Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Governance and Financial Leadership

Course Description

This course will provide a foundation in governance and accountability, key financial concepts (e.g. budgeting, costing), financial reporting, and enterprise risk and control frameworks. Consequently, this course also covers best practice financial management concepts that are fundamental to organizational leadership. Students will apply their knowledge and understanding of concepts to review governance and accountability for strong financial stewardship, financial documents and statements, conduct basic financial analyses, identify risks, and learn how to resolve performance issues. This course will be pivotal in training DrPH students to be comfortable with financial analysis concepts for decision-making and be able to successfully lead organizations through the lens of governance, accountability and transparency.

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is to equip DrPH students with the ability to understand and develop confidence with governance and financial stewardship, recognizing that being a leader in public health includes being accountable to both the financial and operational aspects of an organization.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

1. Understand the role and functions of governance, as well as directors’ fiduciary responsibilities and liabilities in organizational leadership;
2. Distinguish between the roles and responsibilities of governance and management;
3. Understand governance structures and processes;
4. Assess what constitutes effective governance and leadership;
5. Identify, assess, and prioritize enterprise risk;
6. Critically analyze enterprise risk and internal controls to anticipate and mitigate common financial and organizational risks;
7. Understand management’s accountability for transparency and accurate financial reporting to various stakeholders, including the public, government, Board, and other internal and external stakeholders;
8. Analyze and assess organizational financial statements and reports, budget templates, standard costing approaches, and business plans;
9. Identify opportunities within organizations to improve financial controls, transparency and accountability.

Methods of Assessment

Analysis of Governance Structure and Functions	15%
Individual case study presentation on Corporate Risk	10%
Financial Performance Analysis	25%
Enterprise Risk Assessment: Group oral presentation	20%
Enterprise Risk Assessment: Group paper	25%
Participation	5%