Is the Prince Listening? Politics of Education and the Policymaker.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wirt, Frederick M.

This paper explores the politics of education with emphasis on the uses and influences of educational research in educational policy formation. Objectives are to identify information needs of policy makers and to shed light on the educational policy process. The hypothesis is that there is a lack of unity in studies of the political aspects of…

Conference on Public Policy and Education: The Making of Policy. Case Study: The Impact of Office of Civil Rights Rulings on Local Policy Making in Education. May 23, 1978. Proceedings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lachman, Seymour P., Ed.

The conference was convened to provide a forum for educators, human rights representatives, and government officials to discuss decision-making processes of local education authorities. The focus of the conference was on the increasing influence on educational policy formation of federal and state court decisions, regulatory agencies, professional…

Managing Information Resources: New Directions in State Government.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caudle, Sharon L.; Marchand, Donald A.

1990-01-01

Describes a national survey of management policies and practices applied to information and information technology in state government. Management approaches and trends are discussed in the areas of data processing, telecommunications, office automation, records management, state library services, policy formation, budgeting and accounting,…

Creating a High-Skills Society during Recession: Issues for Policy Makers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panagiotakopoulos, Antonios

2015-01-01

The present study looks at the skill formation policies adopted by policy makers in Greece in order to create a high-skills society. It examines empirically the demand side of the skill creation process within 300 small enterprises in order to understand how far supply-side measures have influenced the demand for well-trained staff within small…

Strange Encounters on the Road to Lifelong Learning: The European Economic Community Meets Permanent Education in 1973

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hake, Barry J.

2017-01-01

This paper examines policy formation on education in the European Economic Community during the early 1970s surrounding the 1973 report For a "Community Policy on Education", known as the Janne Report. It examines Community policy-making processes that gave rise to the Janne Report. The text of the Janne Report is analysed with regard to…

78 FR 45096 - Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-26

... processing software should be filed in native applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format... relevant part sub nom. Transmission Access Policy Study Group v. FERC, 225 F.3d 667 (D.C. Cir. 2002), aff'd...

Images of China in U.S. Foreign Policy Making

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

process may develop into cognitive dissonance . The individual decision maker could avoid or justify alternative information that opposes his or her...particularly in Acheson’s cognition of China. The establishment of a communist state in mainland China, the formation of a Sino-Soviet alliance, and the...argues that it is difficult to examine policy decisions in a situation without regarding the policy makers’ cognition of the world and 6 the

Special Educational Needs and Art and Design Education: Plural Perspectives on Exclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penketh, Claire

2016-01-01

Education policy proposals by the UK Coalition government appeared to be based on a process of consultation, participation and representation. However, policy formation seems to prioritise and confirm particular ways of knowing and being in the world. This article recognises the ontological and epistemological invalidation at work in education…

Against the Dark: Antiblackness in Education Policy and Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dumas, Michael J.

2016-01-01

I argue that analyses of racial(ised) discourse and policy processes in education must grapple with cultural disregard for and disgust with blackness. This article explains how a theorization of antiblackness allows one to more precisely identify and respond to racism in education discourse and in the formation and implementation of education…

An Analysis of Educational Policy: Implications for Minority Community Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, J. John, III; Ogle, Terry

The paper presents a detailed overview of educational policymaking and discusses the need for minority groups to be involved in policy formation. The first section describes the distinguishing characteristics of the main elements of the functions of administration and policymaking process. The second section examines the following three models of…

Autonomous public organization policy: a case study for the health sector in Thailand.

PubMed

Rajataramya, B; Fried, B; van der Pütten, M; Pongpanich, S

2009-09-01

This paper describes factors affecting autonomous public organization (APO) policy agenda setting and policy formation through comparison of policy processes applied to one educational institute under the Ministry of Education and the other educational institute under the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand. This study employs mixed method including a qualitative approach through documentary research, in-depth interviews, and participant observation. Factors that facilitated the formulation of the APO policy were: (1) awareness of need; (2) clarity of strategies; (3) leadership, advocacy, and strategic partnerships, (4) clear organizational identity; (5) participatory approach to policy formulation, and (6) identification of a policy window. Factors that impeded the formulation of the APO policy were: (1) diverting political priorities; (2) ill-defined organizational identity; (3) fluctuating leadership direction, (4) inadequate participation of stakeholders; and (5) political instability. Although findings cannot be generalized, this case study does offer benchmarking for those in search of ways to enhance processes of policy formulation.

Mutual Distrust: Perspectives From Researchers and Policy Makers on the Research to Policy Gap in 2013 and Recommendations for the Future

PubMed Central

Gollust, Sarah E.; Seymour, Jane W.; Pany, Maximilian J.; Goss, Adeline; Meisel, Zachary F.; Grande, David

2017-01-01

The production of health policy-relevant research is necessary, but not sufficient, to promote its utilization in policy. Our objective was to understand the perspectives of United States’ state-level policy makers and health researchers on the barriers and facilitators to the translation of health evidence into the policy process, with a particular focus on issues related to relationship building. We conducted interviews with 215 US health services and health policy researchers and 40 state-level staffers and legislators. Researchers and policy makers faced the same major barrier to research translation: lack of dedicated time to do so. Some policy makers questioned the credibility of research, and researchers questioned policy makers’ authentic desire to use evidence in decision making. For some study participants, a mutual mistrust of the other group challenges stronger relationship formation. Interventions are needed to help both groups understand a broader role that research plays in policy making and to increase personal contact, and ultimately trusted relationships, across various actors in the policy process. PMID:28452251

Educational Policy Formation in Loosely Coupled Systems: Some Salient Features of Guatemala's Public and Private School Sectors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruano, Carlos R.

2003-01-01

Analyzed the formulation and implementation of educational policy processes in relation to private schools in Guatemala, focusing on bilingual education in a sample of six private schools. Findings document many characteristics of private schools in Guatemala, including inadequate teacher and administrator training and a lack of cooperation…

Whose policy is it anyway? International and national influences on health policy development in Uganda.

PubMed

Okuonzi, S A; Macrae, J

1995-06-01

As national resources for health decline, so dependence on international resources to finance the capital and recurrent costs is increasing. This dependence, combined with an increasing emphasis on policy-based, as opposed to project-based, lending and grant-making has been accompanied by greater involvement of international actors in the formation of national health policy. This paper explores the process of health policy development in Uganda and examines how major donors are influencing and conflicting with national policy-making bodies. Focusing on two examples of user fees and drugs policies, it argues that while the content of international prescriptions to strengthen the health system may not be bad in itself, the process by which they are applied potentially threatens national sovereignty and weakens mechanisms for ensuring accountability. It concludes by proposing that in order to increase the sustainability of policy reforms, much greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening national capacity for policy analysis and research, building up policy networks and enhancing the quality of information available to the public concerning key policy changes.

Report of the Joint Industry - DoD Task Force on Computer Aided Logistic Support (CALS). Volume 2. Report of Policy and Legal Constraints Subgroup.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

via the LSA process, to determine the best mix of support resource requirements. The data elements required for the LSA process would reside in an...homework. (ii) Policy to deal matrix digital data format/delivery defintion to replace paper world definitions in our current contractive procedures...2.2.2.1 NAPLPS. (North American Presentation Level Protocol Syntax) was developed for the videotex market during 1981-82, based on a series of

Building In Accountability Mechanisms for Democracies & Bureaucracies: From Governmental & Educational Special Interest Operations to High-Quality Performance Systems. An Added Perspective to "What Price Democracy? Politics, Markets and America's Schools" by Dr. Terry Moe and Dr. John Chubb.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Packard, Richard D.

To assure accountability to educational policy developed by elected and appointed leaders, agencies and organizations must adopt high quality evaluation designs tailored to meet three basic tenets: (1) different processes for policy formation and demonstration of accountability; (2) clear accountability expectations built into policies; (3)…

Formative evaluation of AARP's Active for Life campaign to improve walking and bicycling environments in two cities.

PubMed

Emery, James; Crump, Carolyn; Hawkins, Margaret

2007-10-01

AARP conducted a 2.5-year social-marketing campaign to improve physical activity levels among older adults in Richmond, Virginia and Madison, Wisconsin. This article presents formative evaluation findings from the campaign's policy/environmental change component. Evaluation data were abstracted from technical-assistance documentation and telephone interviews. Results include 11 policy and 14 environmental changes attained or in-process by campaign closure. Differences between the cities' results are explained through differences in program implementation (e.g., types of changes planned, formalization of partnerships). Project teams took less time deciding to pursue policy change than environmental change; however, planning the policy activities took longer than planning environmental-change activities. Recommendations for future policy/environmental change interventions focus on the selection of strategies; planning for administrative resources; formalizing partnerships to ensure sustainability of impact; ensuring training and technical assistance; and documenting progress. Similar intervention results may be attainable with a multi-year timeframe, adequate part-time coordination, and committed volunteers.

Purity and the dangers of regenerative medicine: regulatory innovation of human tissue-engineered technology.

PubMed

Faulkner, Alex; Kent, Julie; Geesink, Ingrid; FitzPatrick, David

2006-11-01

This paper examines the development of innovation in human tissue technologies as a form of regenerative medicine, firstly by applying 'pollution ideas' to contemporary trends in its risk regulation and to the processes of regulatory policy formation, and secondly by analysing the classificatory processes deployed in regulatory policy. The analysis draws upon data from fieldwork and documentary materials with a focus on the UK and EU (2002-05) and explores four arenas: governance and regulatory policy; commercialisation and the market; 'evidentiality' manifest in evidence-based policy; and publics' and technology users' values and ethics. The analysis suggests that there is a trend toward 'purification' across these arenas, both material and socio-political. A common process of partitioning is found in stakeholders' attempts to define a clear terrain, which the field of tissue-engineered technology might occupy. We conclude that pollution ideas and partitioning processes are useful in understanding regulatory ordering and innovation in the emerging technological zone of human tissue engineering.

Translating evidence from systematic reviews for policy makers.

PubMed

Nannini, Angela; Houde, Susan Crocker

2010-06-01

Gerontological nurses who have received education and have experience in conducting systematic reviews may assume a key role in interpreting systematic reviews for policy makers. Systematic reviews offer evidence to determine the best policy and program solutions to a problem. To be successful in translating evidence from systematic reviews, gerontological nurses need to (a) understand the steps of the policy making process and where different kinds of reviews may be used, (b) assess the "technical" literacy and level of interest in gerontological issues of the intended policy maker, and (c) develop and practice skills in policy writing that distill information in policy briefs as well as shorter formats. Gerontological nurses can be powerful advocates for older adults using the systematic review of the literature as an instrument to educate policy makers. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

The role of policy actors and contextual factors in policy agenda setting and formulation: maternal fee exemption policies in Ghana over four and a half decades.

