Mogadishu, Somalia   | +252 617 596 220
Executive Micro-Credentials & Short Courses (2–3 Weeks)

Executive Micro-Credentials & Short Courses (2–3 Weeks)

Programme Guide

Download the Complete Prospectus

Get the full programme details, curriculum, admission requirements, and certification information in one PDF.

Executive Micro-Credentials & Short Courses

Practical Learning for Healthcare Leaders and Working Professionals

RIYAADA Institute for Leadership & Governance offers an intensive range of Executive Micro-Credentials and Short Courses designed for healthcare professionals, managers, public-sector leaders, NGO professionals, and other working professionals seeking focused, practical upskilling.

These programs are designed around real-world healthcare and leadership challenges. Each course runs for 2–3 weeks, typically requiring 20–30 hours of learning, combining expert instruction, practical exercises, simulations, reflective learning, and a substantive capstone project.

Program Features

  • Duration: 2–3 weeks
  • Learning Hours: Approximately 20–30 hours
  • Format: Intensive, practice-oriented learning
  • Target Group: Working professionals and healthcare leaders
  • Assessment: Applied assignments, simulations, reflection, and capstone projects
  • Credential: Digital badge and verifiable certificate

Standard Assessment Framework

Each Executive Micro-Credential follows a practical assessment model designed to measure both knowledge and the ability to apply learning in professional settings.

Assessment Component Weight
Participation & Reflective Practice 20%
Applied Assignment(s) 25%
Project / Simulation 25%
Capstone Project 30%
Total 100%

The emphasis is on application, professional judgment, problem-solving, and measurable outputs rather than examinations alone.


Executive Micro-Credential Courses

EXL-701 — Health Leadership in Fragile Settings

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This intensive course develops leadership capabilities for healthcare professionals working in fragile, complex, and resource-constrained environments.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Foundations & Diagnostics
Leadership foundations, contextual analysis, stakeholder assessment, and identification of priority challenges.

Week 2 — Tooling & Design Labs
Practical leadership tools, decision-making frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and action-plan development.

Week 3 — Implementation Clinic & Capstone
Application of leadership tools to real-world challenges and preparation of an executive action plan.

Capstone

Executive Action Plan + First-Week Implementation Moves


EXG-702 — Governance & Accountability

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course focuses on practical governance structures, accountability mechanisms, performance monitoring, transparency, and organizational oversight.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Frameworks & Roles
Governance principles, organizational roles, decision rights, and accountability structures.

Week 2 — Dashboards & Risk
Performance indicators, governance dashboards, risk identification, and monitoring systems.

Week 3 — Public Reporting, Audit & Evaluation
Transparency, reporting, audit readiness, and evaluation mechanisms.

Capstone

Governance Pack


EXD-703 — Data for Decision-Making: DHIS2 & Analytics

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course develops practical skills in using health information and analytics to support evidence-based management and decision-making.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Indicator Logic & Data Dictionary
Health indicators, indicator definitions, data structures, and data dictionaries.

Week 2 — Data Quality & Dashboard Prototype
Data-quality checks, validation, analysis, and dashboard development.

Week 3 — Review Huddles & Action Memo
Using data for management discussions, performance reviews, and decision-making.

Capstone

Live Dashboard + Decision Memo


EXP-704 — Project & Grants Management

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course provides practical tools for designing, managing, monitoring, and reporting healthcare and development projects funded through grants and external financing.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Logframe & Work Breakdown Structure
Project logic, objectives, outputs, activities, indicators, and work breakdown structures.

Week 2 — Scheduling, Budgeting & Procurement Integrity
Project schedules, budgets, procurement planning, and compliance.

Week 3 — Risk, MEL & Project Pack
Risk management, monitoring and evaluation, learning systems, and project documentation.

Capstone

Fundable Project Pack + MEL Plan


EXE-705 — Emergency & Trauma Leadership

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This intensive course prepares healthcare leaders to coordinate emergency response, incident management, surge operations, and post-incident learning.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — ICS/EOC Fundamentals
Incident Command Systems, Emergency Operations Centers, roles, responsibilities, and coordination.

