The Alliance Board meeting, held 5-6 October in Geneva, marked a critical turning point for the Alliance with the departure of long-time Board member and Chair, Dr John-Arne Røttingen, and the presentation of the new Strategic Plan (2016-2020) for consideration and approval.
The departure of Dr Røttingen marks 14 years of his service on the Alliance Board - with the 6 most recent years as Board Chair. Under Dr Røttingen's leadership, the Alliance carried out its 2011-2015 Strategic Plan, creating huge advancements in the field of HPSR. Notable milestones during his tenure include the development of the first WHO Strategy on Health Policy and Systems Research, the launch of the Implementation Research Platform, the programme of work on access to medicines as well as the establishment of Health Systems Global Society and the Advisory Group on Health Systems Research Synthesis. In this time, Dr Røttingen lent significant leadership, support and expertise to the Alliance while also harnessing the knowledge and energy of the Board, STAC, and Secretariat to push boundaries in the field of HPSR.
The end of the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan represents a pivotal moment for the Alliance, which also happens to coincide with the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Moving forward, the new 2016-2020 Strategic Plan will focus on the key themes of generation of HPSR knowledge, new models to support uptake of research for decision-making, and on strengthening and leveraging partnerships to achieve impact. The new Strategic Plan will come into effect 1 January 2016.