Strengthening leadership for implementation: Leadership Course and the VITA CITY simulation

Issue

Implementing healthy ageing policies requires leadership capable of translating evidence into coordinated action across sectors and levels of governance.

Description of the problem

There is a persistent gap between evidence and implementation in healthy ageing. Leadership constraints—including limited systems thinking and cross-sector coordination—hinder the translation of policy into practice. Decision-makers operate within complex adaptive systems characterised by competing interests, and unintended.

Results

The Ageing is Living Leadership Course, co-developed by WHO/Europe and partners including EUPHA, strengthens leadership for implementation. As core faculty, EUPHA contributes to course design and delivery drawing on EUPHAcademy’s andragogical framework. The course received over 800 applications and selected 40 leaders from health, social care and government across levels of governance. It uses systems thinking, peer learning and leadership labs on real-world challenges aligned with Strategy priorities. Participants develop actionable leadership plans and form a network to support implementation. Early evaluation shows improved capacity in systems thinking, cross-sector collaboration and applying evidence to policy and practice. Workshop participants will play a condensed version of VITA CITY, a systems thinking simulation used in the course.

Lessons

Leadership development is essential to bridge the gap between policy and implementation. Practice-based learning and sustained networks strengthen collaboration, support evidence use and enable system change.

Key messages

• Leadership capacity is critical to translate evidence into coordinated, multisectoral action.

• Structured leadership development and networks accelerate implementation and sustain change.