Speaking to the newspaper PÚBLICO, on 11/11/22, the current CEO of the National Health Service (SNS) stated that “it is necessary to invest in the careful selection of directors-general, selecting the most qualified, in a transparent way.” method, and non-politicization.”
On 17 August 2023, the government delegated full powers to the DE-SNS in appointing the administrative bodies of the SNS units, specifically in the 31 new Local Health Units (ULS), a process so far within the decision-making scope of the Ministry. Health and the Ministry of Finance.
The Minister of Health himself, Manuel Pizarro, has defended that one of the tasks of DE-SNS is to ensure “the selection of people with proven skills and unambiguous abilities to fill managerial and leadership positions.”
With this action, the government supposedly wanted to take an important step in strengthening the strategic management of the National Security Service by abolishing the governmentalization of the process of appointing directors of institutions, which had been in effect for decades.
Criticisms of the leadership selection model for public administration followed by the Commission on Recruitment and Selection for Public Administration (CRESAP) are many and come from several fronts. Indeed, the current government has recognized the need to make changes to the status of directors.
We all believed that this time, waiting for such a proposal to make changes to the selection of SNS leaders and the role of CRESAP itself, the DE-SNS would open the possibility of starting a new cycle of leadership capable of fueling strategy-centered change management, creating conditions to attract the most outstanding managers.
It is urgent to put an end to the frequent use of appointment of directors on the basis of replacement, which continues in perpetuity, put an end to individual selection of collective bodies, introduce team selection, attract the best to come forward and make it impossible to renew three-year terms without any public evaluation.
In short, we believed that DE-SNS would transparently, impartially, rigorously and independently ensure the recruitment and selection of candidates for positions on the ULS Boards of Directors, and evaluate the merit of candidates for the new 31 ULS Director Generals.
The first surprise. No one was aware of the propaganda of the selection process, not at CRESAP, let alone DE-SNS. You browse their page and you won't find anything about how to process an individual or group application for USL management positions!
It was then thought that the methodology used would be a personal invitation to conduct the best and most structured interviews with an analysis of a three-year strategic plan with a proposal to the working group. We searched for more information about this selection process and found nothing, although DE-SNS stated several times that “leadership is key to changing the paradigm.”
We continued the search, and on 1/4/2024, the first appointments for members of the boards of directors of 13 new ULS companies appeared, and on the 15th day, five more new ULS companies, which share this announced qualitative shift: renewal of the exercise of the duties of the ULS company, chairmen of the board of directors and other members, of whom the majority The majority of them had been in office for more than three years and proceeded with the mandatory appointment of the remaining members, a Clinical Director for the Primary Health Care District as well and by great coincidence most of those selected were the same doctors who had served as Chairs of the Clinical and Health Council of the extinct Health Center Clusters (ACES)!
In short, these appointments repeat the mistakes of the past, renewing three-year terms without any public evaluation and without any publication of a letter of commitment for the next three years.
Finally, we searched for, but also did not find, information about the Future Health Leadership Academy to support the development of transformational leadership skills among members of ULS agencies, hospitals and health centers that create the conditions for strengthening leadership and management capabilities in complex environments and situations. Collaborative work, research, innovation, valuing people, communicating and improving processes and outcomes in the provision of health care are consistent with effective public administration.
During an election, taking a quick look back at a lost year is tempting, and perhaps even necessary, to begin a new cycle of hope.
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