PubMed

Koduah, Augustina; van Dijk, Han; Agyepong, Irene Akua

2015-05-30

Development of health policy is a complex process that does not necessarily follow a particular format and a predictable trajectory. Therefore, agenda setting and selecting of alternatives are critical processes of policy development and can give insights into how and why policies are made. Understanding why some policy issues remain and are maintained whiles others drop off the agenda is an important enquiry. This paper aims to advance understanding of health policy agenda setting and formulation in Ghana, a lower middle-income country, by exploring how and why the maternal (antenatal, delivery and postnatal) fee exemption policy agenda in the health sector has been maintained over the four and half decades since a 'free antenatal care in government facilities' policy was first introduced in October 1963. A mix of historical and contemporary qualitative case studies of nine policy agenda setting and formulation processes was used. Data collection methods involved reviews of archival materials, contemporary records, media content, in-depth interviews, and participant observation. Data was analysed drawing on a combination of policy analysis theories and frameworks. Contextual factors, acting in an interrelating manner, shaped how policy actors acted in a timely manner and closely linked policy content to the intended agenda. Contextual factors that served as bases for the policymaking process were: political ideology, economic crisis, data about health outcomes, historical events, social unrest, change in government, election year, austerity measures, and international agendas. Nkrumah's socialist ideology first set the agenda for free antenatal service in 1963. This policy trajectory taken in 1963 was not reversed by subsequent policy actors because contextual factors and policy actors created a network of influence to maintain this issue on the agenda. Politicians over the years participated in the process to direct and approve the agenda. Donors increasingly gained agenda access within the Ghanaian health sector as they used financial support as leverage. Influencers of policy agenda setting must recognise that the process is complex and intertwined with a mix of political, evidence-based, finance-based, path-dependent, and donor-driven processes. Therefore, influencers need to pay attention to context and policy actors in any strategy.

Interest Groups' Influence over Drug Pricing Policy Reform in South Korea

PubMed Central

Chung, Woojin

2005-01-01

In 1999, the Korean government made a drug pricing policy reform to improve the efficiency and transparency of the drug distribution system. Yet, its policy formation process was far from being rational. Facing harsh resistance from various interest groups, the government changed its details into something different from what was initially investigated and planned. So far, little evidence supports any improvement in Korea's drug distribution system. Instead, the new drug pricing policy has deteriorated Korea's national health insurance budget, indicating a heavier economic burden for the general public. From Korea's experience, we may draw some lessons for the future development of a better health care system. As a society becomes more pluralistic, the government should come out of authoritarianism and thoroughly prepare in advance for resistance to reform, by making greater efforts to persuade strong interest groups while informing the general public of potential benefits of the reform. Additionally, facing developing civic groups, the government should listen but not rely too much on them at the final stage of the policy formation. Many of the civic groups lack expertise to evaluate the details of policy and tend to act in a somewhat emotional way. PMID:15988802

Interest groups' influence over drug pricing policy reform in South Korea.

PubMed

Chung, Woo Jin; Kim, Han Joong

2005-06-30

In 1999, the Korean government made a drug pricing policy reform to improve the efficiency and transparency of the drug distribution system. Yet, its policy formation process was far from being rational. Facing harsh resistance from various interest groups, the government changed its details into something different from what was initially investigated and planned. So far, little evidence supports any improvement in Korea's drug distribution system. Instead, the new drug pricing policy has deteriorated Korea's national health insurance budget, indicating a heavier economic burden for the general public. From Korea's experience, we may draw some lessons for the future development of a better health care system. As a society becomes more pluralistic, the government should come out of authoritarianism and thoroughly prepare in advance for resistance to reform, by making greater efforts to persuade strong interest groups while informing the general public of potential benefits of the reform. Additionally, facing developing civic groups, the government should listen but not rely too much on them at the final stage of the policy formation. Many of the civic groups lack expertise to evaluate the details of policy and tend to act in a somewhat emotional way.

Entrepreneurial Spirit in Strategic Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riggs, Donald E.

1987-01-01

Presents a model which merges the concepts of entrepreneurship with those of strategic planning to create a library management system. Each step of the process, including needs assessment and policy formation, strategy choice and implementation, and evaluation, is described in detail. (CLB)

77 FR 35665 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-14

... evaluations may include both formative implementation and process evaluations that evaluate a program as it is unfolding, and summative descriptive evaluations that examine changes in final outcomes in a non-causal...

Using the Kaldor-Hicks Tableau Format for Cost-Benefit Analysis and Policy Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krutilla, Kerry

2005-01-01

This note describes the Kaldor-Hicks (KH) tableau format as a framework for distributional accounting in cost-benefit analysis and policy evaluation. The KH tableau format can serve as a heuristic aid for teaching microeconomics-based policy analysis, and offer insight to policy analysts and decisionmakers beyond conventional efficiency analysis.

Introduction of a Science Policy Course at the University of Oklahoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S.; Parsons, D.

2012-12-01

In modern society, science and policy are two processes that have a symbiotic relationship to each other; wherein policy dictates the direction of science while science shapes the future of policy. Although the policy side is often ignored in scientific environments, the rate of scientific advancement is heavily influenced by policy. Science policy is very different from the conduct of science itself and future scientists need to be aware of the issues and factors that dictate the present and future direction of science. Based on the intricate relationship between science and policy, it is essential to introduce an overview of the policy process to future scientists and decision makers. In the context of climate change, policy implications are extensive and critical owing to their large socio-economic impacts. Hence, knowledge of the policy process is even more relevant to earth scientists. In this regard, the proposal to start an introductory course in science policy is currently being discussed in the department of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. If such a course is approved, an interactive graduate level class will be introduced for students pursuing a career in science. Such a course will be cross- disciplinary and will be offered to a wide audience across the university. Since the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) Summer Policy Colloquium has been a very successful program in educating scientists about the policy process, a format similar to the colloquium may be adopted. The primary topics will include the understanding of policy fundamentals, effective communication, ethics and integrity in the conduct of scientific research, executive leadership in science and the responsibilities of a scientific leader, impact of science on globalization and international diplomacy, etc. The AMS policy program office will be consulted to help design the course curriculum. An overview of the steps involved in introducing the class will be presented at the meeting along with the latest course curriculum.

Managed care for Medicare: some considerations in designing effective information provision programs.

PubMed

Jayanti, R K

2001-01-01

Consumer information-processing theory provides a useful framework for policy makers concerned with regulating information provided by managed care organizations. The assumption that consumers are rational information processors and providing more information is better is questioned in this paper. Consumer research demonstrates that when faced with an uncertain decision, consumers adopt simplifying strategies leading to sub-optimal choices. A discussion on how consumers process risk information and the effects of various informational formats on decision outcomes is provided. Categorization theory is used to propose guidelines with regard to providing effective information to consumers choosing among competing managed care plans. Public policy implications borne out of consumer information-processing theory conclude the article.

Engaging Experts: Science-Policy Interactions and the Introduction of Congestion Charging in Stockholm.

PubMed

Broström, Anders; McKelvey, Maureen

2018-01-01

This article analyzes the conditions for mobilizing the science base for development of public policy. It does so by focusing upon the science-policy interface, specifically the processes of direct interaction between scientists and scientifically trained experts, on the one hand, and agents of policymaking organizations, on the other. The article defines two dimensions - cognitive distance and expert autonomy - which are argued to influence knowledge exchange, in such a way as to shape the outcome. A case study on the implementation of congestion charges in Stockholm, Sweden, illustrates how the proposed framework pinpoints three central issues for understanding these processes: (1) Differentiating the roles of, e.g., a science-based consultancy firm and an academic environment in policy formation; (2) Examining the fit between the organizational form of the science-policy interface and the intended goals; and (3) Increasing our understanding of when policymaker agents themselves need to develop scientific competence in order to interact effectively with scientific experts.

Re-thinking hate crime: fresh challenges for policy and practice.

PubMed

Chakraborti, Neil

2015-06-01

Hate crime has become an increasingly familiar term in recent times as the harms associated with acts of bigotry and prejudice continue to pose complex challenges for societies across the world. However, despite the greater recognition now afforded to hate crimes by scholars, policy makers and law enforcers, uncertainty continues to cloud the scope and legitimacy of existing policy frameworks. This article draws from an emerging body of inter-disciplinary scholarship and empirical research to highlight a series of important realities about hate crime victimization and perpetration that tend to remain peripheral to the process of policy formation. It suggests that the focus on particular strands of victims and particular sets of motivations has overshadowed a range of significant issues, including the experiences of "marginal" groups of victims, and the way in which identity characteristics intersect with one another--and with other situational factors and context--to leave some targets of hate crime especially vulnerable. The article calls for a more fluid and multi-layered approach to policy formation, which engages with these realities, and which maximizes the real-life value of hate crime discourse. © The Author(s) 2014.

Dual-process theory and consumer response to front-of-package nutrition label formats.

PubMed

Sanjari, S Setareh; Jahn, Steffen; Boztug, Yasemin

2017-11-01

Nutrition labeling literature yields fragmented results about the effect of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition label formats on healthy food choice. Specifically, it is unclear which type of nutrition label format is effective across different shopping situations. To address this gap, the present review investigates the available nutrition labeling literature through the prism of dual-process theory, which posits that decisions are made either quickly and automatically (system 1) or slowly and deliberately (system 2). A systematically performed review of nutrition labeling literature returned 59 papers that provide findings that can be explained according to dual-process theory. The findings of these studies suggest that the effectiveness of nutrition label formats is influenced by the consumer's dominant processing system, which is a function of specific contexts and personal variables (eg, motivation, nutrition knowledge, time pressure, and depletion). Examination of reported findings through a situational processing perspective reveals that consumers might prefer different FOP nutrition label formats in different situations and can exhibit varying responses to the same label format across situations. This review offers several suggestions for policy makers and researchers to help improve current FOP nutrition label formats. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Empowerment through Photo Novella: Portraits of Participation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Caroline; Burris, Mary Ann

1994-01-01

Photonovels, based on empowerment education, feminist theory, and documentary photography, enable people with little money, power, or status to communicate needed changes to policymakers. Use of the process with 62 rural Chinese women shows how it contributes to changed consciousness and policy formation. (SK)

What Shapes Policy Formation in China? A Study of National Student Nutrition Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ji

2015-01-01

This article juxtaposes "world culture" and "policy borrowing and lending" literatures to understand policy formation in China. Through reviewing China's student nutrition policy evolution since the International Conference on Nutrition in 1992 to the launch of China's landmark national rural student nutrition program in 2011,…

Man-Machine Communication Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-02-01

communication difficulty for the computer-naive; discovery of major communication structures in human communication that have been left out of man-machine...processes; creation of a new overview of how human communication functions in cooperative task-oriented activity; and assistance in ARPA policy formation on CAI equipment development.

7 CFR 1485.14 - Application review and formation of agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... passwords in accordance with USDA's information technology policies that CCC will provide to MAP... markets for U.S. agricultural commodities. The selection process, by its nature, involves the exercise of judgment. CCC's choice of Participants and proposed promotion projects requires that it consider and weigh...

