The role of the PA-EPI Councils in physical activity policy implementation recommendations

The Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI) is a monitoring framework to support countries in identifying and addressing critical implementation gaps in public policies to enhance physical activity (PA).

This presentation will share the process of effective constitution, operation and roles of PA-EPI Expert Coalition (EC) and Citizen Council (CC). EC comprises non-government experts and academics recruited due to their expertise in PA across the policy domains of health, education, sport, workplace, community, urban design, transport and communication. CC comprises a cross-section of society including sufficient diversity in ethnicity, gender, migration status and other underrepresented groups in health equity. The EC rates their governments progress on the creation of a healthy PA environment against PA-EPI indicators of good practice and relative to international best practice exemplars using an evidence document which provides examples of action to back up any score. While the CC review findings, both EC and CC collaborate to formulate comprehensive recommendations for policy action to bridge implementation gaps.

Data analyses, EC and CC consented reviews lead to a growing database of internationally recognized examples of best practice in public policy implementation for PA. The EC and CC, help translate findings into country-specific PA-EPI report cards, highlighting examples of good progress by governments as well as areas for development to establish best practice to match or exceed other countries or states.

A culture of PA, underpinned by enabling public policy will be the framework to catalyse, chart, and measure a country’s progress towards greater PA, health equity and wellbeing.

The PA-EPI process conducted every two-three years will yield greater policy efficiency and health-in-all policies through systematic policymakers, practitioners, researchers and citizen engagement.

Funding: HRB (Ireland), NCR&D (Poland), FME&R (Germany), NOforHR&D (Netherlands), EAforHERD&IF (Romania), RC (Lithuania) under the umbrella of Partnership Fostering a European Research Area for Health.