The 24th Council of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) convened for its third strategic planning meeting in Sarawak on 22 April 2025. This milestone session, attended by all Council members in person and online, signified a pivotal moment for the organization. The meeting’s primary objective was to critically assess past planning efforts, overcome historical gaps in execution, and establish a focused and accountable 3-year strategy that enables APHN to advance its mission in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
The meeting commenced with an opening address by A/Prof Ghauri Aggarwal, Chair of APHN. She acknowledged the limited traction from prior strategic sessions, identifying a consistent lack of implementation and follow-through. Her candid reflection set a clear tone of accountability and renewal, reinforcing the urgent need for execution-oriented planning.
The session was further enriched by the presence of Dr. Rosalie Shaw, founding Executive Director of APHN. Her contribution reminded participants of the visionary leadership upon which APHN was built and offered inspiration for the work ahead.
The meeting was professionally facilitated by Mdm Theresa Goh, founder of 360 Dynamics, an organization with extensive experience in leadership and strategic development within nonprofit sectors.
Utilizing a structured and interactive approach, Mdm Goh guided participants through a comprehensive planning process, which included Presentation and discussion of a pre-meeting survey on mission direction, Visual and narrative exercises to surface shared values and aspirations, PESTLE and SWOT analyses, McKinsey 7S-based internal review, Identification of key opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses, Clarification of strategic options and preferred pathways, Development of follow-through mechanisms and post-meeting milestones.
This strategic planning session marked a critical milestone for APHN. It moved beyond conceptual planning toward operational readiness, characterized by accountability, strategic clarity, and a shared vision for impact.
The Council, the Executive Director (Mr Giam) and the Secretariat team would need to work on an operationalized and focused roadmap and the tools required to execute it, setting the stage for transformative progress over the next three to five years.
Written by Ms Lee Siew Kheng (APHN Executive )