7 CFR 1485.14 - Application review and formation of agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... passwords in accordance with USDA's information technology policies that CCC will provide to MAP... markets for U.S. agricultural commodities. The selection process, by its nature, involves the exercise of judgment. CCC's choice of Participants and proposed promotion projects requires that it consider and weigh...

Planning for the 80s and Beyond.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Anza Coll., Cupertino, CA.

Designed as a guide for policy formation, program development, and resource allocation, this report identifies and evaluates future trends and their implications for California's De Anza College (DAC). Section 1 contains introductory information on the purposes, processes, and components of institutional planning at DAC. Section 2 assesses the…

Impact of signals and experience on trust and trusting behavior.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Hueih; Chien, Shu-Hua; Wu, Jyh-Jeng; Tsai, Pei-Yin

2010-10-01

Trust is an essential factor that drives virtual interaction and transactions on the Internet. Researchers have investigated the trust development process, and identified several important factors that form the basis for trust. This research combines the signal perspective and trust theory to examine the impact of market signals and past experience on trust formation and trusting behavior. Three market signals, including brand image, Web-site investment, and privacy policies, are identified and empirically tested to determine their impact on consumer trust. Based on 322 active Web users, the quantitative results suggest that brand image, Web-site investment, privacy policies, and past experience all positively impact trust formation. Furthermore, trust shows a positive effect on Web-site stickiness. Both theoretical and practical implications of the results are also offered.

OysterFutures: Integrating Stakeholder Objectives with Natural System Models to Promote Sustainable Natural Resource Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

North, E. W.; Blair, J.; Cornwell, J. C.; Freitag, A. E.; Gawde, R. K.; Hartley, T. W.; Hood, R. R.; Jones, R. M.; Miller, T. J.; Thomas, J. E.; Wainger, L. A.; Wilberg, M. J.

2016-02-01

Achieving effective natural resource management is challenged by multiple and often competing objectives, a restricted set of policy options, and uncertainty in the performance of those options. Yet, managers need policies that allow continued use of natural resources while ensuring access for future generations and maintenance of ecosystem services. Formal approaches are needed that will assist managers and stakeholders in choosing policy options that have a high likelihood of achieving social, ecological, and economic goals. The goal of this project, OysterFutures, is to address this need by improving the use of predictive models to support sustainable natural resource policy and management. A stakeholder-centered process will be used to build an integrated model that combines estuarine physics, oyster life history, and the ecosystem services that oysters provide (e.g., harvest, water quality) to forecast outcomes under alternative management strategies. Through a series of facilitated meetings, stakeholders will participate in a science-based collaborative process which will allow them to project how well policies are expected to meet their objectives using the integrated model. This iterative process will ensure that the model will incorporate the complex human uses of the ecosystem as well as focus on the outcomes most important to the stakeholders. In addition, a study of the socioeconomic drivers of stakeholder involvement, information flow, use and influence, and policy formation will be undertaken to improve the process, enhance implementation success of recommended policies, and provide new ideas for integrating natural and social sciences, and scientists, in sustainable resource management. In this presentation, the strategy for integrating natural system models, stakeholder views, and sociological studies as well as methods for selecting stakeholders and facilitating stakeholder meetings will be described and discussed.

Assessing public health policy approaches to level-up the gradient in health inequalities: the Gradient Evaluation Framework.

PubMed

Davies, J K; Sherriff, N S

2014-03-01

This paper seeks to introduce and analyse the development of the Gradient Evaluation Framework (GEF) to facilitate evaluation of policy actions for their current or future use in terms of their 'gradient friendliness'. In particular, this means their potential to level-up the gradient in health inequalities by addressing the social determinants of health and thereby reducing decision-makers' chances of error when developing such policy actions. A qualitative developmental study to produce a policy-based evaluation framework. The scientific basis of GEF was developed using a comprehensive consensus-building process. This process followed an initial narrative review, based on realist review principles, which highlighted the need for production of a dedicated evaluation framework. The consensus-building process included expert workshops, a pretesting phase, and external peer review, together with support from the Gradient project Scientific Advisory Group and all Gradient project partners, including its Project Steering Committee. GEF is presented as a flexible policy tool resulting from a consensus-building process involving experts from 13 European countries. The theoretical foundations which underpin GEF are discussed, together with a range of practical challenges. The importance of systematic evaluation at each stage of the policy development and implementation cycle is highlighted, as well as the socio-political context in which policy actions are located. GEF offers potentially a major contribution to the public health field in the form of a practical, policy-relevant and common frame of reference for the evaluation of public health interventions that aim to level-up the social gradient in health inequalities. Further research, including the need for practical field testing of GEF and the exploration of alternative presentational formats, is recommended. Copyright © 2013 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Policy Dispositif: Historical Formation and Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Patrick L. J.

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a new way of conceptualising education policy and also begins to develop a new method of policy analysis. In both instances, it draws on the theoretical and conceptual tools of Foucault, and in particular his concept "dispositif." It posits an historical and ontological formation -- a policy dispositif -- with…

Guidelines for Development of School Policies Regarding Smoking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Drug Education.

This guide was developed by the New York State Education department to assist schools in the formation, review, or redesign of school smoking policies. Basic considerations and policy rationale are discussed. A description of policy establishment involves: (1) formation of a task force, drawing members from school and community; (2) selection of…

Identifying and assessing the application of ecosystem services approaches in environmental policies and decision making.

PubMed

Van Wensem, Joke; Calow, Peter; Dollacker, Annik; Maltby, Lorraine; Olander, Lydia; Tuvendal, Magnus; Van Houtven, George

2017-01-01

The presumption is that ecosystem services (ES) approaches provide a better basis for environmental decision making than do other approaches because they make explicit the connection between human well-being and ecosystem structures and processes. However, the existing literature does not provide a precise description of ES approaches for environmental policy and decision making, nor does it assess whether these applications will make a difference in terms of changing decisions and improving outcomes. We describe 3 criteria that can be used to identify whether and to what extent ES approaches are being applied: 1) connect impacts all the way from ecosystem changes to human well-being, 2) consider all relevant ES affected by the decision, and 3) consider and compare the changes in well-being of different stakeholders. As a demonstration, we then analyze retrospectively whether and how the criteria were met in different decision-making contexts. For this assessment, we have developed an analysis format that describes the type of policy, the relevant scales, the decisions or questions, the decision maker, and the underlying documents. This format includes a general judgment of how far the 3 ES criteria have been applied. It shows that the criteria can be applied to many different decision-making processes, ranging from the supranational to the local scale and to different parts of decision-making processes. In conclusion we suggest these criteria could be used for assessments of the extent to which ES approaches have been and should be applied, what benefits and challenges arise, and whether using ES approaches made a difference in the decision-making process, decisions made, or outcomes of those decisions. Results from such studies could inform future use and development of ES approaches, draw attention to where the greatest benefits and challenges are, and help to target integration of ES approaches into policies, where they can be most effective. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:41-51. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Health impact assessment of agriculture and food policies: lessons learnt from the Republic of Slovenia.

PubMed

Lock, Karen; Gabrijelcic-Blenkus, Mojca; Martuzzi, Marco; Otorepec, Peter; Wallace, Paul; Dora, Carlos; Robertson, Aileen; Zakotnic, Jozica Maucec

2003-01-01

The most important public health priority in agricultural policy-making is currently food safety, despite the relatively higher importance of food security, nutrition, and other agricultural-related health issues in terms of global burden of disease. There is limited experience worldwide of using health impact assessment (HIA) during the development of agriculture and food policies, which perhaps reflects the complex nature of this policy sector. This paper presents methods of HIA used in the Republic of Slovenia, which is conducting a HIA of proposed agricultural and food policies due to its accession to the European Union. It is the first time that any government has attempted to assess the health effects of agricultural policy at a national level. The HIA has basically followed a six-stage process: policy analysis; rapid appraisal workshops with stakeholders from a range of backgrounds; review of research evidence relevant to the agricultural policy; analysis of Slovenian data for key health-related indicators; a report on the findings to a key cross-government group; and evaluation. The experience in Slovenia shows that the HIA process has been a useful mechanism for raising broader public health issues on the agricultural policy agenda, and it has already had positive results for policy formation. HIA is one useful approach to more integrated policy-making across sectors, but clearly it is not the only mechanism to achieve this. A comparison of the approach used in Slovenia with HIA methods in other countries and policy contexts shows that there are still many limitations with HIA application at a government level. Lessons can be learnt from these case studies for future development and application of HIA that is more relevant to policy-makers, and assists them in making more healthy policy choices.

Health impact assessment of agriculture and food policies: lessons learnt from the Republic of Slovenia.

PubMed Central

Lock, Karen; Gabrijelcic-Blenkus, Mojca; Martuzzi, Marco; Otorepec, Peter; Wallace, Paul; Dora, Carlos; Robertson, Aileen; Zakotnic, Jozica Maucec

2003-01-01

The most important public health priority in agricultural policy-making is currently food safety, despite the relatively higher importance of food security, nutrition, and other agricultural-related health issues in terms of global burden of disease. There is limited experience worldwide of using health impact assessment (HIA) during the development of agriculture and food policies, which perhaps reflects the complex nature of this policy sector. This paper presents methods of HIA used in the Republic of Slovenia, which is conducting a HIA of proposed agricultural and food policies due to its accession to the European Union. It is the first time that any government has attempted to assess the health effects of agricultural policy at a national level. The HIA has basically followed a six-stage process: policy analysis; rapid appraisal workshops with stakeholders from a range of backgrounds; review of research evidence relevant to the agricultural policy; analysis of Slovenian data for key health-related indicators; a report on the findings to a key cross-government group; and evaluation. The experience in Slovenia shows that the HIA process has been a useful mechanism for raising broader public health issues on the agricultural policy agenda, and it has already had positive results for policy formation. HIA is one useful approach to more integrated policy-making across sectors, but clearly it is not the only mechanism to achieve this. A comparison of the approach used in Slovenia with HIA methods in other countries and policy contexts shows that there are still many limitations with HIA application at a government level. Lessons can be learnt from these case studies for future development and application of HIA that is more relevant to policy-makers, and assists them in making more healthy policy choices. PMID:12894321

Global Citizenship and National (Re)formations: Analysis of Citizenship Education Reform in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, Laura C.

2014-01-01

In recent years, many European education systems have embarked on a process of education policy and curriculum reform related to citizenship education. This article explores citizenship education reform in the context of Spain. It considers how and to what extent Spain's 2006 citizenship education addressed issues of national and global…

Soil Erosion: Quiet Crisis in the World Economy. Worldwatch Paper 60.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Lester R.; Wolf, Edward C.

Although soil erosion is a natural process, it has increased to the point where it far exceeds the natural formation of new soil. However, with only occasional exceptions, national agricultural and population policies have failed to take soil depletion into account. Projections of world food production always incorporate estimates of future…

Locating regional health policy: Institutions, politics, and practices.

