Assessment of Management Competency Among Senior Hospital Managers in Nepalese Public Hospitals: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Health managers often assume leadership roles with limited formal training. Health managers face ongoing constraints in accessing continuous professional development opportunities related to management competency throughout their careers. The management competency of health service managers is crucial since they perform wide-ranging complex tasks including financial oversight, workforce management, and governance for patient safety. It is thus essential to identify and assess heath managers’ current competency levels to understand the development needs and plans for both organisational and system level capacity building strategies. A review of literature revealed a lack of studies specifically focused on assessing the competency of senior hospital managers in central level public hospitals in Nepal. While two studies were identified that examined managerial competency, the scope was limited to general hospital managers across all types of hospitals, without distinguishing senior leadership roles or central level hospitals. The two studies provided useful information but are limited because they were conducted prior to the federal democratic republic system in Nepal. With subsequent changes in the Nepalese health system, it is important to understand what the current level of management competency is for senior hospital managers in Nepal. Therefore, a quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted utilising the Management Competency Assessment Partnership (MCAP) self-assessment tool to measure the current competency level and identify the competency gaps. The study highlights competency gaps among senior hospital managers in areas such as resource management, evidence-based decision making, knowledge on healthcare environment, political acumen, and transition management. A sustained investment in competency building and development will enable senior hospital managers to negotiate the challenges of contemporary hospital systems with greater confidence and competency. Such development approaches ultimately contribute to the long-term success and sustainability of Nepalese hospital management and healthcare settings.