July 2026

Fifteen senior health managers from hospitals and Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) across Papua New Guinea completed a Data-Centered Leadership course on the use of data for strategic decision-making and the creation of a data use culture. Structured data use processes improve planning, performance monitoring, and accountability within a workplace.

The course was part of the Health Executive Leadership Development Program, run by the University of Papua New Guinea under the Asian Development Bank-supported Health Services Sector Development Program. It equipped participants with the practical skills to identify priority indicators, analyze and interpret data, and implement data use improvement initiatives.

The health managers presented ten projects to PHA leadership, and eight projects have been successfully implemented. A core feature of the program was the improvement of workplace-based data use, while also addressing a range of critical health system priorities, including

·      Developing a hospital key performance indicator dashboard for surgical divisions at Port Moresby General Hospital

·      Launching a finance management dashboard for Gerehu Hospital

·      Developing a new system to track improvements in health facility deliveries by pregnant women in Vanimo-Green River District

·      Strengthening the HR Performance Appraisal System in East Sepik Province

·      Establishing a Data Quality Governance System to improve medical records management in Tari Hospital

Now that the projects have been implemented, participants will turn to institutionalizing these approaches within routine health system operations. They will advocate for dedicated resources to sustain and scale data-driven decision-making across their organizations. When leadership development is combined with practical application, the transition from data collection to data-informed action accelerates.