PubMed

Riggirozzi, Pia; Yeates, Nicola

2015-12-01

Poverty reduction and health became central in the agendas of Southern regional organisations in the last two decades. Yet, little is known about how these organisations address poverty, inclusion and social inequality, and how Southern regional formations are engaging in power constellations, institutions, processes, interests and ideological positions within different spheres of governance. This article reviews academic literatures spanning global social policy, regional studies and diplomacy studies, and the state of knowledge and understanding of the 'place' of regional actors in health governance as a global political practice therein. It identifies theoretical and thematic points of connection between disparate literatures and how these can be bridged through research focusing on the social policies of regional organisations and regional integration processes. This framework hence locates the contributions of each of the research articles of this Special Issue of Global Social Policy on the regional dimension of health policy and diplomacy in relation to Southern Africa and South America. It also highlights the ways in which the articles bring new evidence about how social relations of welfare are being (re)made over larger scales and how regional actors may initiate new norms to improve health rights in international arenas engaging in new forms of 'regional' diplomacy.

Bridging analytical approaches for low-carbon transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geels, Frank W.; Berkhout, Frans; van Vuuren, Detlef P.

2016-06-01

Low-carbon transitions are long-term multi-faceted processes. Although integrated assessment models have many strengths for analysing such transitions, their mathematical representation requires a simplification of the causes, dynamics and scope of such societal transformations. We suggest that integrated assessment model-based analysis should be complemented with insights from socio-technical transition analysis and practice-based action research. We discuss the underlying assumptions, strengths and weaknesses of these three analytical approaches. We argue that full integration of these approaches is not feasible, because of foundational differences in philosophies of science and ontological assumptions. Instead, we suggest that bridging, based on sequential and interactive articulation of different approaches, may generate a more comprehensive and useful chain of assessments to support policy formation and action. We also show how these approaches address knowledge needs of different policymakers (international, national and local), relate to different dimensions of policy processes and speak to different policy-relevant criteria such as cost-effectiveness, socio-political feasibility, social acceptance and legitimacy, and flexibility. A more differentiated set of analytical approaches thus enables a more differentiated approach to climate policy making.

Conversion of school nurse policy and procedure manual to electronic format.

PubMed

Randall, Joellyn; Knee, Rachel; Galemore, Cynthia

2006-10-01

Policy and procedure manuals are essential to establishing standards of practice and ensuring quality of care to students and families. The Olathe District Schools (Kansas) Technology Department created the Virtual File Cabinet to provide online access to employee policies, school board policies, forms, and other documents. A task force of school nurses was formed to convert the nursing department's policies, procedures, protocols, and forms from hard copy to electronic format and make them available on the district's Virtual File Cabinet. Having the policy and procedure manuals in electronic format allows for quick access and ease in updating information, thereby guaranteeing the school nurses have access to the most current information. Cost savings were realized by reducing the amount of paper and staff time needed to copy, collate, and assemble materials.

A Comparison of Community and State College Leader Perceptions of Trustee Involvement in Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Adam A.; Miller, Michael T.

2014-01-01

Trustees play an important role in determining the direction, priorities, and future of higher education institutions, and as such, are critical actors in the decision-making and policy formation process. Numerous anecdotal reports have concluded that there are often competing interests in the use and structure of trustees throughout higher…

Using Personnel Evaluation To Focus on the Development of Teaching Skills: Faculty Ideas and University Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Neil; Fenton, Ray

The role of the personnel evaluation process in improving the performance of teachers as classroom communicators is explored by contrasting the personnel evaluation system of Alaska Pacific University (APU) with that of the Anchorage School District (Alaska). While the APU system offers little specification for formative evaluation activities, the…

The Distribution of Mexico's Public Spending on Education. Policy Research Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Acevedo, Gladys; Salinas, Angel

Research has shown that education in Mexico has played a crucial role in the process of earnings formation and that returns to education have increased only in the higher levels of education and in the upper tail of the conditional earnings distribution. This paper examines the public educational expenditure patterns in the face of possible…

Turmoil, Tirades and Transformation: The Wars for the National History Standards 1991-2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Phyllis Margaret

2010-01-01

This qualitative research study, in the format of an historical narrative, chronicles the issues, process of consensus, and the impact of the National History Standards Project (NHSP) on local policies and curricula in history education. The "culture wars" for the "National Standards for History" of 1994-1996 and quest for a…

Conflict and compromise in public health policy: analysis of changes made to five competitive food legislative proposals prior to adoption.

PubMed

Dinour, Lauren M

2015-04-01

Competitive foods in schools have historically been scrutinized for their ubiquity and poor nutritional quality, leading many states to enact legislation limiting the availability and accessibility of these items. Evaluations of these policy approaches show their promise in improving the healthfulness of school food environments, considered an important strategy for reducing childhood obesity. Yet little is known about the decision-making processes by which such legislation is formed and adopted. Using a comparative case study design, this study describes and analyzes the policy formation processes surrounding five state-level competitive food bills introduced in 2009-2010. Data for each case were drawn from multiple key informant interviews and document reviews. Case studies were conducted, analyzed, and written independently using a standard protocol and were subsequently compared for recurring and unique themes. Abbreviated case studies and summary tables are provided. Results indicate that bill cost is a major barrier to achieving strong, health-promoting policy change. Additionally, findings reveal that supporters of stronger competitive food policies often concede to changes that weaken a bill in order to neutralize opposition and achieve stakeholder buy-in. These challenges suggest that continued research on the development, implementation, and evaluation of public health policies can contribute to the advancement of new strategies for effective health promotion. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

Creative revision - From rough draft to published paper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M. F.

1976-01-01

The process of revising a technical or scientific paper can be performed more efficiently by the people involved (author, co-author, supervisor, editor) when the revision is controlled by breaking it into a series of steps. The revision process recommended here is based on the levels-of-edit concept that resulted from a study of the technical editorial function at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology. Types of revision discussed are Substantive, Policy, Language, Mechanical Style, Format, Integrity, and Copy Clarification.

Experiences and attitudes towards evidence-informed policy-making among research and policy stakeholders in the Canadian agri-food public health sector.

PubMed

Young, I; Gropp, K; Pintar, K; Waddell, L; Marshall, B; Thomas, K; McEwen, S A; Rajić, A

2014-12-01

Policy-makers working at the interface of agri-food and public health often deal with complex and cross-cutting issues that have broad health impacts and socio-economic implications. They have a responsibility to ensure that policy-making based on these issues is accountable and informed by the best available scientific evidence. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study of agri-food public health policy-makers and research and policy analysts in Ontario, Canada, to understand their perspectives on how the policy-making process is currently informed by scientific evidence and how to facilitate this process. Five focus groups of 3-7 participants and five-one-to-one interviews were held in 2012 with participants from federal and provincial government departments and industry organizations in the agri-food public health sector. We conducted a thematic analysis of the focus group and interview transcripts to identify overarching themes. Participants indicated that the following six key principles are necessary to enable and demonstrate evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) in this sector: (i) establish and clarify the policy objectives and context; (ii) support policy-making with credible scientific evidence from different sources; (iii) integrate scientific evidence with other diverse policy inputs (e.g. economics, local applicability and stakeholder interests); (iv) ensure that scientific evidence is communicated by research and policy stakeholders in relevant and user-friendly formats; (V) create and foster interdisciplinary relationships and networks across research and policy communities; and (VI) enhance organizational capacity and individual skills for EIPM. Ongoing and planned efforts in these areas, a supportive culture, and additional education and training in both research and policy realms are important to facilitate evidence-informed policy-making in this sector. Future research should explore these findings further in other countries and contexts. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

VHA mental health information system: applying health information technology to monitor and facilitate implementation of VHA Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook requirements.

PubMed

Trafton, Jodie A; Greenberg, Greg; Harris, Alex H S; Tavakoli, Sara; Kearney, Lisa; McCarthy, John; Blow, Fredric; Hoff, Rani; Schohn, Mary

2013-03-01

To describe the design and deployment of health information technology to support implementation of mental health services policy requirements in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Using administrative and self-report survey data, we developed and fielded metrics regarding implementation of the requirements delineated in the VHA Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook. Finalized metrics were incorporated into 2 external facilitation-based quality improvement programs led by the VHA Mental Health Operations. To support these programs, tailored site-specific reports were generated. Metric development required close collaboration between program evaluators, policy makers and clinical leadership, and consideration of policy language and intent. Electronic reports supporting different purposes required distinct formatting and presentation features, despite their having similar general goals and using the same metrics. Health information technology can facilitate mental health policy implementation but must be integrated into a process of consensus building and close collaboration with policy makers, evaluators, and practitioners.

Social policy and drug dependence: an historical case study.

PubMed

Smart, C

1985-11-01

A detailed examination is presented of the background to the reports and policy developments concerning drug dependence which emerged in Britain during the 1960s. Analysis of documents and interviews with policy makers, officials and doctors involved in the events of the period, reveal that explanatory models in terms of 'moral panic' or 'power struggle' tend to oversimplify the complex processes involved. The role in policy formation of the media, government departments and groups within the medical profession is considered. The patterns of conflict and convergence are seen to overlap simple lines of 'interest'--we find conflict within the medical profession, convergence between the Home Office (legal) and elements of the medical professions (medical). The resulting legal and institutional framework involved only loose guidelines from the centre about treatment, and the shape of policy was determined by individual doctors in the new hospital treatment centres. The apparent re-run of the 1960s being staged in the 1980s will require detailed research in the future in order to avoid superficial comparisons.

Bridge over troubled waters: A Synthesis Session to connect ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Lack of access to relevant scientific data has limited decision makers from incorporating scientific information into their management and policy schemes. Yet, there is increasing interest among decision makers and scientists to integrate coastal and marine science into the policy and management process. Strategies designed to build communication between decision makers and scientists can be an effective means to disseminate and/or generate policy relevant scientific information. Here researchers develop, test, and present a workshop model designed to bridge the gap between coastal and marine decision makers and scientists. Researchers identify successful components of such a workshop as well as areas for improvement and recommendations to design and conduct similar workshops in the future. This novel workshop format can be used in other fora to effectively connect decision makers and scientists, and to initiate an iterative process to generate and transfer policy relevant scientific information into evidence-based decisions, an important element in protecting coastal and marine resources. In this paper we develop and present a model for increasing collaboration between scientists and decision makers to promote evidence based decisions. Successes and areas for improvement in the tested model are discussed. This novel workshop model is intended to build and sustain connections, with the ultimate goal of creating better policy and management practices. In a recent

Locating regional health policy: Institutions, politics, and practices

PubMed Central

Riggirozzi, Pia; Yeates, Nicola

2015-01-01

Poverty reduction and health became central in the agendas of Southern regional organisations in the last two decades. Yet, little is known about how these organisations address poverty, inclusion and social inequality, and how Southern regional formations are engaging in power constellations, institutions, processes, interests and ideological positions within different spheres of governance. This article reviews academic literatures spanning global social policy, regional studies and diplomacy studies, and the state of knowledge and understanding of the ‘place’ of regional actors in health governance as a global political practice therein. It identifies theoretical and thematic points of connection between disparate literatures and how these can be bridged through research focusing on the social policies of regional organisations and regional integration processes. This framework hence locates the contributions of each of the research articles of this Special Issue of Global Social Policy on the regional dimension of health policy and diplomacy in relation to Southern Africa and South America. It also highlights the ways in which the articles bring new evidence about how social relations of welfare are being (re)made over larger scales and how regional actors may initiate new norms to improve health rights in international arenas engaging in new forms of ‘regional’ diplomacy. PMID:26635495

A pseudo-sequential choice model for valuing multi-attribute environmental policies or programs in contingent valuation applications

Treesearch

Dmitriy Volinskiy; John C Bergstrom; Christopher M Cornwell; Thomas P Holmes

2010-01-01

The assumption of independence of irrelevant alternatives in a sequential contingent valuation format should be questioned. Statistically, most valuation studies treat nonindependence as a consequence of unobserved individual effects. Another approach is to consider an inferential process in which any particular choice is part of a general choosing strategy of a survey...

