The need for strong leadership for public health was clearly identified in both the Investing for Health (2002) strategy in Northern Ireland and in Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You (2001), the health strategy for Ireland.

As well as those with responsibility for essential public health programmes, there are many others from diverse disciplines and different sectors facing some of the most complex problems in society and with little direct authority or control over decision-making. 

To make a difference, they must work with and through others in a way that is facilitative, participative and relational, while being attuned to politics and power.

The strategy of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is to strengthen leadership for public health and to help develop leadership capability among people who are working to build a healthy society on the island of Ireland.

In 2002, the Institute launched the leadership programme, Leadership for Building a Healthy Society, The vision for the programme was to develop a network of leaders who work collaboratively and creatively to build a healthy society and tackle health inequalities.

The programme has contributed to a growing cadre of leaders working in different professions, organisations, sectors and parts of Ireland who are able to connect to each other easily and quickly to help bring about change to improve health and wellbeing for the population. 

Five cohorts involving almost 120 people have now participated in the programme. Participants, working with the Institute, organise an annual alumni conference each January to mark the end of their programme.

The first cohort produced a book, Reflecting Leadership, after their programme in 2004 (this document is available on request from the Institute). The second group developed an advocacy resource in 2005. The third programme compiled a short paper on networking for public health: From Hierarchies to Networks, from Processes to People, from Structures to Relationships