BACKGROUND:
Goal 4 of South Africa’s 2030 Human Resources for Health Strategy¹⁻³ emphasises the need to ensure optimal governance and build capable, accountable strategic leadership and management in the health system, particularly in preparation for NHI implementation. Albertina Sisulu Executive Leadership Programme in Health (ASELPH) was established to build executive leadership capacity for the public sector, yet its alignment with current health system and human resources for health (HRH) priorities has not been systematically examined.⁴ This study aims to map ASELPH curriculum content—including core modules in leadership, health systems, human resources, finance, quality improvement, information systems and research—to national leadership and system needs, and to identify gaps and opportunities for strengthening.

METHODS:
A qualitative descriptive design will be used. Curriculum documents (module descriptors, learning outcomes and assessment briefs) for all ASELPH modules will be analysed and mapped against domains derived from national and international frameworks (governance, service delivery, workforce, financing, information systems, quality, community engagement and learning health systems).¹⁻³,⁵,⁶ Semi‑structured interviews will be conducted with ASELPH faculty, alumni and health system stakeholders to explore perceptions of relevance, gaps and emerging needs. Document and interview data will be triangulated and thematically analysed to produce a curriculum–policy alignment map and recommendations. Expected Results Strong alignment is anticipated in leadership, governance, and workforce development, with gaps likely in digital health and intersectoral collaboration¹⁻⁷. Stakeholder perspectives may differ by organisational level, suggesting targeted module updates.

CONCLUSIONS:
Systematic curriculum mapping will provide evidence to guide ASELPH review and offer a model for aligning executive leadership programmes with health system needs in low- and middle-income countries¹⁻⁷.