The Renovation of Higher Education Governance in Vietnam and Its Impact on the Teaching Quality at Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pham, Thi Lan Phuong

2012-01-01

Significant changes in the policies of higher education in Vietnam have changed the structure and governance of the system since the mid-1990s. The most commonly agreed-upon positive outcome of the governance renovation process is that the formation of a nationwide quality assurance scheme, which is stimulated by accreditation, in the higher…

Oh, Garbage! Decisions about Waste Disposal. Creative Role-Playing Exercises in Science and Technology Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parisi, Lynn; Pearson, Janice

This document is one of a series of role plays that focus on science-related social issues of concern in contemporary public policy formation. The role plays are designed to help students develop information-processing and decision making skills needed to deal effectively with such issues. The role plays guide students in analyzing science related…

Beyond the Local/General Divide: English for Academic Purposes and Process Approaches to Cross Disciplinary, Doctoral Writing Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bastalich, Wendy

2011-01-01

One of the outcomes of the policy emphasis upon skills formation in countries like Australia and the UK has been an increase in cross-disciplinary structured programs for higher research degrees raising implicit, but often unexamined, questions about the curriculum and expertise that should inform them. Key insights from applied linguistics and…

Analysis of the policymaking process in Burkina Faso's health sector: case studies of the creation of two health system support units.

PubMed

Zida, Andre; Lavis, John N; Sewankambo, Nelson K; Kouyate, Bocar; Moat, Kaelan; Shearer, Jessica

2017-02-13

Burkina Faso has made a number of health system policy decisions to improve performance on health indicators and strengthen responsiveness to health-related challenges. These included the creation of a General Directorate of Health Information and Statistics (DGISS) and a technical unit to coordinate performance-based financing (CT-FBR). We analysed the policymaking processes associated with the establishment of these units, and documented the factors that influenced this process. We used a multiple-case study design based on Kingdon's agenda-setting model to investigate the DGISS and CT-FBR policymaking processes. Data were collected from interviews with key informants (n = 28), published literature, policy documents (including two strategic and 230 action plans), and 55 legal/regulatory texts. Interviews were analysed using thematic qualitative analysis. Data from the documentary analysis were triangulated with the qualitative interview data. Key factors influencing the policymaking processes associated with the two units involved the 'problem' (problem identification), 'policy' (formation of policy proposals), and 'politics' (political climate/change) streams, which came together in a way that resulted in proposals being placed on the decision agenda. A number of problems with Burkina Faso's health information and financing systems were identified. Policy proposals for the DGISS and CT-FBR units were developed in response to these problems, emerging from several sources including development partners. Changes in political and public service administrations (specifically the 2008 appointment of a new Minister of Health and the establishment of a new budget allocation system), with corresponding changes in the actors and interests involved, appeared key in elevating the proposals to the decision agenda. Efforts to improve performance on health indicators and strengthen responsiveness to health-related challenges need focus on the need for a compelling problem, a viable policy, and conducive politics in order to make it to the decision agenda.

Education in the New Latino Diaspora: Policy and the Politics of Identity. Sociocultural Studies in Educational Policy Formation and Appropriation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wortham, Stanton, Ed.; Murillo, Enrique G., Jr., Ed.; Hamann, Edmund T., Ed.

Many immigrant Latino families are settling in U.S. communities that previously had little Latino presence. Through case studies of such communities in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Colorado, Illinois, and Indiana, this book describes relations between host communities and newcomers, with particular focus on educational policy formation and…

The politics of HPV vaccination policy formation in the United States.

PubMed

Abiola, Sara E; Colgrove, James; Mello, Michelle M

2013-08-01

This article explores the political dimensions of policy formation for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine through case studies of six states: California, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, and Virginia. Using thematic content analysis of semistructured key informant interviews with policy stakeholders, newspaper articles, and archival materials, we describe the trajectory of public health policy developments for HPV immunization and analyze key influences on policy outcomes through the theoretical lens of the Multiple Streams framework. Specifically, we examine factors influencing the extent to which HPV was perceived as a problem meriting policy action; political forces that facilitated and impeded policy adoption, including interest-group opposition and structural and ideological features of the states' political environments; and factors affecting which policy alternatives received consideration. We find that effective policy entrepreneurship played a critical role in determining policy outcomes. We conclude by discussing lessons from the case of HPV vaccination for future efforts to craft vaccination policies.

From Product to Place-Spatializing governance in a commodified landscape.

PubMed

van Oosten, Cora; Moeliono, Moira; Wiersum, Freerk

2018-07-01

This article analyzes the potential for landscape governance in large-scale commodity landscapes in Indonesia. It conceptualizes landscape governance as the spatialization of governance, which entails the interplay between natural-spatial conditions of place, public-private actor constellations, and policy responses. The article presents the case of a commodified oil palm landscape in West Kalimantan, where a potentially new type of landscape governance is emerging out of the experimental activities of an ecologically responsible commercial enterprise. It describes the development of a multifunctional concession as a process of productive bricolage involving the creative combination of different land uses within a single productive space. It also describes how such a multifunctional concession does not fit into existing policies, which are sectorally defined and embedded in sticky institutional frames. The formation of new public-private institutional arrangements needed for the development of multifunctional concessions is a difficult process, as it requires an alignment of contrasting discourses and an integration of sectorally-defined policy frames. If successful, it might facilitate the transition from multifunctional concessions to multifunctional landscapes. Such a fundamental change in land use and production relations however requires intensive stakeholder engagement and policy dialog. Indonesia's continuous decentralization process offers opportunities for this, as it increasingly provides institutional space at the landscape level, for public and private actors to explore common concerns, and craft public-private arrangements specific to the landscape.

Panaceas and diversification of environmental policy

PubMed Central

Brock, William A.; Carpenter, Stephen R.

2007-01-01

We consider panacea formation in the framework of adaptive learning and decision for social–ecological systems (SESs). Institutions for managing such systems must address multiple timescales of ecological change, as well as features of the social community in which the ecosystem policy problem is embedded. Response of the SES to each candidate institution must be modeled and treated as a stochastic process with unknown parameters to be estimated. A fundamental challenge is to design institutions that are not vulnerable to capture by subsets of the community that self-organize to direct the institution against the overall social interest. In a world of episodic structural change, such as SESs, adaptive learning can lock in to a single institution, model, or parameter estimate. Policy diversification, leading to escape from panacea traps, can come from monitoring indicators of episodic change on slow timescales, minimax regret decision making, active experimentation to accelerate model identification, mechanisms for broadening the set of models or institutions under consideration, and processes for discovery of new institutions and technologies for ecosystem management. It is difficult to take all of these factors into account, but the discipline that comes with the attempt to model the coupled social–ecological dynamics forces policy makers to confront all conceivable responses. This process helps induce the modesty needed to avoid panacea traps while supporting systematic effort to improve resource management in the public interest. PMID:17881581

Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity: The Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), Melbourne: a decade on.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Claire; Pennay, Amy; MacLean, Sarah; Livingston, Michael; Room, Robin; Hamilton, Margaret; Laslett, Anne-Marie; Jiang, Heng; Callinan, Sarah; Waleewong, Orratai

2018-03-01

Established in 2006, the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) is Australia's only research centre with a primary focus on alcohol policy. CAPR has four main areas of research: alcohol policy impacts; alcohol policy formation and regulatory processes involved in implementing alcohol policies; patterns and trends in drinking and alcohol problems in the population; and the influence of drinking norms, cultural practices and social contexts, particularly in interaction with alcohol policies. In this paper, we give examples of key publications in each area. During the past decade, the number of staff employed at CAPR has increased steadily and now hovers at approximately 10. CAPR has supported the development of independent researchers who collaborate on a number of international projects, such as the Alcohol's Harm to Others study which is now replicated in approximately 30 countries. CAPR receives core funding from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, and staff have been highly successful in securing additional competitive research funding. In 2016, CAPR moved to a new institutional setting at La Trobe University and celebrated 10 years of operation. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

British Policy Towards Loyalists in the Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-25

revolution. This lack of nuanced understanding prevented the formation of a coherent policy at the operational level to ensure the support of the...lack of nuanced understanding prevented the formation of a coherent policy at the operational level to ensure the support of the Loyalists...of using devious math to justify the lack of reinforcements by including the sick and captured in his count.9

Emotional Work in Preschool Teacher's Everyday Lives: A Theoretical Outline and Dialogue with Critical Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Yin-Kun

2016-01-01

This paper points out educational study is not only a pure macro-oriented focus such as analysis for policy and ideological formation; rather, it also must be in synchronicity with the actual socio-historical process and the baseline of everyday life in the micro level. Thus, this paper considers that emotional issues may be the good windows to…

Working at the nexus between public health policy, practice and research. Dynamics of knowledge sharing in the Netherlands

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Joining the domains of practice, research and policy is an important aspect of boosting the quality performance required to tackle complex public health problems. “Joining domains” implies a departure from the linear and technocratic knowledge-translation approach. Integrating the practice, research and policy triangle means knowing its elements, appreciating the barriers, identifying possible cooperation strategies and studying strategy effectiveness under specified conditions. This article examines the dynamic process of developing an Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health in the Netherlands, with the objective of achieving that the three domains of policy, practice and research become working partners on an equal footing. Method An interpretative hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the phenomenon of collaboration at the nexus between the three domains. The project was explicitly grounded in current organizational culture and routines, applied to nexus action. In the process of examination, we used both quantitative (e.g. records) and qualitative data (e.g., interviews and observations). The data were interpreted using the Actor-Network, Institutional Re-Design and Blurring the Boundaries theories. Results Results show commitment at strategic level. At the tactical level, however, managers were inclined to prioritize daily routine, while the policy domain remained absent. At the operational level, practitioners learned to do PhD research in real-life practice and researchers became acquainted with problems of practice and policy, resulting in new research initiatives. Conclusion We conclude that working at the nexus is an ongoing process of formation and reformation. Strategies based on Institutional Re-Design theories in particular might help to more actively stimulate managers’ involvement to establish mutually supportive networks. PMID:23075375

Working at the nexus between public health policy, practice and research. Dynamics of knowledge sharing in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Jansen, Maria W; De Leeuw, Evelyne; Hoeijmakers, Marjan; De Vries, Nanne K

2012-10-17

Joining the domains of practice, research and policy is an important aspect of boosting the quality performance required to tackle complex public health problems. "Joining domains" implies a departure from the linear and technocratic knowledge-translation approach. Integrating the practice, research and policy triangle means knowing its elements, appreciating the barriers, identifying possible cooperation strategies and studying strategy effectiveness under specified conditions.This article examines the dynamic process of developing an Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health in the Netherlands, with the objective of achieving that the three domains of policy, practice and research become working partners on an equal footing. An interpretative hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the phenomenon of collaboration at the nexus between the three domains. The project was explicitly grounded in current organizational culture and routines, applied to nexus action. In the process of examination, we used both quantitative (e.g. records) and qualitative data (e.g., interviews and observations). The data were interpreted using the Actor-Network, Institutional Re-Design and Blurring the Boundaries theories. Results show commitment at strategic level. At the tactical level, however, managers were inclined to prioritize daily routine, while the policy domain remained absent. At the operational level, practitioners learned to do PhD research in real-life practice and researchers became acquainted with problems of practice and policy, resulting in new research initiatives. We conclude that working at the nexus is an ongoing process of formation and reformation. Strategies based on Institutional Re-Design theories in particular might help to more actively stimulate managers' involvement to establish mutually supportive networks.