Week 2 — Hazards & Incident Action Planning
Hazard analysis, preparedness, response planning, and Incident Action Plan development.

Week 3 — Triage, Surge, Logistics & AAR
Mass-casualty response, surge management, logistics, and after-action review.

Capstone

Incident Action Plan + After-Action Review


EXQ-706 — Quality Improvement & Patient Safety

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course equips healthcare professionals with practical approaches to quality improvement, patient safety, incident analysis, and sustainable improvement.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Safety Culture & Root Cause Analysis
Safety culture, incident learning, and Root Cause Analysis.

Week 2 — Indicators & Improvement Sprint Design
Quality indicators, measurement, PDSA cycles, and improvement-sprint planning.

Week 3 — Implementation & Sustainment
Implementation strategies, monitoring, sustainability, and improvement review.

Capstone

Quality Improvement Sprint Results Brief


EXC-707 — Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving

Duration: 2 Weeks | Approximately 20 Hours

This focused program develops structured reasoning, analytical thinking, evidence appraisal, and professional decision-making skills.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Structured Reasoning & Debiasing
Problem definition, structured reasoning, cognitive biases, and analytical frameworks.

Week 2 — Evidence Appraisal & Decision Memo
Evaluating evidence, comparing options, and developing defensible decisions.

Capstone

Decision Memo + Defense


EXF-708 — Crisis Management & Strategic Foresight

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course develops the ability to anticipate emerging risks, prepare crisis-response systems, communicate during uncertainty, and make decisions under pressure.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Foresight & Risk Radar
Emerging risks, scenario thinking, early-warning signals, and risk mapping.

Week 2 — Playbook & Communication Protocols
Crisis-response playbooks, communication structures, and escalation protocols.

Week 3 — Decision Cell Simulation & AAR
Crisis decision-making simulation followed by structured after-action learning.

Capstone

Crisis Playbook + Improvement Backlog


EXS-709 — Strategic Management & Planning

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This program helps leaders translate organizational strategy into measurable priorities, resource decisions, operational plans, and performance reviews.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Strategy Map & OKRs
Strategic objectives, outcomes, indicators, and OKRs.

Week 2 — Portfolio Choices & Resources
Prioritization, resource allocation, and strategic portfolio management.

Week 3 — Operating Model & QBR
Operating models, performance reviews, and Quarterly Business Reviews.

Capstone

Strategy Dashboard + QBR Presentation


EXP-710 — Policy Design & Planning

Duration: 2 Weeks | Approximately 20 Hours

This course develops practical skills for designing evidence-informed policies and translating policy priorities into implementable plans.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Theory of Change & Political Economy
Problem analysis, stakeholder interests, theory of change, and policy context.

Week 2 — Instrument Design, KPIs & Planning
Policy options, implementation instruments, indicators, and action planning.

Capstone

Policy Options Paper + Implementation Plan


EXH-711 — Social & Population Development

Duration: 2 Weeks | Approximately 20 Hours

This course examines population needs, equity, vulnerability, service-delivery systems, and measurable development outcomes.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Equity & Vulnerability Diagnostics
Population needs, vulnerability, equity analysis, and priority-setting.

Week 2 — Delivery Systems & Outcomes
Service-delivery approaches, outcomes, indicators, and program design.

Capstone

Program Concept + Results Framework


EXD-712 — Demographic Studies for Health Policy

Duration: 2 Weeks | Approximately 20 Hours

This course introduces practical demographic analysis for healthcare planning and evidence-informed policy development.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Indicators & Projections
Population indicators, demographic trends, and projections.

Week 2 — Implications & Policy Briefing
Translating demographic evidence into healthcare and policy implications.

Capstone

Demography-to-Policy Brief


EXL-713 — Educational Leadership in Health Sciences

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course develops leadership and quality-assurance capabilities for educators, academic managers, and health-sciences institutions.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum structure, competency mapping, and alignment.

