Implementation in Europe
Key determinants of effective implementation
Many countries across the EU have policies, strategies and action plans that include a commitment to mental health promotion and prevention ( see Mental Health Promotion Strategies and IMHPA Country Stories). Unfortunately, this does not necessarily result in action. Developing a strategy and action plan may be only one element of what is needed to achieve effective implementation. Indeed, there are examples of good practice in promotion and prevention in member states and applicant countries that do not yet have a national action plan.
Although each country will have its own unique challenges and opportunities in moving from ‘policy’ to ‘delivery’, there are some common factors that support effective implementation. The following determinants of effective implementation have been drawn from analysis of the experiences of national partners in the EMIP project. The determinants of effective implementation are the factors or conditions that influence the level and quality of mental health promotion and prevention activity in a given country. They include:
- Marketing mental health and well-beingMaking the case across different sectors and with different stakeholders
- Demonstrating how mental health promotion contributes to effective service reform and improved outcomes for people with mental health problems
- A system of governance, linked to wider targets e.g. education, physical health, environmental improvement, reducing inequalities, with clear lines of accountability for delivering mental health promotion
- Describing what success would look like and how it will be measured
- Building capacity across all sectors
- Evidence base and evaluation
Further information under each of these headings will be posted on the website as the EMIP project progresses.
