We Have Just One World but Live in Different Parts: A Comparative Study of OCD in Healthcare in the Netherlands and Honduras

Introduction

Healthcare is a global issue with one goal: to build a better, healthier future for people all over the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) works through offices in more than 150 countries and their staff closely collaborate with governments and other partners to ensure the highest attainable level of health for all people (WHO, 2018). Over time, healthcare has undergone various developments. In this chapter we identify and describe the similarities and differences between two organizational change and development (OCD) initiatives undertaken in the healthcare sector: one in Honduras and the other in the Netherlands. The main goal of healthcare in both countries is to provide quality of care for all their citizens, but the structure and resources are different. Not only the structure and resources, but also the approaches to OCD differ from each other. Based on a comparison of the two cases, we will explore approaches to OCD in healthcare and come to some insights and lessons learned regarding evidence-based change agency practice.

As mentioned by Hamlin and Davies (2001), change agents require more knowledge and understanding about current OCD-related theory and research to become truly effective. The consultants involved in the two compared case histories reflect critically on this need for more knowledge and understanding to inform and shape their consultancy practice. Both offer their insight into the specific organizational contexts of the respective OCD initiatives and their ‘participatory’ role within the change process.

Our comparison of the two case histories looks at them from three perspectives: the interventions, the approaches and processes, and the overall lessons that can be learned from both cases.