Week 2 — Assessment & Rubrics
Assessment design, evaluation methods, and rubric development.

Week 3 — Quality Assurance & Accreditation
Quality systems, accreditation readiness, and institutional improvement.

Capstone

Mini Self-Study + Institutional Improvement Plan


EXR-714 — Executive R&D for Health Systems

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course develops practical research and innovation skills for health-system leaders who need to generate evidence that informs policy and management decisions.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Question Design & Scope
Research questions, problem framing, scope, and objectives.

Week 2 — Methods & Data Governance
Research methods, data management, ethics, and data governance.

Week 3 — Translational Products & Impact Planning
Turning research findings into practical policy and management products.

Capstone

Policy-Oriented Research Brief


EXG-715 — Governance Development

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course focuses on strengthening governance systems, decision-making structures, transparency, accountability, and organizational performance.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Diagnostics & Design
Governance assessment, organizational diagnosis, and system design.

Week 2 — Decision Rights & Governance Cadence
Decision-making authority, committees, reporting, and review mechanisms.

Week 3 — Transparency, Audit & Coaching
Transparency, audit mechanisms, leadership coaching, and continuous improvement.

Capstone

Governance Operating Manual


EXU-716 — Sustainability Management

Duration: 3 Weeks | Approximately 30 Hours

This course develops practical approaches to sustainability, operational efficiency, resource optimization, and environmentally responsible healthcare management.

Delivery Structure

Week 1 — Baselines & Audits
Sustainability baselines, organizational audits, and performance assessment.

Week 2 — Efficiency & ROI
Resource efficiency, cost optimization, return on investment, and improvement opportunities.

Week 3 — Green Procurement & Dashboards
Sustainable procurement, environmental indicators, and performance dashboards.

Capstone

Sustainability Dashboard + Action Plan


Academic Policies & Safeguards

RIYAADA Institute for Leadership & Governance maintains academic and professional standards designed to protect learners, faculty, partners, and communities.

Academic Integrity

RIYAADA applies a strong academic-integrity framework that includes:

  • Zero tolerance for plagiarism
  • Honor-code expectations
  • Similarity screening
  • Ethical academic conduct

Ethics & Safeguarding

All relevant fieldwork and applied learning activities follow appropriate safeguarding and ethical standards, including:

  • Adverse-event reporting
  • Data-protection requirements
  • Informed-consent principles
  • Responsible handling of participant and institutional information

Accessibility

Where required, the Institute supports:

  • Reasonable accommodations
  • Offline learning packs
  • Appropriate language support
  • Flexible access to learning materials

Remediation

Learners requiring additional support may receive:

  • Targeted learning clinics
  • Mentored resubmission
  • Improvement plans
  • Focused academic support

Recognition of Prior Learning

RIYAADA may recognize relevant prior learning through a portfolio-based Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process where evidence and competencies can be appropriately verified.

Faculty-to-Learner Ratios

To support practical and interactive learning:

  • Seminars: up to 1:25
  • Labs: up to 1:15
  • Simulations: up to 1:12

Capstones, Products & Credentialing

Every Executive Micro-Credential is designed around a substantive professional capstone.

Rather than completing the course with theory alone, participants produce a practical output that can be adapted to their workplace.

Examples include:

  • Executive action plans
  • Governance packages
  • Data dashboards
  • Project management plans
  • Incident Action Plans
  • Quality-improvement sprint reports
  • Policy options papers
  • Crisis playbooks
  • Sustainability dashboards
  • Research briefs

Micro-Credential

Successful participants receive:

Digital Badge + Verifiable Certificate

Professional Track Certificates

Participants may combine 3–4 related micro-credentials into a Professional Track Certificate.

Example tracks may include:

  • EOC & Health Security
  • Hospital Quality Leadership
  • Data-Driven Management
  • Healthcare Governance & Leadership
  • Strategic Health Management

This approach allows working professionals to build targeted competencies progressively while maintaining flexibility around professional responsibilities.


Program-Level Monitoring & Evaluation

RIYAADA uses program-level performance indicators to monitor learning quality, completion, application, and longer-term impact.