Spatial indeterminacy and power sector carbon emissions accounting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiusto, J. Scott

Carbon emission indicators are essential for understanding climate change processes, and for motivating and measuring the effectiveness of carbon reduction policy at multiple scales. Carbon indicators also play an increasingly important role in shaping cultural discourses and politics about nature-society relations and the roles of the state, markets and civil society in creating sustainable natural resource practices and just societies. The analytical and political significance of indicators is tied closely to their objective basis: how accurately they account for the places, people, and processes responsible for emissions. In the electric power sector, however, power-trading across geographic boundaries prevents a simple, purely objective spatial attribution of emissions. Using U.S. states as the unit of analysis, three alternative methods of accounting for carbon emissions from electricity use are assessed, each of which is conceptually sound and methodologically rigorous, yet produces radically different estimates of individual state emissions. Each method also implicitly embodies distinctly different incentive structures for states to enact carbon reduction policies. Because none of the three methods can be said to more accurately reflect "true" emissions levels, I argue the best method is that which most encourages states to reduce emissions. Energy and carbon policy processes are highly contested, however, and thus I examine competing interests and perspectives shaping state energy policy. I explore what it means, philosophically and politically, to predicate emissions estimates on both objectively verifiable past experience and subjectively debatable policy prescriptions for the future. Although developed here at the state scale, the issues engaged and the carbon accounting methodology proposed are directly relevant to carbon analysis and policy formation at scales ranging from the local to the international.

Research for Policy (R4P): development of a reflection tool for researchers to improve knowledge utilization.

PubMed

Hegger, Ingrid; Marks, Lisanne K; Janssen, Susan W J; Schuit, Albertine J; Keijsers, Jolanda F M; van Oers, Hans A M

2016-09-30

To improve knowledge utilization in policymaking, alignment between researchers and policymakers during knowledge production is essential, but difficult to maintain. In three previously reported case studies, we extensively evaluated complex research projects commissioned by policymakers to investigate how alignment is achieved in a research process and to discover ways to enhance knowledge contributions to health policy. In the present study, we investigated how the findings of these three research projects could be integrated into a practical tool for researchers to enhance their contribution to evidence-based policy. A cross-case analysis was conducted to integrate the findings of the evaluation of the three research projects and to identify important alignment areas in these projects. By means of an iterative process, we prepared a tool that includes reflection questions for researchers. The "Research for Policy" tool was tested with input from the project managers of three new research projects. Based on the findings, the final version of the Research for Policy tool was prepared. By cross-case analysis of the three case studies, the following important alignment areas were identified: the goal, quality, relevance, timing, and presentation of research, the tasks and authorities of actors, the consultative structure and vertical alignment within organizations, and the organizational environment. The project managers regarded the Research for Policy tool as a useful checklist for addressing the important alignment areas in a research project. Based on their feedback, the illustrative examples from the case studies were added to the reflection questions. The project managers suggested making the tool accessible not only to researchers but also to policymakers. The format of the Research for Policy tool was further adjusted to users' needs by adding clickable links. Alignment between research and policymaking requires continuous efforts and a clear understanding of process issues in the research project. The Research for Policy tool offers practical alignment guidance and facilitates reflection on process issues, which supports researchers in aligning with policymakers and in acting in a context-sensitive way.

Preface

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, Brian J.; Sundquist, Eric T.

2009-01-01

Carbon sequestration has emerged as an important option in policies to mitigate the increasing atmospheric concentrations of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2). Significant quantities of anthropogenic CO2 are sequestered by natural carbon uptake in plants, soils, and the oceans. These uptake processes are objects of intense study by biogeochemists, ecologists, and other researchers who seek to understand the processes that determine the mass balance (“budget”) among global carbon fluxes. At the same time, many scientists and engineers are examining methods for deliberate carbon sequestration through storage in plants, soils, the oceans, and geological formations.

Expert communities and interest-formation in the Brazilian AIDS program.

PubMed

Lago, Regina Ferro do; Costa, Nilson do Rosário

2017-05-01

This paper examines the role of the Technical Advisory Committee for antiretroviral therapy of the Brazilian AIDS program in mediating the decision-making process of including new antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in the Unified Health System services by the end of the 2000s. We conducted documental analysis and interviews with key informants from the governmental sphere and professionals. The work features the Technical Advisory Committee as an "expert community", defined as a network of individuals with expertise and competence in a particular sphere and whose knowledge is relevant in critical public policy decision areas. It also indicates that the decision-making process for inclusion of antiretroviral drugs in the Brazilian program was incremental, considering the expectations of the innovative leader companies of pharmaceutical market. The work describes thus the results of the interaction of government interests, pharmaceutical industry and experts in the implementation of a relevant international policy. It provides arguments and evidence for understanding the role of expert communities on a sectorial public policy so far analyzed predominantly from the perspective of social movements.

The Expansion of Teach for America during the 2013 North Carolina General Assembly Session: A Case Study of State Educational Policy Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Lela Jean

2015-01-01

Drawing on the Multiple Streams Model and Policy Regime Change Theory, this study sought to identify the political and instrumental factors that influenced the formation of a policy that led to the expansion of Teach for America in North Carolina. Data for this single intrinsic case study were drawn from interviews with organizational leaders,…

Intervention strategies for carcass disposal: pareto analysis of exposures for exotic disease outbreaks.

PubMed

Delgado, João; Longhurst, Phil; Hickman, Gordon A W; Gauntlett, Daniel M; Howson, Simon F; Irving, Phil; Hart, Alwyn; Pollard, Simon J T

2010-06-15

An enhanced methodology for the policy-level prioritization of intervention options during carcass disposal is presented. Pareto charts provide a semiquantitative analysis of opportunities for multiple exposures to human health, animal health, and the wider environment during carcass disposal; they identify critical control points for risk management and assist in waste technology assessment. Eighty percent of the total availability of more than 1300 potential exposures to human, animal, or environmental receptors is represented by 16 processes, these being dominated by on-farm collection and carcass processing, reinforcing the criticality of effective controls during early stages of animal culling and waste processing. Exposures during mass burials are dominated by ground- and surface-water exposures with noise and odor nuisance prevalent for mass pyres, consistent with U.K. experience. Pareto charts are discussed in the context of other visualization formats for policy officials and promoted as a communication tool for informing the site-specific risk assessments required during the operational phases of exotic disease outbreaks.

A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge.

PubMed

Yang, Yong

2016-09-01

Recently, research on utilitarian walking has gained momentum due to its benefits on both health and the environment. However, our overall understanding of how built and social environments affect travel mode choice (walking or not) is still limited, and most existing frameworks on travel mode choice lack dynamic processes. After a review of several mainstream theories and a number of frameworks, we propose an integrated framework. The basic constructs in the travel mode choice function are utilities, constraints, attitudes, and habits. With a hierarchical structure and heuristic rules, the travel mode choice function is modified by individual characteristics and travel characteristics. The framework explicitly presents several dynamic processes, including the perception process on the environment, attitude formation process, habit formation process, interactions among an individual's own behaviors, interactions among travelers, feedback from travel to the built and social environments, and feedback from other behaviors to the built and social environments. For utilitarian walking, the framework may contribute to the study design, data collection, adoption of new research methods, and provide indications for policy interventions.

A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge

PubMed Central

Yang, Yong

2016-01-01

Recently, research on utilitarian walking has gained momentum due to its benefits on both health and the environment. However, our overall understanding of how built and social environments affect travel mode choice (walking or not) is still limited, and most existing frameworks on travel mode choice lack dynamic processes. After a review of several mainstream theories and a number of frameworks, we propose an integrated framework. The basic constructs in the travel mode choice function are utilities, constraints, attitudes, and habits. With a hierarchical structure and heuristic rules, the travel mode choice function is modified by individual characteristics and travel characteristics. The framework explicitly presents several dynamic processes, including the perception process on the environment, attitude formation process, habit formation process, interactions among an individual’s own behaviors, interactions among travelers, feedback from travel to the built and social environments, and feedback from other behaviors to the built and social environments. For utilitarian walking, the framework may contribute to the study design, data collection, adoption of new research methods, and provide indications for policy interventions. PMID:27747158

Eliciting the Functional Processes of Apologizing for Errors in Health Care

PubMed Central

Prothero, Marie M.; Morse, Janice M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article was to analyze the concept development of apology in the context of errors in health care, the administrative response, policy and format/process of the subsequent apology. Using pragmatic utility and a systematic review of the literature, 29 articles and one book provided attributes involved in apologizing. Analytic questions were developed to guide the data synthesis and types of apologies used in different circumstances identified. The antecedents of apologizing, and the attributes and outcomes were identified. A model was constructed illustrating the components of a complete apology, other types of apologies, and ramifications/outcomes of each. Clinical implications of developing formal policies for correcting medical errors through apologies are recommended. Defining the essential elements of apology is the first step in establishing a just culture in health care. Respect for patient-centered care reduces the retaliate consequences following an error, and may even restore the physician patient relationship. PMID:28540337

Healthcare quality improvement -- policy implications and practicalities.

