A new and distinct feature of the 2009 Senior Management Programme is an overseas executive development programme run in partnership with the Hong Kong-based Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT). The Global Leaders Programme will allow participants to link and apply the leadership skills and insights they will gain over the first two weeks of the programme to tackle a real world development challenge.

From 10th to 16th July 2009 the Global Leaders Programme will take the participants to Vietnam, one of the newly emerging economies in Southeast Asia, where economic development is taking place alongside the challenges of strengthening the social fabric. Participants will visit Thach Ha Hospital, located approximately 340 km south of Hanoi, in the Ha Tinh province near Vinh City. The hospital faces uneven delivery of water resources and lack of waste water treatment facilities, which hinders its ability to administer quality healthcare services to the local population. The problem faced by Thach Ha Hospital not only places its patients under substantial health risks, but also affects those living near the hospital, who are affected by waste water discharged from the hospital.

The aim of the Global Leaders Programme is to develop an investment proposal for the hospital to establish reliable water supplies as well as proper sanitation. The participants will work with the local government, the District People’s Committee, and Lien Aid, an NGO, to produce a business plan that will show how funding can be used to deliver and manage affordable and quality public services such as water and sanitation. The role of public-private partnerships in financing and implementing public schemes will be considered.

GIFT will facilitate the week-long on-site programme and encourage participants to use their own experience in this area as well as other market models they can find in their research. At the end of the week, participants will present their work in the form of a strategic plan at a conference organised by GIFT, which will draw a wide-ranging audience from the public and private sectors.