Key Performance Indicators

  • Completion Rate: ≥ 85%
  • On-Time Deliverables: ≥ 80%
  • Learning Gains: ≥ 20% improvement from pre- to post-assessment
  • Applied Implementation: ≥ 70% of capstones targeted for adoption in host institutions
  • Participant Equity: ≥ 40% women participants, with rural representation tracked
  • Participant Satisfaction: ≥ 4.3/5 average
  • Post-Training Performance: 6–12 month tracer studies with supervisor verification

These measures support continuous improvement of curriculum, teaching, learner support, and institutional impact.


Implementation Roadmap

RIYAADA’s program implementation follows a structured approach to ensure quality, relevance, and sustainable delivery.

1. Mobilize

Confirm institutional partners, MoUs, delivery sites, data-access arrangements, and safeguarding approvals.

2. Prepare

Localize cases and learning materials to the operating context, including relevant health-system priorities, DHIS2 indicators, and health-security gaps.

3. Onboard

Conduct faculty orientation and bootcamps, calibrate assessment and grading, and prepare faculty for LMS and data-privacy requirements.

4. Pilot

Launch selected short courses, gather learner and faculty feedback, evaluate results, and refine course materials.

5. Scale

Implement the full course calendar, conduct quarterly governance reviews, and undertake annual external evaluation.


Partnership Framework — NOVA Institute × RIYAADA

RIYAADA Institute for Leadership & Governance and NOVA Institute can collaborate to co-develop, co-deliver, and co-accredit practice-oriented professional education for health leaders.

The partnership framework emphasizes academic quality, professional relevance, research, innovation, and practical institutional impact.

Joint Governance

Joint Steering Committee

The Joint Steering Committee meets quarterly and provides strategic oversight of:

  • Partnership strategy
  • Quality standards
  • Course calendars
  • Performance monitoring

Academic Council

The Academic Council oversees:

  • Curriculum approval
  • Syllabi
  • Assessment rubrics
  • Assessment policies
  • External moderation

Program Office

The Program Office manages day-to-day implementation, including:

  • Scheduling
  • Learning management systems
  • Student services
  • Faculty coordination
  • Safeguarding compliance

Partnership Workstreams

The collaboration may include the following workstreams:

Curriculum & Quality Assurance

Syllabi development, assessment moderation, quality reviews, and tracer studies.

Faculty Exchange & Development

Guest teaching, faculty exchange, co-mentoring, and professional development.

Research & Innovation

Practice-oriented research, policy briefs, implementation toolkits, and innovation projects.

Placements & Practicums

Partnerships with teaching hospitals, ministries, NGOs, and other health-sector institutions.

Digital Learning

Learning management systems, low-bandwidth learning packs, digital assessment, and learning analytics.


Quality, Intellectual Property & Branding

The partnership framework supports:

  • Co-branding on approved certificates
  • Joint institutional seals where authorized
  • Verifiable digital badges
  • Shared licensing arrangements for jointly developed materials
  • Protection of pre-existing intellectual property
  • Appropriate data-protection and safeguarding standards
  • Joint Data Protection Impact Assessments where required

Performance & Financial Framework

Partnership performance may be monitored through:

  • Enrollment
  • Completion
  • Capstone adoption
  • Participant satisfaction
  • Post-training outcomes
  • Tracer-study findings

Course-specific financial arrangements, including cost and revenue sharing, are established through individual course or partnership agreements.

Financial arrangements should include transparent budgeting, appropriate audit mechanisms, risk management, and periodic partnership review.

