Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali

Programme Overview

Health systems across sub-Saharan Africa are transitioning from input-based historical budgeting towards strategic purchasing and performance-based financing mechanisms.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ This four-day professional programme in Kigali equips health sector leaders to direct public and external resources towards measurable population health outcomes. Participants examine how purchasing agencies select, contract, and reimburse healthcare providers using contemporary financial levers. The curriculum focuses on harmonising government resource allocations with international financing instruments to enhance efficiency, reduce duplicate funding, and ensure equitable service access across primary and secondary healthcare levels.

Delegates undertake detailed technical analyses of essential health benefit package design, health service costing, and provider payment methods, including capitation, case-based payments, and blended tariffs. The course examines practical verification workflows required for results-based financing schemes, assessing how independent reviews, community checks, and counter-verification audits maintain programme credibility. By evaluating real-world institutional arrangements, officials identify actionable pathways to reduce fragmentation across public funding streams and modernise institutional purchasing capacities in line with universal health coverage goals.

Hosted in Kigali, this practical programme leverages Rwanda's operational experience in community-based health insurance, decentralised provider payments, and performance-based healthcare funding. Training sessions blend regulatory design, financial management, and institutional governance to prepare planning executives for modern health sector delivery. Participants exit the workshop with concrete strategies to align domestic health budgets, modernise public procurement of clinical services, and successfully administer multi-tiered disbursement frameworks backed by multi-partner development portfolios.

Public healthcare systems face tightening fiscal constraints alongside rising disease burdens, rendering passive, input-based financing models unsustainable.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Operationalising complex investment operations such as the SPARK-Health project requires ministries of health and social protection agencies to execute rigorous purchasing reforms, link financial disbursements to verified clinical results, and avoid parallel administrative structures. By institutionalising strategic purchasing mechanisms and output-based verification workflows now, governments protect scarce public budgets, satisfy multilateral disbursement conditions, and ensure health facilities are equitably incentivised to deliver essential services to vulnerable populations.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Kigali, Rwanda, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Principles of strategic purchasing versus passive healthcare budgeting
• Defining and costing the essential health benefit package using burden of disease metrics
• Assessing fiscal space and revenue pooling across domestic and external resources
• Structuring institutional purchaser-provider splits within public healthcare architectures
• Comparative review of purchasing governance and regulatory frameworks in the African region
• Mechanics of primary care payment models: capitation design and risk equalisation
• Hospital payment models: global budgets, case-based payments, and per-diem systems
• Setting mixed payment systems to align provider incentives with clinical guidelines
• Procurement planning and market analysis
• Choosing procurement methods and approaches
• Writing specifications and terms of reference
• Bidding documents and evaluation criteria

It is designed for ministry of Health planning and budgeting directors, national health insurance fund executives and operational managers, project Implementation Unit (PIU) leaders managing SPARK-Health operations and others who want practical, current skills in procurement and contract management.

The Growing Importance of Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali

Procurement is where public money becomes roads, medicines, systems and services. Delays, weak specifications and poor contract management are among the most common reasons projects fall behind or fail their audits.

Financiers and governments now expect value for money, fair competition and well-documented decisions at every stage, from planning to contract completion. Teams who manage the full cycle well deliver faster and with fewer complaints.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Plan procurement that matches project needs and timelines
• Prepare clear specifications and evaluation criteria
• Evaluate bids consistently and defend the decision
• Manage contracts, variations and performance
• Keep complete records for audit and review

Strong procurement and contract management systems help organisations:

• Reduce procurement delays and failed tenders
• Achieve value for money
• Lower the risk of complaints and audit findings
• Deliver contracts on time and to quality

This Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Ministry of Health planning and budgeting directors
• National health insurance fund executives and operational managers
• Project Implementation Unit (PIU) leaders managing SPARK-Health operations
• Public health finance specialists and national health accounts teams
• Results-based financing technical unit directors and coordinators
• Internal and external health verification officers and auditors
• Ministry of Economy and Finance health sector desk officers
• Decentralised health authority directors and regional medical officers
• Universal health coverage steering committee technical members
• Procurement officers and managers
• Contract managers and administrators
• Project and programme managers

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training, participants will be able to:

• Analyse national health benefit packages to identify cost-effective clinical and preventive priorities
• Appraise provider payment mechanisms including capitation, diagnostic-related groups, and fee-for-service tariffs
• Design rigorous output-based verification protocols to prevent fraud and validate service delivery quantities
• Structure blended financing frameworks that link national treasury budgets with donor-financed performance incentives
• Establish institutional contracting arrangements between public purchasers and autonomous healthcare facilities
• Implement governance mechanisms that protect strategic purchasing agencies from political and financial capture
• Formulate an institutional transition roadmap to phase out passive budgeting in favour of results-oriented purchasing
• Explain the procurement cycle and the rules that apply to it
• Prepare a procurement plan linked to project timelines
• Choose a suitable method and approach to the market

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training Methodology

The training is delivered through practical, applied professional adult learning approaches.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Participants examine technical case studies, engage in financial simulation exercises using national health accounts frameworks, and critique operational purchasing documents. Plenary lectures introduce core concepts, which are immediately applied in facilitated working groups dedicated to drafting country-specific verification protocols, contracting templates, and payment formulas. Peer learning sessions enable delegates to evaluate institutional approaches directly against comparative regional experiences.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training, participants will be able to:

• Mastery of provider payment mechanics to incentivise clinical quality and cost containment
• Capability to evaluate and revise national essential health benefit packages based on fiscal realities
• Competence in designing multi-level verification workflows for output-based public disbursements
• Ability to align donor project implementation rules with country public financial management laws
• Preparedness to manage contractual purchaser-provider relationships across facility tiers
• Acquisition of an actionable transition plan to scale strategic purchasing within national programmes
• Plan procurement that fits project needs and timelines
• Prepare clear specifications and evaluation criteria

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Procurement planning and strategy
• Evaluation practice
• Contract management
• Complaint handling
• Procurement records and audit readiness

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Procurement plans and timelines
• Specifications and evaluation criteria
• Evaluation reports
• Contract monitoring
• Variation and claims management

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply procurement and contract management within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in procurement and contract management increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on procurement and contract management. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to procurement and contract management that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Kigali, Rwanda brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how procurement and contract management is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Rwanda

Programmes, Workshops, Exposures, Training Courses in Kigali, Rwanda by Risalat Consultants International

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Readiness Assessment
• Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali Training Manual
• Procurement Plan Template
• Bid Evaluation Scoring Sheet
• Contract Management Plan Template
• Variation and Claims Register
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Procurement Records Checklist
• Contract Performance Tracker
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions plan procurement that matches project needs and timelines?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Strategic Purchasing Foundations and Health Benefit Package Design), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions prepare clear specifications and evaluation criteria?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Provider Payment Mechanisms and Tariff Setting), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions evaluate bids consistently and defend the decision?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Results-Based Financing and Verification Workflows), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions manage contracts, variations and performance?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Budget Harmonisation, Contracting, and Institutional Transition), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions keep complete records for audit and review?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Strategic Purchasing Foundations and Health Benefit Package Design), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Strategic Purchasing and Results-Based Financing in Healthcare in Kigali programme take place?

It runs from 19 Apr 2027 to 22 Apr 2027, in Kigali, Rwanda. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for ministry of Health planning and budgeting directors, national health insurance fund executives and operational managers, project Implementation Unit (PIU) leaders managing SPARK-Health operations, public health finance specialists and national health accounts teams, and others who want practical skills in procurement and contract management.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in procurement and contract management?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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