experts and is intended for those who aspire to lead health transformation at the local level with technical expertise, strategic vision, and innovation.

Participants will have the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that enable them to tackle emerging challenges in the health sector, learning to manage competencies transferred to municipal bodies and promote the well-being of communities.

OBJECTIVES

The course aims to develop competencies to:

• Understand the framework and specifics of the health sector.
• Learn about national and international best practices and experiences related to the integration of care and the municipalization of health.
• Understand the main concepts and challenges of public health and how to apply them in creating healthier communities.
• Identify opportunities in innovation, sustainability, and change management in areas where competencies have been transferred to local municipalities.
• Design, develop, and manage strategic partnerships to promote health and well-being for local populations.
• Identify the potential of digital transition for the development of intersectoral and proximity responses.

BENEFITS

The main benefits of this course include:

• The course prepares participants to lead multidisciplinary teams, develop critical thinking, and manage local projects that have a positive impact not only on the efficient management of locally available resources but also on the well-being of the population.
• The program allows students to specialize in emerging areas of health management, such as territorial planning, health promotion, care integration, strategic planning, facilities and equipment, digital health, and project management, aligning training with global trends and the needs of the population.
• A program strongly based on practical methodologies and real-life cases from the health sector, enabling participants to apply newly acquired knowledge immediately within their professional activities;
• Learning from esteemed professors at NOVA NSPH, experts in their fields, while interacting directly with a diverse group of experienced professionals in the health sector, facilitating high-level networking and real-world insights into industry dynamics.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The Municipal Health Management Course is designed for professionals who currently hold, or aspire to hold, responsibilities in local health management.

Ideal participants include:

• Elected officials (mayors and local government representatives) who lead municipal bodies or inter-municipal entities and wish to deepen local responses in the health sector.
• Managers or municipal leaders directly involved in the management of newly transferred health competencies.
• Municipal professionals interested in better understanding the Portuguese health system, particularly the SNS.
• Local health unit professionals looking to improve collaboration with local authorities.
• Consultants and specialists who work with municipalities or other public sector entities and seek to deepen their knowledge in health management.
• Academics and researchers aiming to acquire or advance skills in health policy and decentralization.
• Entrepreneurs and innovators from start-ups or health innovation projects interested in more efficient and strategic project management.
• Health companies and organizations that work with local authorities or health entities and require insights into the health sector and competence decentralization.

PARTNERSHIPS

The course in Municipal Health Management is developed by NOVA NSPH in partnership with the Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses (ANMP).

COORDINATION

Ricardo Mestre

PROGRAM CONTENT

The Municipal Health Management Course combines theoretical, theoretical-practical classes, and 6 seminars with national and international experts. It is organized into 3 blocks covering the following program content:

1. Health Policies and Systems
   • Characteristics and challenges of health systems
   • Organization and functioning of the National Health Service (SNS)
   • Local government and municipal management
   • Transfer of health-related competencies
   • Care integration
   • Seminars
2. Public Health and Well-being
   • Fundamentals of Public Health
   • Epidemiological surveillance
   • Health promotion
   • Emerging challenges
   • Seminars
3. Health Organization Management
   • Strategic planning and management
   • Decentralization funding
   • Health literacy and behavioral change
   • Health project management
   • Digital health
   • Seminars

The course is organized according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), allowing students to earn 8 ECTS credits upon completion of the final assessment (individual assignment).

METHODOLOGIES

The objective of the course in Municipal Health Management is to share knowledge about the role of municipalities in Portugal's health sector, serving as a foundation to encourage critical thinking among participants.

The theoretical and theoretical-practical classes are designed to ensure coverage of the essential program content, in order to meet the full learning objectives.

Thematic seminars aim to deepen knowledge on the most relevant and innovative topics, allowing for the sharing of best practices and direct contact with national and international experts with recognized practical and/or academic experience in the subject matter of the session.

Student participation is encouraged through opportunities for questioning and structured debate, enriching the classes with critical reflection and a pluralistic analysis of the program content.

Reflective exercises during the classes and seminars promote analytical, creativity, synthesis, and oral communication skills. The goal is to stimulate interaction between students and between students and lecturers, fostering critical reflection and appropriation of the taught content.

The final individual assignment trains skills in bibliographic research, thematic review, critical reflection, creativity, and written communication. By completing the final assessment, students have the opportunity to freely explore any of the course content, relating it to their academic and/or professional interests, thus increasing the personal meaning of their achievement.

The Moodle platform will be used to provide all support resources to students, as well as for submitting assessment assignments.

duration

The Municipal Health Management Course will last approximately 4 months, with a weekly contact average of 6 hours, in addition to the autonomous work of each student, totaling 8 ECTS.

The course will take place from March to June 2025, following this schedule:

• Fridays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM.

The course will have a total of 212 hours of work, distributed between 66 hours of direct contact with the instructor and 146 hours of autonomous student work. It will be held in a blended learning format, with 63.4% of the direct contact hours in-person and 36.6% online, always in a synchronous format.

The thematic seminars will always be in-person and will take place at ENSP NOVA's facilities, located on Avenida Padre Cruz in Lisbon. Exceptionally, some seminars may be decentralized to other areas of the country.

Faculty NOVA NSPH

Ricardo Mestre Coordinator

Lecturers

André Alves | Andreia Leite | Cláudia Almeida | José Telles

Presentation by the Local Authorities on national and international best practices.

Application Period: until February 14, 2025

Course Start Date: March 7, 2025

For more information, please consult the official announcement [available here soon].
To apply, visit the application portal [here].

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree (submission of degree certificate required);
• Fluency in Portuguese and understanding of English.

Required Documents:

• Identification document and tax identification;
• Authenticated copy of academic degree certificate(s) with final grade and ECTS credits;
• Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages);
• Motivation letter for the postgraduate course (maximum 1 page).

INVESTMENT

Application Fee (non-refundable): €51

Tuition: €3.500

(Additional fees for school insurance and other charges as per the Fee Schedule approved by Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and published in the Diário da República)

Payment Options:

A. Full payment at enrollment (5% discount applied)

B. €2,000 at enrollment, €1,500 by March 2025

Members of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) receive a 10% discount on total tuition fees.

Academic Services academicos@ensp.unl.pt

Course Secretariat Helena Matos, helena.matos@ensp.unl.pt

Communication and Marketing Office: gcimagem@ensp.unl.pt