At the end of 2013, the Executive Board of ASPHER initiated the debate on the Association’s agenda 2016-2020 (ASPHER 2020). By the end of May 2014, the agreement was reached on the framework of 5 strategic objectives specifying ASPHER’s core mission within “education and training for research and service”. In the subsequent phase, the 5 strategic objectives were discussed in several consultation rounds, involving ASPHER member schools, partner organisations, and members of the Association’s Honours Committee, advancing the cohesion of the ASPHER community and resulting in the ASPHER 2020 operational action plan. The final comprehensive ASPHER 2020 agenda was adopted in early June at the General Assembly 2015 to guide ASPHER’s community through the following 5 years.
ASPHER 2020: STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 2016 - 2020
Strategic objective 1:
Improving quality of academic programmes and CPD for public health
Strategic objective 2:
Strengthening research capacity among all members
Strategic objective 3:
Setting up a public health profession for public health services in Europe
Strategic objective 4:
Developing the global dimension of education and training for public health
Strategic objective 5:
Strengthening governance, management and sustainable development of ASPHER
ASPHER REPOSITORY: ASPHER 2020
The strategic planning effort, among other things, has indicated members’ enormous dedication to the Association and strong and cohesive vision for the future. Members seek to continually make the Association stronger, assure continuity, sustainability and growth of successful endeavors as well as the involvement of all member institutions in the Association’s activities. We are truly proud of the fact that the Association keeps growing and making an ever larger and more noticeable impact within European health policy and higher education and training. The Association’s agenda through 2020 will reinforce this impact even more.
Implementation of the ASPHER 2020 relies on the following assumptions: (i) Members of ASPHER accept the way forward and take part with their competence, time and other resources; (ii) Qualified groups are formed with well-defined tasks leading towards achievement of the individual objectives; (iii) Key partners are involved and take part in the planned activities. Their results are considered, implemented and recognized by ASPHER members and stakeholders; (iv) Funding and other resources are available.
Monitoring of the strategic plan is closely related to the activities within each strategic area and corresponding expected results. Achievements are regularly reported at ASPHER General Assembly and also published in ASPHER newsletter and other publications including social media dissemination.
ASPHER’s Strategic Plan 2016–2020 provides guidelines and defines the direction and content of the Association’s activities in the forthcoming years. It highlights the priorities and strategies for multidisciplinary activities and illustrates how the individual strategic objectives will be achieved. At the same time, ASPHER 2020 can be seen as a process, given that the identification of the key strategies also implies learning how to think strategically and creatively.
All members of the ASPHER community shall contribute to the implementation and improvement of the agenda, which will make ASPHER stronger and widely recognized – in Europe and beyond. It is necessary to rely on the existing power of ASPHER (the only such organisation in Europe) and use each opportunity (new partnerships, new projects, new forms of education, legislation) to facilitate change, overcome the existing deficiencies and implement ASPHER 2020 agenda.