An organisational learning review
Between 2021 and 2025, EPHA underwent a period of bold transformation, accelerated growth, and unprecedented challenges. This review captures the full arc of that journey – from the launch of an ambitious new strategy and a shift to a more agile operating model, through a phase of rapid organisational and reputational growth, to a major trust challenge that tested the organisation’s foundations.
This learning review of EPHA’s Strategy 2021–2025 was co-authored in June 2025 by EPHA’s Director General, EPHA Past President (2021–2024), and the current EPHA President (2024–2025). Together, they bring full-circle insight into the strategy’s development, implementation, and the challenges that shaped its final years.
The analysis highlights key achievements, including a doubling of the annual budget, greater member engagement, stronger partnerships (including with WHO Europe), and a vibrant cluster-based model of policy work. It also offers a candid assessment of structural weaknesses, including governance ambiguity, communication gaps, and the absence of crisis protocols. In response, EPHA initiated a comprehensive recovery process in 2024–2025, laying the groundwork for a more transparent, resilient, and inclusive organisation.
Capturing both progress and pain points, this review is intended to inform EPHA’s ongoing transformation and help shape a stronger, future-facing public health civil society.