Sample MoU Areas

  • Purpose & Scope
  • Governance
  • Quality Assurance
  • Faculty
  • Intellectual Property
  • Data Protection
  • Finance
  • Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Risk Management
  • Review & Renewal

Course Code & Credit Framework

The degree-level academic curriculum includes the following courses:

Code Course Credits Maximum Weeks
HSLD-601 Healthcare Administration & Governance 3 12
HSLD-602 Leadership in Fragile & Conflict-Affected Settings 3 12
HSLD-603 Strategic Planning & Execution 3 12
HSLD-604 Health Financial Management & Budgeting 3 12
HSLD-605 Healthcare Law, Policy & Ethics 3 12
HSLD-606 Office & Operations Administration 3 12
HSLD-607 Emergency Preparedness & Response 3 12
HSLD-608 Risk Management, Quality & Patient Safety 3 12
PHSD-611 Foundations of Public Health & Social Determinants 3 12
EPBI-612 Epidemiology & Biostatistics for Decision-Making 3 12
HSSB-613 Health Systems Strengthening — Six Building Blocks 3 12
HPOL-614 Health Policy, Planning & Governance 3 12
HFUC-615 Health Financing & Universal Health Coverage in Fragile States 3 12
HOPS-616 Hospital Operations & Quality Improvement 3 12
PSCG-617 Patient Safety & Clinical Governance 2 12
EMOC-618 Emergency Preparedness, EOC & Outbreak Management 3 12
SDAT-619 Surveillance, Field Epidemiology & DHIS2 Analytics 2 12
ONEH-620 One Health — Risk, Readiness & Response 2 12
PHSC-621 Pharmaceutical Regulation & Supply Chain 2 12
RSCH-622 Research Methods, Academic Writing & Ethics 3 12

Assessment Rubrics

RUB-801 — Capstone Policy / Project Brief

100 Points

Criterion Points
Problem Clarity & Evidence 25
Options & Decision Criteria 20
Feasibility & Risk 15
Equity & Ethics 10
Implementation & KPIs 15
Communication Quality 15
Total 100

RUB-802 — Presentation / Defense

100 Points

Criterion Points
Executive Clarity 25
Analytical Rigor 25
Practicality & Alignment 20
Use of Data & Visuals 15
Q&A Handling 15
Total 100

RUB-803 — Participation & Reflection

20 Points

Criterion Points
Preparedness 5
Constructive Contributions 5
Peer Feedback Quality 5
Reflection Depth 5
Total 20

RUB-804 — Simulation Performance

100 Points

Criterion Points
Role Execution & Teamwork 30
Procedures & Safety 30
Decision Quality 20
Communication 20
Total 100

Seminar & Workshop — Health Systems Management

Up to 4 Weeks

The Health Systems Management Seminar and Workshop is an intensive professional-development program designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of Health Systems Strengthening (HSS), analytical and problem-solving capabilities, and practical management skills.

The program combines case studies, role-play, simulations, group learning, evaluation clinics, and structured remediation.

Program Objectives

Participants will:

  • Strengthen their understanding of Health Systems Strengthening frameworks.
  • Apply HSS concepts to practical healthcare challenges.
  • Develop analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
  • Practice healthcare leadership through role-play and simulation.
  • Identify learning gaps and participate in targeted remediation.
  • Translate learning into practical improvement strategies.

Program Structure

Week 1 — Foundations

Introduction to health systems management, including:

  • Core HSS concepts
  • Health-system frameworks
  • Stakeholder analysis
  • System mapping

Week 2 — Case Studies & Laboratory Sessions

Participants apply concepts to real-world and simulated cases through:

  • Case studies
  • Laboratory exercises
  • Group discussions
  • Problem-solving activities

Week 3 — Governance Scenarios

Scenario-based learning focuses on:

  • Governance challenges
  • Policy implementation
  • Leadership
  • Accountability
  • Decision-making in diverse healthcare environments

Week 4 — Evaluation Clinic & Integrated Assignment

Participants integrate their learning through:

  • Evaluation clinics
  • Applied analysis
  • Integrated assignments
  • Practical improvement planning

Assessment & Scoring

Assessment Weight
Attendance & Participation 20%
Group Case Studies 30%
Individual Assignment 20%
Final Assessment 30%
Total 100%

Expected Outputs

Participants will develop:

  1. Health Systems Map illustrating key system components and their interrelationships.
  2. Improvement Backlog identifying priority intervention areas and resource needs.
  3. 90-Day Action Brief outlining immediate, evidence-based actions to improve health-system performance.