PubMed

Esain, Ann Elizabeth; Williams, Sharon J; Gakhal, Sandeep; Caley, Lynne; Cooke, Matthew W

2012-01-01

This article aims to explore quality improvement (QI) at individual, group and organisational level. It also aims to identify restraining forces using formative evaluation and discuss implications for current UK policy, particularly quality, innovation, productivity and prevention. Learning events combined with work-based projects, focusing on individual and group responses are evaluated. A total of 11 multi-disciplinary groups drawn from NHS England healthcare Trusts (self-governing operational groups) were sampled. These Trusts have different geographic locations and participants were drawn from primary, secondary and commissioning arms. Mixed methods: questionnaires, observations and reflective accounts were used. The paper finds that solution versus problem identification causes confusion and influences success. Time for problem solving to achieve QI was absent. Feedback and learning structures are often not in place or inflexible. Limited focus on patient-centred services may be related to past assumptions regarding organisational design, hence assumptions and models need to be understood and challenged. The authors revise the Plan, Do, Study; Act (PDSA) model by adding an explicit problem identification step and hence avoiding solution-focused habits; demonstrating the need for more formative evaluations to inform managers and policy makers about healthcare QI processes. - Although UK-centric, the quality agenda is a USA and European theme, findings may help those embarking on this journey or those struggling with QI.

Health promotion in Brazil.

PubMed

Buss, Paulo Marchiori; de Carvalho, Antonio Ivo

2007-01-01

The evolution of health promotion within the Brazilian health system is examined, including an assessment of the intersectoral and development policies that have influenced the process. Particular attention is paid to the legal characteristics of the Unified Health System. Human resources formation and research initiatives in health promotion are outlined, with a summary of the obstacles that need to be overcome in order to ensure the effective implementation of health promotion in the future. Up to the end of the 20th Century health promotion was not used as a term in the Brazilian public heath context. Health promoting activities were concentrated in the area of health education, although targeting the social determinants of health and the principle of intersectoral action were part of the rhetoric. The situation has changed during the last decade, with the publication of a national policy of health promotion, issued by the Ministry of Health and jointly implemented with the States and Municipals Health Secretaries. More recently there has been a re-emergence of the discourse on the social determinants of health and the formation of intersectoral public policies as the basis of a comprehensive health promotion. Health promotion infrastructure, particularly around human resources and financing, requires strengthening in order to ensure capacity and sustainability in health promotion practice.

Norms and Cones in the Theory of Quantum Entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Mark Chapin

From 1978 on there have been a series of legislative acts that have placed substantial protectionist burdens on the American taxpayer to provide incentives, credits and mandates for the production and use of ethanol under the rationale of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign sources of oil while purporting to economically benefit the American economy and strengthening American security. While there has been much discussion about the economic benefits of ethanol policy, there is growing literature suggesting that in addition to being neither economically nor environmentally beneficial, ethanol policy may not be achieving its intended goals. Connection between political contributions, policy formation, and the actual outcomes of the enacted policies does not appear to have been addressed. Throughout the course of ethanol policy development the narrow interests of some stakeholders may have been met at the expense of others. Given the very large economic and social costs of ongoing ethanol subsidies and mandates an exploration of such a nexus would be illuminating and valuable. Hence the question of this research will be: Has the ethanol energy policy of the United States, as outlined in legislative actions, requiring subsidies and mandates from taxpayers, been reflective of a deliberative democratic process that after taking into account the input and influence of various competing viewpoints has resulted in a beneficial national policy? Consequently have the policy outcomes of the legislative stakeholders matched the stated intentions of those involved in the deliberative debate that enacted it or, where have those objectives not been met? Research that can increase understanding of how such an important policy may have failed can inform policy deliberation in such diverse areas as agriculture, national security and energy policy while illuminating how and why such public policy was made. Examination of a policy created and continuing which may have failed the most basic cost benefit analysis and does very little to enhance national energy security could demonstrate how a distortion of the legislative process resulted in outcomes that differ markedly from the stated intentions of those who enacted the policy.

Translating health research evidence into policy and practice in Uganda.

PubMed

Mbonye, Anthony K; Magnussen, Pascal

2013-08-05

Uganda experiences a high disease burden of malaria, infectious and non-communicable diseases. Recent data shows that malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all age groups, while HIV prevalence is on the increase and there is re-emergence of viral haemorrhagic fevers and cholera epidemics. In order to respond to the above situation, a team of researchers, policy makers, civil society and the media was formed in order to build a collaboration that would help in discussing appropriate strategies to mitigate the high disease burden in Uganda. A preparatory secretariat composed of individuals from Ministry of Health, Malaria Research Centre and School of Public Health was formed. The secretariat identified researchers, key resource persons to guide the workshops and the format for presentation. The criteria for selection of the research topics were: National public health importance and had been published in peer-reviewed journals. The presentations were structured as follows: research questions, hypotheses, methodology, major findings and policy implications. The secretariat compiled all the proceedings of the workshops including attendance, address of participants including telephone and email contacts. During the last workshop, an evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the workshops. Four workshops were held between 2006 and 2009. A total of 322 participants attended of whom mid-level policy makers, researchers and the media were consistently high. The workshops generated a lot of interest that lead to presentation and discussion of nationally relevant health research results. The workshops had an impact on the participants' skills in writing policy briefs, participating in the policy review process and entering into dialogue with policy makers. The following lessons have been learned: getting health research into policy is feasible but requires few self-motivated individuals to act as catalysts. Adequate funding and a stable internet are necessary to support the process. Mid-level policy makers and programme managers had interest in this initiative and are likely sustain it as they move to senior positions in policy making.

Increasing Understanding of Public Problems and Policies--1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farm Foundation, Chicago, IL.

This collection of papers aims to improve the policy education efforts of extension workers responsible for public affairs programs. The first section, "An Evolving Public Policy Education" examines the history of public education; address current issues such as leadership models, ethics in policy formation and policy education; and…

Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy The challenge corporate lobbying poses to reducing society’s alcohol problems: insights from UK evidence on minimum unit pricing

PubMed Central

McCambridge, Jim; Hawkins, Benjamin; Holden, Chris

2014-01-01

Background There has been insufficient research attention to alcohol industry methods of influencing public policies. With the exception of the tobacco industry, there have been few studies of the impact of corporate lobbying on public health policymaking more broadly. Methods We summarize here findings from documentary analyses and interview studies in an integrative review of corporate efforts to influence UK policy on minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol 2007–10. Results Alcohol producers and retailers adopted a long-term, relationship-building approach to policy influence, in which personal contacts with key policymakers were established and nurtured, including when they were not in government. The alcohol industry was successful in achieving access to UK policymakers at the highest levels of government and at all stages of the policy process. Within the United Kingdom, political devolution and the formation for the first time of a Scottish National Party (SNP) government disrupted the existing long-term strategy of alcohol industry actors and created the conditions for evidence-based policy innovations such as MUP. Conclusions Comparisons between policy communities within the United Kingdom and elsewhere are useful to the understanding of how different policy environments are amenable to influence through lobbying. Greater transparency in how policy is made is likely to lead to more effective alcohol and other public policies globally by constraining the influence of vested interests. PMID:24261642

Reformers or Roadblocks: Educational Interest Groups and State Policy Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emerson, Joseph; Lemasters, Linda; Howerton, Everett

2008-01-01

Given the overt political nature of this topic, an additional theoretical postulate, the Triadic Theory of Power was also presented as another framework to conceptualize the external and internal forces which shape the formation of contemporary education policy. Predicated upon the scholarship of Nobel laureate James Q. Wilson, Andrew McFarland…

Unintended environmental consequences and co-benefits of economic restructuring.

PubMed

Liang, Sai; Xu, Ming; Suh, Sangwon; Tan, Raymond R

2013-11-19

Current economic restructuring policies have ignored unintended environmental consequences and cobenefits, the understanding of which can provide foundations for effective policy decisions for green economy transformation. Using the input-output life cycle assessment model and taking China as an example, we find that household consumption, fixed capital formation, and export are main drivers to China's environmental impacts. At the product scale, major contributors to environmental impacts vary across different types of impacts. Stimulating the development of seven strategic emerging industries will cause unintended consequences, such as increasing nonferrous metal ore usage, terrestrial acidification, photochemical oxidant formation, human toxicity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. Limiting the surplus outputs in the construction materials industry and metallurgy industry may only help mitigate some of the environmental impacts caused by China's regulated pollutants, with little effect on reducing other impacts, such as marine eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, photochemical oxidant formation, and particulate matter formation. However, it will bring cobenefits by simultaneously reducing mineral ore usage, human toxicity, marine ecotoxicity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. Sustainable materials management and integrated policy modeling are possible ways for policy-making to avoid unintended consequences and effectively utilize cobenefits.

An operationalized post-normal science framework for assisting in the development of complex science policy solutions: the case of nanotechnology governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernstein, Michael J.; Foley, Rider W.; Bennett, Ira

2014-07-01

Scientists, engineers, and policy analysts commonly suggest governance regimes for technology to maximize societal benefits and minimize negative societal and environmental impacts of innovation processes. Yet innovation is a complex socio-technical process that does not respond predictably to modification. Our human propensity to exclude complexity when attempting to manage systems often results in insufficient, one-dimensional solutions. The tendency to exclude complexity (1) reinforces itself by diminishing experience and capacity in the design of simple solutions to complex problems, and (2) leads to solutions that do not address the identified problem. To address the question of how to avoid a complexity- exclusion trap, this article operationalizes a post-normal science framework to assist in the enhancement or design of science policy proposals. A literature review of technological fixes, policy panaceas, and knowledge-to-action gaps is conducted to survey examples of post-normal science frameworks. Next, an operational framework is used to assess the case of a proposed international nanotechnology advisory board. The framework reveals that the board addresses a slice of the broader, more complex problem of nanotechnology governance. We argue that while the formation of an international advisory board is not problematic in-and-of-itself, it is symptomatic of and plays into a complexity- exclusion trap. We offer researchers, policy analysts, and decision-makers three recommendations that incorporate a more appropriate level of complexity into governance proposals.

Alcohol use and policy formation: an evolving social problem.

PubMed

Levine, Amir

2012-01-01

This article explores the evolutionary course that the social problem of alcohol use has taken in the United States since the Colonial Era. This article utilizes a range of theoretical models to analyze the evolving nature of alcohol use from an unrecognized to a perceived social problem. The models used include critical constructionism (Heiner, 2002), top-down policy model (Dye, 2001) and Mauss'(1975) understanding of social problems and movements. These theoretical constructs exhibit the relative nature of alcohol use as a social problem in regards to a specific time, place, and social context as well as the powerful and influential role that social elites have in defining alcohol asa social problem. Studies regarding the development of alcohol policy formation are discussed to illuminate the different powers, constituents, and factors that play a role in alcohol policy formation.Finally, implications for future study are discussed [corrected].

Family Policy: Government and Families in Fourteen Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamerman, Sheila B., Ed.; Kahn, Alfred J., Ed.

This collection of articles by scholars and policy makers from 14 countries presents multidisciplinary perspectives on the formation of national policy on families. Central topics common to many of the articles include: (1) the differences between policies aimed at affecting the family and policies which have other aims but which do influence the…

Shaping a Gender Equality Policy in Higher Education: Which Human Capabilities Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loots, Sonja; Walker, Melanie

2015-01-01

South African institutions still confront gendered inequalities, irrespective of transformative national policies, compounded by the absence of a national gender equality policy for higher education. We therefore explore the potential of the capabilities approach (CA) to inform policy formation and argue for the development of a policy for higher…

Constitutionally-Legal Policy as Base Type of Legal Policy of Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anichkin, Eugene S.

