Coalition of Partners to strengthen public health capacities and services in the European Region: briefing document

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО Coalition of Partners to Strengthen Public Health Capacities and Services in the European Region 9 August 2018 Original: English Briefing document The Coalition of Partners brings together public health practitioners in the spirit of co-creation and collaboration to accelerate action to strengthen essential public health services and capacity in countries of the WHO European Region. At present, the activities of the Coalition focus on strengthening the following enablers: 1. human resources for public health (public health workforce); 2. financing of public health services (investment and allocation); 3. organization of public health services (structures, governance and accountability); and 4. public health law (to increase the mandate for strengthening public health services). A culture of participation and practice It is widely accepted that being successful public health professionals requires fruitful collaboration and coordination across disciplines, institutions and sectoral boundaries. The Coalition of Partners aims to model this collaborative and participatory approach through and within its practices. The goal of the Coalition of Partners is to become a community of professionals and a platform for committed individuals gathered around the common purpose of strengthening public health services, while remaining committed to progressing and self- evaluation. What the Coalition of Partners does Adam Kahane, author and pioneering facilitator of complex change processes, speaks of the importance of constructing a container – “a physical, social, mental and intentional space which is simultaneously spacious enough and delimited enough to enable a group to experiment, play, and practice both creatively and safely.” The Coalition of Partners provides such a container, and the Coalition thus provides: 1. a systemic platform to focus efforts and resources; 2. a community of practice and an innovation hub to share ideas and develop new solutions; and 3. an instrument through which to intervene to strengthen public health services. 1 The Coalition of Partners expert meetings Colleagues who have attended previous Coalition of Partners meetings speak glowingly of the highly participatory meeting format. Gathering in this participatory way allows the participants to build trust, use collective wisdom and identify additional perspectives and opportunities. In addition, this type of meeting provides space for co-creation and contributions from all participants: creating a pathway towards participation and collaboration. The third Coalition of Partners meeting will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The aim of the meeting is to build on the foundations established at previous meetings in Copenhagen (January 2017) and Helsinki (November 2017) and to incorporate the experience of the partners of the Coalition of Partners in implementing the Agenda for Action in European Region countries during 2017 and 2018. See more on what came out of these meeting at our website. The two-day programme will include a mix of inspiration and engagement through group work, dialogue cafés and storytelling. We will be working together with questions that require our collective attention and grappling with challenges that demand diverse, co-created solutions. This meeting will not be a place for passive participation or a stage for self-promotion. It will be a space for active involvement and genuine dialogue, and is a deliberate attempt to bring together both experts and country representatives to improve public health capacities and services in the WHO European Region. Therefore, if you are already working in this area and want to contribute, we hope you will join the Coalition of Partners in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 27–28 November 2018. © World Health Organization 2018 All rights reserved. Document number: WHO/EURO:2018-3324-43083-60300 2