This briefing note brings together knowledge generated through the EU-Luxembourg-WHO Universal Health Coverage Partnership, which currently supports policy dialogue processes in 28 countries.

Good governance for health (part of Strategy 3 of the Framework on Integrated People-Centred Health Services) involves broad, continuous and consultative policy dialogue on crucial health sector issues amongst and between all relevant social, technical and political stakeholders. Yet there exists little guidance and analysis on what actually constitutes policy dialogue, how it can contribute to better policies, and what countries can concretely do to better engage in participatory dialogue processes. This Briefing note is a first attempt at making sense of the policy dialogue literature and experiences in using it in health and in low- and middle-income countries. It further examines the following questions:

– What is poilcy dialogue?

– How can the policy dialogue contribute to improving a policy and decision making process?

– What are the possible entry points for policy dialogue processes?

– Around which topics can policy dialogue be organized?

– What are some examples of best practices?

– What is the role of health system stewards in the policy dialogue process?

– What are the most common challenges to policy dialogue?