Strengthening the link between policy formulation and implementation of Indigenous health policy directions

This study aimed to understand the problems within the Indigenous health policy process in Australia and how weaknesses in the process impact on policy implementation. Using semistructured questions, 23 key stakeholders in the policy-making process were interviewed. Three main themes dominated; a need for increased Indigenous involvement in policy formulation at the senior Australian Government level, increased participation of Indigenous community-controlled health organisations in the policy-making process and, most importantly, ensuring that policies have the necessary resources for their implementation. The emergence of these specific themes demonstrated weaknesses in policy process from the formulation stage onward. Tackling these would, according to our informants, significantly enhance the effectiveness of the policy process and contribute to further improvement of the health of Indigenous Australians.

Download Full-text

Public engagement in the development of the National Health Insurance: a study involving patients from a central hospital in South Africa.

10.21203/rs.2.10819/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lizeka Amanda Tandwa ◽

Ames Dhai

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Health Policy ◽

Health Insurance ◽

National Health Insurance ◽

National Health ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

Structured Interview ◽

P Value ◽

Policy Making Process

Abstract Background The National Health Insurance (NHI) is a proposed health policy in South Africa that aims to change the structure of the health system. Public involvement in the legislation development process is a constitutional requirement in South Africa. Patients are key stakeholders in health policy processes and should to be engaged in NHI policy processes. In order for patients to be engaged, they need to be provided with relevant information and an opportunity to be involved in the policy-making process. Methods This was cross sectional study. Two hundred and forty-four patients from the follow-up clinics at the Department of Internal Medicine, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The patients were interviewed using a structured interview process, using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were run. Results The majority (79.51%) of the participants were not aware of the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Africa even though the NHI policy process commenced in 2011. Most of the participants (86%) who were aware of the NHI responded that they had not been provided with an opportunity to be involved in the policy making process of the NHI. The odds of awareness were higher for male (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.11 – 3.9, p value: 0.02) than female participants. The odds of awareness were higher for White (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.06 – 5.26, p value: 0.04) and Indian (OR: 2.76, 95% CI: 0.10 – 7.60, p value: 0.05) participants when compared to Black participants. The odds of awareness were higher for retired (OR: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.35 – 7.25, p value: 0.008) than unemployed participants. Conclusions The South African Department of Health cannot claim that they have met the constitutional requirement to involve the public in the setting of this study, since majority of the patients in this study were not aware of the NHI. This requirement is essential to the validity of the NHI policy process. Without the awareness and information about the NHI, patients are not equipped and cannot be involved in the NHI policy process in a meaningful way.

Download Full-text

Factors influencing the uptake of evidence in child health policy-making: results of a survey among 23 European countries

Health Research Policy and Systems ◽

10.1186/s12961-021-00786-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kinga Zdunek ◽

Denise Alexander ◽

Peter Schröder-Bäck ◽

Michael Rigby ◽

Mitch Blair

Keyword(s):

Health Policy ◽

Child Health ◽

Policy Making ◽

Organizational Factors ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

European Countries ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Policy Making Process ◽

Child Health Policy ◽

Culture Development

Abstract Background The ability to successfully transfer knowledge across international boundaries to improve health across the European Region is dependent on an in-depth understanding of the many factors involved in policy creation. Across countries we can observe various approaches to evidence usage in the policy-making process. This study, which was a part of the Models of Child Health Appraised (MOCHA) project assessing patterns of children’s primary care in Europe, focused on how and what kind of evidence is used in child health policy-making processes in European countries and how it is applied to inform policy and practice. Method In this study, a qualitative approach was used. The data were analysed in accordance with the thematic analysis protocol. The MOCHA project methodology relies on experienced country agents (CA) recruited for the project and paid to deliver child health data in each of 30 European countries. CAs are national experts in the child health field who defined the country-specific structured information and data. A questionnaire designed as a semi-structured survey instrument asked CAs to indicate the sources of evidence used in the policy-making process and what needed to be in place to support evidence uptake in policy and practice. Results In our data we observed two approaches to evidence usage in child health policy formulation. The scientific approach in our understanding refers to the so-called bottom-up initiatives of academia which identify and respond to the population’s needs. Institutional approaches can be informed by scientific resources as well; however, the driving forces here are governmental institutions, whose decisions and choices are based not only on the population needs but also on political, economic and organizational factors. The evidence used in Europe can also be of an external or internal nature. Various factors can affect the use of evidence in child health policy-making. Facilitators are correlated with strong scientific culture development, whereas barriers are defined by a poor tradition of implementing changes based on reliable evidence. Conclusions Focusing on the facilitators and actively working to reduce the barriers can perceivably lead to faster and more robust policy-making, including the development of a culture of scientific grounding in policy creation.

