EPF Capacity Building Programme: Enabling Leadership and Positive Governance
The final part of EPF’s second Capacity Building Module was held in Sofia, Bulgaria on 7-8 September 2019. This year the topic of the module was about Leadership and Positive Governance.
The module aimed at strengthening patient organisations by enhancing their leaders’ leadership skills and consequently enabling positive governance in their organisation. The overall objective is to support patient organisations in positioning themselves as legitimate stakeholders, strong advocates and reliable partners in the national and European health policy environment.
This year EPF received more than 100 applications for the 24 available places. The selected participants, meeting specific criteria, come from more than 10 different countries and represent a good mix of European, national and local patient organisations. For the second time, EPF included three participants representing organisations from the Western Balkans.
Patient organisations and their leaders are becoming more visible actors and influencers in the healthcare arena. This is an important and positive change. Nevertheless, it also brings new and profound challenges, linked to knowledge-building, know-how sharing and leadership within organisations.
The module started in February with an online kick-off session during which participants met each other and further defined the scope of the module. In March participants met face to face for a two-day training session in Brussels.
During the first two-day training participants:
- Built a safe and fruitful learning space;
- Reflected on their current leadership status and the challenges within this role;
- Learnt about new models of leadership and examples of good practices;
- Defined the milestones of their transformational work that will happen during the coaching phase.
The face-to-face training was followed by an intense coaching phase that kept participants busy until early September, when participants gathered again and shared their successes, failures and most importantly learnings during the second face-to-face training in Sofia, Bulgaria.
During the second two-day training participants:
- Celebrated the results of their work;
- Presented to each other their leadership journeys;
- Consolidated a network of peers that will support them further develop their leadership skills.
What is next?
Applications for the 2020 EPF Capacity Building Module on Leadership will open in early 2020, building on the learnings of 2019. In addition, EPF will shortly publish a toolkit dedicated to Empowering Leadership and Positive Governance. Stay tuned for more information on the publication!
Contact person:
Elena Balestra, EPF Membership & Capacity Building Manager