(O.5) Policy Analysis Flashcards
Policy analysis
a process of multidisciplinary inquiry aiming at the CREATION, critical ASSESSMENT, and COMMUNICATION of policy-relevant information
- Multidisciplinary - many issues require evidence/thinking with multiple disciplines and backgrounds
a technique used in public administration to enable civil servants, activists, and others to examine and evaluate the available options to implement the goals of laws and elected officials = ?
policy analysis
Two types of policy analysis:
- Retrospectivepolicy analysis
- Prospectivepolicy analysis
Retrospective policy analysis
= analysis OF
- Policy that exists or lack of policy (which is also a policy)
- Look backwards and analyze policies
- Descriptive; explanatory; often conducted by researchers
○ What was the nature of the policy?
○ Why did a policy make its way onto the agenda?
○ Did a policy successfully achieve its objectives?
○ Which policy instruments were used?
○ Who were the major actors who influenced the development of the policy and the policy process?
Retrospective policy analysis examples
- Westerns smoking policy
○ 2018: allowed in designated areas only
○ 2019: smoke-free campus - Nova Scotia introducing opt-out system for organ donation
○ Often need to opt in, default = not donating
○ Saskatchewan debating this but didn’t
○ Look back and see conditions why it did/didn’t get passed
Prospective policy analysis
= analysis FOR policy
- Look ahead into the future
- Prescriptive (what we should do); typically requested by decision-makers considering whether to develop and introduce a policy; often conducted by government policy analysts
○ What are the policy options available to address the issue under consideration?
○ How should a given policy be formulated?
○ How should a given policy be implemented?
(resources)
○ How might a given policy fare if introduced now?
(Public backlash, success)
Prospective policy analysis examples
- Ex. Should assisted dying be extended to minors?
○ Some argue against age restriction if one can comprehend consequences of decision
○ Can have options with restrictions
Can prospective and retrospective analysis’ coexist?
Yer = If we’re trying to do a prospective analysis whether ought to for organ donations, might end up doing a retrospective policy analysis within that analysis to see what others have done, informing prospective analysis
Why conduct a policy analysis?
- To systematically examine and evaluate the options available to pursue/implement the goals of laws and decision-makers
○ Typically so one track minded
○ Need to systematically explore all options - To better ensure informed decision-making
- To better minimize bias
- To understand what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and why
- To better understand the process of policy-making
(HOW to address issues in an effective way)
Approaches for policy analysis
- Policy analysis triangle
- Stages heuristic
- Stakeholder analysis
- Health economic analysis
- Ethical analysis, legal analysis, etc.
Policy Analysis Triangle
4 elements to think of for prospective and retrospective:
1. context
2. actors
3. process
4. content
Policy Analysis Triangle: Content
= what makes up the policy
- What is the policy statement?
- What is/are the policy objective(s)?
- What are the means through which policy objectives will be pursued (i.e., policy instruments)?
-What is the RELATIONSHIP between the responses to the above questions?
- What reasons/evidence are supplied (explicit or implicit) to JUSTIFY responses to the above questions?
Policy Analysis Triangle: ACTORS
= interest in issue, affected by it, play a role in policy
*Individuals
*Communities/populations
*Interest groups
*Organizations/corporations
○ Hospitals
○ Pharmaceutical companies
*Government bodies
(See stakeholder analysis)
Policy Analysis Triangle: CONTEXT
= 4 factors
- Situational factors
○ Ex. focusing events: wars, droughts, outbreaks - Structural factors
○ Ex. the political system (democracy vs. dictatorship, etc.), demographics, economy - Cultural factors
○ Ex. linguistic differences, ethnic minorities, religious commitments - Exogenous factors
○ Ex. international treaties/partnerships
Beyond control but might exert pressure
Policy Analysis Triangle: PROCESS
= stages heuristic
- policy evaluation
- agenda setting
- policy formulation
- decision-making
- policy implementation
Stages heuristic
‘Stages’: stages of the policy process
‘Heuristic’: an approach to analysis
= ‘Stages heuristic’: an approach to policy analysis that breaks down the policy process into stages and analyzes each stage (4)
- Focuses on the process by which policies are initiated, formulated, implemented, evaluated (focus on all parts)
4 stages of stages heuristic
- Problem identification and issue recognition
○ Why did the policy get on the agenda? - Policy formulation
○ Who was involved in formulating the policy?