Download Full-text

It’s the economy, stupid! When economics and politics override health policy goals – the case of tax reliefs to build private hospitals in Ireland in the early 2000s

HRB Open Research ◽

10.12688/hrbopenres.12784.2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sara A. Burke ◽

Ruairi Brugha ◽

Stephen Thomas

Keyword(s):

Health Policy ◽

Private Sector ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

Private Hospitals ◽

Documentary Analysis ◽

Policy Goals ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Policy Making Process

Objectives: To analyse the policy process that led to changes to the Finance Acts in 2001 and 2002 that gave tax-reliefs to build private hospitals in Ireland. Methods: Qualitative research methods of documentary analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews with elites involved in the policy processes, were used and examined through a conceptual framework devised for this research. Results: This research found a highly politicised and personalised policy making process where policy entrepreneurs, namely private sector interests, had significant impact on the policy process. Effective private sector lobbying encouraged the Minister of Finance to introduce the tax-reliefs for building private hospitals despite advice against this policy measure from his own officials, officials in the Department of Health and the health minister. The Finance Acts in 2001 and 2002 introduced tax-reliefs for building private hospitals, without any public or political scrutiny or consensus. Conclusion: The changes to the Finance Acts to give tax-reliefs to build private hospitals in 2001 and private for-profit hospitals 2002 is an example of a closed, personalised policy making process. It is an example of a politically imposed policy by the finance minister, where economic policy goals overrode health policy goals. The documentary analysis and elite interviews examined through a conceptual framework enabled an in-depth analysis of this specific policy making process. These methods and the framework may be useful to other policy making analyses.

Download Full-text

Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Proses Kebijakan Daerah

Jurnal Desentralisasi ◽

10.37378/jd.2012.2.163-177 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 163-177

Author(s):

Abdullah Manshur

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Public Participation ◽

Policy Evaluation ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Problem Situation ◽

Policy Cycle ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Public ◽

Policy Making Process

Public policy is a decision to deal with a particular problem situation, that identifies the objectives, principles, ways, and means to achieve them. The ability and understanding of policy makers in the policy-making process is very important for the realization of public policy of rapid, accurate and adequate. The product to suit the needs of the public policy, public participation in the policy process is needed in the policy cycle, from policy formulation to policy evaluation. This paper attempts to review the importance of community participation and other forms of public participation in the policy process, in particular, policy areas.

Download Full-text

Parliamentary Committees

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199665679.013.38 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ingvar Mattson

Keyword(s):

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

Political Conflict ◽

Minority Government ◽

Policy Making Process ◽

Swedish Politics ◽

Opposition Parties

This chapter describes the role of the Swedish parliament, and parliamentary committees in particular, in the policy-making process. The role depends on the parliamentary situation: whether there is a majority government or minority government in power. In essence, the chapter shows that Parliament mainly approves governmental bills and seldom initiates legislation. It is an arena for both political conflict and consensus. Political negotiations between governmental parties and opposition parties occur in which the opposition has influence on parliamentary decisions in the policy process. Due to increased conflict between the two blocs in Swedish politics, the importance of the committees as grounds for negotiating compromises has, however, decreased.

Download Full-text

Introduction

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199665679.013.50 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Carl Dahlström

Keyword(s):

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

Political Support ◽

Policy Making Process ◽

Commissions Of Inquiry ◽

Referral Systems ◽

The Creation ◽

Changes Over Time ◽

Rational Process ◽

Over Time

This chapter introduces the section on policy-making in Sweden. It starts from the observation that, at least for outside observers, Swedish policy-making has been portrayed as a rational process. Two features of Swedish policy-making have been particularly important for the emerging of the idea of a consensual and rational process. The first, and most well known, is the corporatist policy-making style, and the second feature is the commissions of inquiry and referral systems. Two other important characteristics of the Swedish policy process concern coordination and the creation of party-political support. The chapters in this section describe these four features of the Swedish policy-making process and pay special attention to changes over time.