Degree-Level Public Health & Health Systems Courses

RIYAADA’s degree-level curriculum provides foundational and advanced expertise in public health, health systems management, policy, financing, quality, emergency preparedness, data, research, and pharmaceutical systems.

PHSD-611 — Foundations of Public Health & Social Determinants

3 Credits

Introduces the foundations of public health, population health, health determinants, health equity, and community-level interventions.

EPBI-612 — Epidemiology & Biostatistics for Decision-Making

3 Credits

Develops practical skills in epidemiological reasoning, basic biostatistics, interpretation of health data, and evidence-informed decision-making.

HSSB-613 — Health Systems Strengthening: Six Building Blocks

3 Credits

Examines the major components of effective health systems and approaches to strengthening service delivery, workforce, information, medicines, financing, and governance.

HPOL-614 — Health Policy, Planning & Governance

3 Credits

Focuses on health-policy development, strategic planning, governance structures, implementation, and accountability.

HFUC-615 — Health Financing & Universal Health Coverage in Fragile States

3 Credits

Explores healthcare financing mechanisms, resource allocation, financial protection, and approaches to advancing Universal Health Coverage in fragile settings.

HOPS-616 — Hospital Operations & Quality Improvement

3 Credits

Develops practical skills in hospital operations, service improvement, workflow management, performance measurement, and quality improvement.

PSCG-617 — Patient Safety & Clinical Governance

2 Credits

Focuses on patient-safety systems, clinical governance, risk management, incident learning, and continuous quality improvement.

EMOC-618 — Emergency Preparedness, EOC & Outbreak Management

3 Credits

Develops capabilities in emergency preparedness, Emergency Operations Center coordination, outbreak response, incident management, and continuity planning.

SDAT-619 — Surveillance, Field Epidemiology & DHIS2 Analytics

2 Credits

Develops practical capabilities in health surveillance, field epidemiology, health-information systems, and DHIS2-based analysis.

ONEH-620 — One Health: Risk, Readiness & Response

2 Credits

Explores the interconnected health of people, animals, and ecosystems, with emphasis on risk assessment, preparedness, and coordinated response.

PHSC-621 — Pharmaceutical Regulation & Supply Chain

2 Credits

Examines pharmaceutical regulation, procurement, inventory management, medicine availability, supply-chain systems, and quality assurance.

RSCH-622 — Research Methods, Academic Writing & Ethics

3 Credits

Develops research-design, academic-writing, evidence-appraisal, research-ethics, and professional communication skills.


Our Applied Learning Philosophy

RIYAADA Institute for Leadership & Governance designs its programs around a simple principle:

Learning should lead to practical action.

Each course therefore emphasizes:

  • Evidence-based decision-making
  • Practical management tools
  • Case-based learning
  • Simulation and role-play
  • Reflective practice
  • Professional collaboration
  • Applied assignments
  • Workplace-ready capstone projects

Participants do not simply complete coursework. They develop practical products that can support decision-making, organizational improvement, governance, quality, emergency preparedness, and health-system performance.


Build Your Professional Capability

Whether you are seeking to strengthen your leadership skills, improve healthcare quality, manage projects and grants, use data for decision-making, lead emergency response, or develop stronger governance systems, RIYAADA’s Executive Micro-Credentials provide focused learning designed around professional practice.

Explore our courses, select the competency area that matches your professional goals, and turn learning into measurable workplace impact.

RIYAADA Institute for Leadership & Governance

Mogadishu, Somalia

Website: www.riyaadaacademy.com
Email: info@riyaadaacademy.com
Phone: +252 61 5572605

Programme Guide

Download the Complete Prospectus

Get the full programme details, curriculum, admission requirements, and certification information in one PDF.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Complete the online application form and submit the required documents.

Selected programmes may offer scholarships based on eligibility.

Yes. RIYAADA Academy provides flexible online learning opportunities.
Programmes

Open for Admission

Executive Education

Institutional Reform

Leadership Development

Online Learning