Strategic stakeholder engagement and advocacy through thematic workshops and policy dialogues to enhance sustainability

Summary

Objective: To strategically engage with stakeholders at both national and international levels, fostering empowerment and advocacy to enhance the sustainability of mental health initiatives within the project.

This task focuses on strategically engaging stakeholders and advocating for sustainability through thematic workshops and policy dialogues. The suggested methodology.

Facilitate stakeholder understanding and empowerment: Engage relevant stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive understanding of proposed changes and prepare them for implementation. Empower stakeholders by providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools to actively participate in mental health system development initiatives. Develop stakeholder networks: Facilitate the development of a network focused on mental health system development, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders. Strengthen relationships between stakeholders to promote sustainability and ongoing support for mental health initiatives. Stakeholders invited to participate will represent a diverse range of perspectives, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, community leaders, advocacy groups, and individuals with lived experience. They will be selected based on their expertise, influence, and relevance to the workshop’s thematic focus. Involvement will be sought from stakeholders across different countries to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive representation of perspectives and experiences. Preparation and execution of workshops: Conduct preparatory work to design workshops and formulate strategies for their execution. Commence the delivery of workshops involving MSs and ACs once valuable lessons learned from the implementation of WP5 and WP6 have been identified. Workshop topics will align with key thematic areas identified in WP5 and WP6, such as mental health promotion strategies, stigma reduction, access to services, and digital health solutions. Postworkshop actions: Following the workshops, a summary report will be produced to document key insights, outcomes, and action points arising from the discussions. Action plans will be developed to translate workshop findings into tangible initiatives and activities. Stakeholders will be encouraged to continue collaborating and sharing resources beyond the workshops, forming partnerships and networks to advance shared goals. Follow-up activities may include working groups, task forces, research projects, advocacy campaigns, or policy development initiatives based on workshop outcomes.