Download Full-text

3. The European Policy Process in Comparative Perspective

10.1093/hepl/9780199689675.003.0003 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alasdair R. Young

Keyword(s):

Comparative Politics ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

Policy Formation ◽

Comparative Perspective ◽

Legislative Politics ◽

Policy Cycle ◽

Policy Feedback ◽

Policy Making Process ◽

The Eu

This chapter examines the European Union’s policy-making process with a comparative perspective. It outlines the stages of the policy-making process (agenda-setting, policy formation, decision-making, implementation, and policy feedback) and considers the prevailing approaches to analysing each of these stages. It also shows how these approaches apply to studying policy-making in the EU. Themes addressed in this chapter include policy-making and the policy cycle, the players in the policy process, executive politics, legislative politics, and judicial politics. The chapter argues that theories rooted in comparative politics and international relations can help elucidate the different phases of the EU’s policy process. It concludes by explaining why policy-making varies across issue areas within the EU.

Download Full-text

Chinese Civilian Foreign Policy Research Institutes: Evolving Roles and Increasing Influence

The China Quarterly ◽

10.1017/s0009443902000372 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 171 ◽

pp. 597-616 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Bonnie S. Glaser ◽

Phillip C. Saunders

Keyword(s):

Foreign Policy ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Research ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Chinese Foreign Policy ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Research Institutes ◽

Traditional Research ◽

Policy Making Process

A more pragmatic Chinese foreign policy and a more bureaucratic policy-making process have increased the opportunities for China's civilian research institutes to affect foreign policy. Beijing's growing involvement in the international community has created increased demand for research and analysis to aid Chinese leaders in making informed decisions. A more pluralistic and competitive policy environment has given analysts at think tanks more influence, but has also created new competition from analysts and authors working outside the traditional research institute system. This article examines the evolving role of Chinese civilian foreign policy research institutes, their relationships to policy makers, and the pathways through which they provide input into Chinese foreign policy formulation. It provides an overview of the key civilian research institutes, identifies important trends affecting them, and examines the roles and functions they play. The article concludes with an assessment of sources of policy influence within the Chinese foreign policy process.

Download Full-text

THE DISABILITY POLICY MAKING PROCESS

Polityka Społeczna ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.4750 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 559 (10) ◽

pp. 22-29

Author(s):

Paweł Kubicki ◽

Adriana Mica ◽

Mikołaj Pawlak

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

People With Disabilities ◽

Disability Policy ◽

Persons With Disabilities ◽

The Public ◽

Western Countries ◽

Public Policy Process ◽

Policy Making Process

Our goal is to analyze the disability policy making process in Poland on the example of implementing the assumptions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The key tool we use is the model of the five streams of the public policy process: problem, solutions, politics, process and program. In particular, we look at the role played by the movement of people with disabilities in this process. We claim that the weakness of the movements and the origins of activism of people with disabilities other than in Western countries makes the implementation of the Convention in Poland difficult and often ends in failure.

Download Full-text

Using political science to progress public health nutrition: a systematic review

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980015002712 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 2070-2078 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Katherine Cullerton ◽

Timothy Donnet ◽

Amanda Lee ◽

Danielle Gallegos

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Political Science ◽

Policy Process ◽

Policy Making ◽

Nutrition Policy ◽

High Income ◽

Basic Knowledge ◽

Process Theory ◽

Public Health Nutrition ◽

Policy Making Process

AbstractObjectivePoor dietary intake is the most important behavioural risk factor affecting health globally. Despite this, there has been little investment in public health nutrition policy actions. Policy process theories from the field of political science can aid understanding why policy decisions have occurred and identify how to influence ongoing or future initiatives. The present review aims to examine public health nutrition policy literature and identify whether a policy process theory has been used to analyse the process.DesignElectronic databases were searched systematically for studies examining policy making in public health nutrition in high-income, democratic countries.SettingInternational, national, state and local government jurisdictions within high-income, democratic countries.SubjectsIndividuals and organisations involved in the nutrition policy-making process.ResultsSixty-three studies met the eligibility criteria, most were conducted in the USA and a majority focused on obesity. The analysis demonstrates an accelerating trend in the number of nutrition policy papers published annually and an increase in the diversity of nutrition topics examined. The use of policy process theory was observed from 2003; however, it was utilised by only 14 % of the reviewed papers.ConclusionsThere is limited research into the nutrition policy process in high-income countries. While there has been a small increase in the use of policy process theory from 2003, an opportunity to expand its use is evident. We suggest that nutrition policy making would benefit from a pragmatic approach that ensures those trying to influence or understand the policy-making process are equipped with basic knowledge around these theories.

Download Full-text