○ How was the policy arrived at and agreed upon? - Policy implementation
○ How were the policy’s objectives pursued?
○ How was the policy put into action/practice? - Policy evaluation
○ Did the policy achieve its objectives?
○What were the unintended consequences of the policy?
Stakeholder (aka _____)
= actor
= an individual or group with a substantive interest in an issue, including those with some role in making a decision or its execution
*Affected, interest, role in decision
Stakeholder analysis
= process through which those making policy or affected by it are identified and their likely position and levels of interest and influence are assessed
*Identifying all actors and identifying their levels of interests to put policy in place
3 requirements for stakeholder analysis
- Identify the policy actors
- Assess their political resources (power, influence)
- Understand their positions, interests, and level of commitment
1 Identify the policy actors
- Consumer organizations
- patient groups
*Producer groups
- nurses, doctors, pharmaceutical companies
- Economic groups
- workers who may be affected, industries, companies with health insurance schemes
*Ideological groups
- political parties, researchers
- People have particular views and want policy to align with their ideologies (abortion)
2 Assess actors’ political resources (power, influence)
- Level of interest and political resource they have to exert influence for/against policy
*Assess the power of each actor to influence the policy decision, through:
- Voting
- Material resources (e.g., money)
- Organizing people .etc
3 Understand policy actors’ positions and interests
- Interests
- economic effect on their interests; what do they have to gain or lose?
*Position
- supportive, neutral, opposed
*Level of commitment
Ex. how much of their resources/ influence are they willing to devote to pursuing their interests in the policy (i.e., to support or oppose it)?
Health economics
= a branch of economics concerned with how scarce resources are allocated and used in the health system
Health economic analysis
+ 2 example methods
Predominantly used to evaluate the efficient and effective use of resources to achieve health objectives
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Cost-effectiveness analysis
Cost-benefit analysis
= compares the monetary value of resources used with the monetary value of resources saved or created
*Places a monetary value on lives and QOL
- Policy alternatives can be compared by the net monetary benefit
Ex. Should we fund cognitive behavioural therapy or nicotine replacement therapy to help people quit smoking?
- Examine the monetary value of all associated costs with the monetary value of all associated benefits
- Which has a greater net benefit?
Cost-benefit analysis often done using ‘willingness-to-pay’ methodology, what is this
- Surveys/qualitative research to see how much one would pay for increase in QOL or years
- Put $ amount of benefit and compare to resources
Cost-effectiveness analysis
= compares the monetary value of resources used with health effects (not reduced solely to $$)
* mortality rate, blood pressure
*How much will it cost to achieve particular health benefits?
○ Quality of life, life years .etc
*Can we spend the same amount on another intervention to achieve same/more health benefits?
- Ex. Should we add the HPV screening program to current Canadian screening practices?
○ Used screening program to sum up average # of life years saved
○ Use metric of life year to add price and compare
Methods of Gathering information for policy analysis
- Research evidence: data from researchers
○ Magnitude of the problem
○ Effectiveness of policy options
○ Stakeholder support for policy options - Policy documents: what others have done
○ Current policies, including objectives and means to achieve policy objectives
○ Values, assumptions, guiding principles
○ Policy approaches in different jurisdictions
○ Framing - Media/social media: look at sentiments of public
○ Problem framing
○ Stakeholder interest and support for policy options - Surveys/interviews/focus groups with stakeholders
○ Key stakeholders’ interests, positions, and levels of commitment
