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A NETWORK OF LEADERS THAT GETS STRENGTHENED

April 09 2022
Mauren esquivel

Interview with Prof. Andrea Prado

Andrea Prado is an outstanding associate professor at INCAE, in the areas of organizational change and sustainable development. She received her Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from New York University's Stern School of Business. She also has a Master's degree in International Economics from the University of Essex in the UK.

Several years ago he began to get involved in health issues through various programs that the institution has in this field. That is why when the CAHI project began, she was an obligatory reference for the creation of the academic path of the CAHI Fellows and the initial development of the program.

We had the opportunity to talk with her during the second module of the 6th cohort of the CAHI Fellows Program, at the INCAE Business School headquarters in Costa Rica.

Thank you Andrea for having us. We want to start by asking you, how did her relationship with CAHI begin?

Andrea: It came about through its founder and chairman of its board of directors, Mr. Robert Jeffe, who I initially met with in New York to learn about his vision. From that first contact, a relationship arose with the Rector of INCAE, with whom we continued a sustained dialogue that produced a first strategic activity. At that time, INCAE was turning 50 years old, so we held a high-profile event in New York, in which we began to make contacts and develop conversations to create the CAHI Fellows Program.

I had less than a year back from my doctorate, with all the energy to get involved in the project, putting my experience in management, business model and sustainability there. This has continued to be my contribution over the years, and in the process I have learned a lot about the area of ​​health.

What is your vision about the evolution of the CAHI Fellows Program in these 5 years?

Andrea: Without a doubt, things evolve, but we have always maintained the emphasis on management, based on a consultation we carried out with various leaders in the region. We asked them about the skills that people who work in health need to be more effective in their interventions, and the answers we obtained lead us to the need for tools for innovation, management, and administration.
That is why with CAHI we have always insisted on the focus on strengthening management skills, management of human teams, projects, budget, strategic alliances, as a central line for CAHI Fellows.

An important element of the evolution is that the CAHI Fellows brand is very well positioned in the region, it has a great reputation. It is an honor to say that one is a CAHI Fellow, endorsed by what has been achieved with the individual projects, which have had a great impact and the level of intervention has been increasing.

Also, something very significant is that there is more and more collaboration between the CAHI Fellows. The last thing I received is that we have a leader from the first generation who already works with several colleagues from other generations. This type of coordination is already being seen clearly in Panama, for example, and that is part of what has been wanted to achieve from the beginning.

The vision has always been this: CAHI's contribution to Central America is the creation of this network of leaders who are promoting change.

What other element would you say that makes CAHI such a unique initiative?

Andrea: CAHI wants to innovate and is doing so. To innovate, you have to open space to try new things and that can lead to things failing, this generates great learning. At CAHI we have a high rate of success, with few who fail, but we know that the leaders who participate in the program face important challenges. Sometimes they lose their position within an organization in their country due to political issues, or they have to interrupt their project due to aspects of the context that are beyond their control and then they are unable to finish the program.

At CAHI we have learned from this, the selection process includes these experiences so that we work to select projects with the greatest probability of success and those leaders who show the greatest commitment and capacity to manage their initiatives. After 5 generations, the CAHI Fellows Program is highly recognized by the social security of different countries.

How do the learnings of the CAHI Fellows Network transcend?

Andrea: In addition to creating the new network of leaders in Central America, CAHI also has the purpose of generating knowledge about practices, because it may happen that a group of health leaders in Nicaragua are developing a very successful initiative and there is an opportunity for another group of leaders in Guatemala learn from that and there is an exchange of knowledge that increases the impact of the different interventions.

We have documented part of these practices through case studies on CAHI Fellows' projects, which are then shared with them in class and registered in international registries such as the Harvard Business School. This broadens the impact of the program, because knowledge about good practices is being generated, which extends beyond the Network.

How do you see the evolution of the CAHI Fellows Network at the present time?

Andrea: After 5 years we already have 100 CAHI graduates, so we have started to measure and identify how the different Fellows connect, for which we are working in collaboration with New York University. From INCAE we have made a map of the connections between CAHI Fellows, beyond those of the same generation, and we have identified that they are connecting between countries and from different cohorts. The exchange is about mentoring, generating knowledge that they share with their peers. In addition, they are also consolidating at the national level, at this time we can say that the strongest networks are in Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala.

We have also begun to study the profile of those CAHI Fellows who make the most connections, in order to identify the characteristics necessary for it so that we can carry out better selection processes.

In this process we have identified, for example, that the profile of the entrepreneur is very conducive to collaboration and networking.

What do you think is CAHI's vision for the future?

Andrea: I think we should focus on strengthening the network, on those connections that become specific projects and generate changes. We have a group of leaders working on their specific initiatives, with profiles that indicate that they will continue to hold important positions or generate significant influence in the health sector. I believe that what we need is to articulate efforts and develop strategies in coordination with the members of the Network, to influence the health agenda in the different countries of the Region. I believe that this is where CAHI should advance, understanding that the base academic program is consolidated.

Is there anything else you would like to add about CAHI Fellows?

Andrea: For me all of them are relevant and I consider their projects as children, for the contributions that I have been able to make to each one so that they could move forward. I have them in a special place, I keep in touch with them and I am always available to support them. I know all five generations, and I have had the opportunity to have a professional and even personal relationship with all of them, with a high level of commitment to the region. As a Central American, I thank you very much.

Finally, I want to reiterate that I am very grateful for the commitment of Robert Jeffe and the entire CAHI Board of Directors, because here at INCAE we have been able to see his commitment and the unusual way in which he is involved in the project, attending meetings, keeping dialogue, being critical when it should be. His vision and leadership have been essential for the development of this project.