2016-01-01

The article deals with reasons for formation, nature and specifics of the constitutionally legal policy of modern Russia. The special attention is spared to the exposure of the aim, long-term and short-term tasks, and principles of national constitutionally legal policy. The functions of constitutionally legal policy are separately considered:…

Expanding the Visibility of Women's Work: Policy Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messias, DeAnne K. Hilfinger; Regev, Hanna; Im, Eun-Ok; Spiers, Judith A.; Van, Paulina; Meleis, Afaf Ibrahim

1997-01-01

Social conceptualization and media images of women's work affect health and social policy formation. Nurses can expand the visibility of women's work and promote gender-sensitive policies within and outside the profession. (SK)

[Consensus conferences in Israel--a collaborative model for national policy making].

PubMed

Tal, Orna; Oberlander, Shira; Siebzehner, Miri I

2014-07-01

The determination of an integrated national policy on controversial issues is a challenge for health systems worldwide. A common method to reach agreements for national policies in different countries throughout the world is group discussion that involves all stakeholders. A structured model of discussion on medical technologies started in the 1970s, mostly in North America, spreading to Europe and in the last decade also crossed borders to India, South America and Israel. Public discussion in the format of a consensus conference is a complex process that includes a thorough literature review for technology assessment, combining academic information using a technique of close consultation with experts, extensive panel discussion and dialogue with representatives of the public. At the end of the process a broad consensus is determined facilitating national-level policy implementation. The multiple factors involved, the issues addressed, the nature of the health system where the intended results will be applied, as well as political and social characteristics, produce variations among different countries. Therefore, this process requires flexibility in adjusting the classic model according to the awakening needs. The advantages of this method include encouraging the appropriate utilization of existing technologies, contemporary assessment by leading experts, aligning between all involved parties, public sharing and more. The initial model of the consensus conference was implemented in an orderly, systematic, structured process which allowed broad discussion, and many factors for thorough preparation. The disadvantages are its complexity, length and cost. In order to cope with the dynamics of the health system in israel, forcing policymakers to make decisions in real time, parts of the model were adjusted to address the issues arising in the system. Hence, a new process was developed--a derivative of the original Israeli model, with an emphasis on professional reviews, group discussion, and involvement of leading factors in the system. The participation of patients and the public in the process requires a thorough examination.

Management of corporate socio-economic policy by the energy corporations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, R.E. Jr.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the energy corporations in the mitigation of the socio-economic impacts of rapid development. The study employed an exploratory descriptive research design. The sample was limited to an in-depth study of the socio-economic managerial processes at the Standard Oil Company (Indiana) and the Standard Oil Company of California, two of the nation's largest and wealthiest energy corporations. Findings demonstrated that division managers believe that socio-economic expenses are a normal cost of doing business and can, in fact, lead to cost savings for the corporation. The study confirmed other research findingsmore » that corporate executive management has a further role to play in the design of administrative systems that govern the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of socio-economic policy. The study recommended the development of specific centralized corporate socio-economic policies for energy-impact development, decentralization of policy implementation, integration of trained socio-economic project managers into the formal authority hierarchy, inclusion of specific socio-economic criterion in the formal performance-evaluation system, incorporation of socio-economic expenses into the operating budget format, and the development of a formal corporate-level socio-economic policy-evaluation committee.« less

The Formation of Gender Education Policies in Taiwan, 1995-1999

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsiao-Chin, Hsieh; Shu-Ching, Lee

2014-01-01

This article discusses the formation of gender equity education policies in Taiwan between 1995 and 1999. The first part of the article presents a general description of Taiwan's women's movement, the education reform movement, and the development of women's/gender studies after the lifting of martial law in 1987. The second part of the article…

29 CFR 2550.401c-1 - Definition of “plan assets”-insurance company general accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the insurer's operations from management as a result of the granting of a petition filed in... Transition Policy has been issued. Paragraph (c)(2) of this section describes the style and format of such... year for as long as the Transition Policy remains outstanding. (2) Style and format. The disclosure...

Including values in evidence-based policy making for breast screening: An empirically grounded tool to assist expert decision makers.

PubMed

Parker, Lisa

2017-07-01

Values are an important part of evidence-based decision making for health policy: they guide the type of evidence that is collected, how it is interpreted, and how important the conclusions are considered to be. Experts in breast screening (including clinicians, researchers, consumer advocates and senior administrators) hold differing values in relation to what is important in breast screening policy and practice, and committees may find it difficult to incorporate the complexity and variety of values into policy decisions. The decision making tool provided here is intended to assist with this process. The tool is modified from more general frameworks that are intended to assist with ethical decision making in public health, and informed by data drawn from previous empirical studies on values amongst Australian breast screening experts. It provides a structured format for breast screening committees to consider and discuss the values of themselves and others, suggests relevant topics for further inquiry and highlights areas of need for future research into the values of the public. It enables committees to publicly explain and justify their decisions with reference to values, improving transparency and accountability. It is intended to act alongside practices that seek to accommodate the values of individual women in the informed decision making process for personal decision making about participation in breast screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Building the Research-Policy Nexus in South Africa: Insights from a Skills Planning Policy Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ranchod, Rushil

2017-01-01

This paper examines the formation and operation of a research-policy nexus in a research-based national-level government department intervention to improve skills planning policy in South Africa. Through the lens of evidence-informed policymaking, it reflects on understandings of evidence use in policy; it explores the interactions between actors…

Linus Pauling Memorial Lectures

Science.gov Websites

Institute for Science, Engineering and Public Policy Home About The Institute Format/Policy Pauling Memorial Lectures Science, Engineering and Public Policy 2017-2018 Sabbatical Year Taking a Year Physics to the New Philosophy Terry Bristol Institute for Science, Engineering and Public Policy 7:00pm

Navigating the Seas of Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Stephanie; Kennedy, Steve; McAlonan, Susan; Hotchkiss, Heather

As the sun, moon, and stars helped sea captains to navigate, policy (defined as a formalized idea to encourage change) indicates general direction and speed but does not establish a specific approach to achieve implementation. Formal and informal policies have advantages and disadvantages. These are steps in navigating policy formation: identify…

Policy initiatives, culture and the prevention and control of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean.

PubMed

Samuels, T Alafia; Guell, Cornelia; Legetic, Branka; Unwin, Nigel

2012-01-01

To explore interactions between disease burden, culture and the policy response to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) within the Caribbean, a region with some of the highest prevalence rates, morbidity and mortality from NCDs in the Americas. We undertook a wide ranging narrative review, drawing on a variety of peer reviewed, government and intergovernmental literature. Although the Caribbean is highly diverse, linguistically and ethnically, it is possible to show how 'culture' at the macro-level has been shaped by shared historic, economic and political experiences and ties. We suggest four broad groupings of countries: the English-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM); the small island states that are still colonies or departments of colonial powers; three large-Spanish speaking countries; and Haiti, which although part of CARICOM is culturally distinct. We explore how NCD health policies in the region stem from and are influenced by the broad characteristics of these groupings, albeit played out in varied ways in individual countries. For example, the Port of Spain declaration (2007) on NCDs can be understood as the product of the co-operative and collaborative relationships with CARICOM, which are based on a shared broad culture. We note, however, that studies investigating the relationships between the formation of NCD policy and culture (at any level) are scarce. Within the Caribbean region it is possible to discern relationships between culture at the macro-level and the formation of NCD policy. However, there is little work that directly assesses the interactions between culture and NCD policy formation. The Caribbean with its cultural diversity and high burden of NCDs provides an ideal environment within which to undertake further studies to better understand the interactions between culture and health policy formation.

The African Renaissance, NEPAD and Skills Formation: An Identification of Key Policy Tensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikly, Leon

2003-01-01

The aim of the article is to critically consider the implications of the African Renaissance project for skills formation policies and priorities with a focus on the education and training systems of sub-Saharan Africa. The article commences with an account of the origins of the African Renaissance idea and its latest incarnation in the New…

Vested interests in addiction research and policy. The challenge corporate lobbying poses to reducing society's alcohol problems: insights from UK evidence on minimum unit pricing.

PubMed

McCambridge, Jim; Hawkins, Benjamin; Holden, Chris

2014-02-01

There has been insufficient research attention to alcohol industry methods of influencing public policies. With the exception of the tobacco industry, there have been few studies of the impact of corporate lobbying on public health policymaking more broadly. We summarize here findings from documentary analyses and interview studies in an integrative review of corporate efforts to influence UK policy on minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol 2007-10. Alcohol producers and retailers adopted a long-term, relationship-building approach to policy influence, in which personal contacts with key policymakers were established and nurtured, including when they were not in government. The alcohol industry was successful in achieving access to UK policymakers at the highest levels of government and at all stages of the policy process. Within the United Kingdom, political devolution and the formation for the first time of a Scottish National Party (SNP) government disrupted the existing long-term strategy of alcohol industry actors and created the conditions for evidence-based policy innovations such as MUP. Comparisons between policy communities within the United Kingdom and elsewhere are useful to the understanding of how different policy environments are amenable to influence through lobbying. Greater transparency in how policy is made is likely to lead to more effective alcohol and other public policies globally by constraining the influence of vested interests. ©2013 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Society for the Study of Addiction.

Applications Integration Strategy in the Mission Development Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, E. L., Jr.

2016-12-01

NASA's Earth Science Applied Science Program has worked for the past four to five years with the Earth Science Division's Flight Program to cultivate an understanding of the importance of satellite remote sensing impacts on decision-making policy and decision support tools utilized by academia, state and local governments, other government agencies, private sector companies, and non-profit organizations. It has long been recognized that applications projects and studies in areas such as Health and Air Quality, Water Resources, Disasters, and Ecological Forecasting, have benefited and been enhanced through the use of satellite remote sensing. Applications researchers often use remote sensing data once it becomes available after the post-launch evaluation phase in the format and level of fidelity that is available. The results from the many applications projects, over the years, have been significant and there are countless examples of improvements and enhancements to operational systems and decision-making policies in the Applied Sciences community. However, feedback received from the applications community regarding the need for improved data availability and latency; processing and formatting, to name a few, prompted the idea of applied science involvement early in the life cycle of mission development. Over time, the Applied Science Program personnel have learned a great deal from the flight mission development life cycle process and recognized key areas of alignment. This presentation will discuss specific aspects of applied science that investigators should consider when proposing to future announcements involving an applications dimension. The Program's experience with user community needs, decision-making requirements, and stakeholder operations requirements will be highlighted.

Using Structured e-Forum to Support the Legislation Formation Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xenakis, Alexandros; Loukis, Euripides

Many public policy problems are 'wicked', being characterised by high complexity, many heterogeneous views and conflicts among various stakeholders, and also lack of mathematically 'optimal' solutions and predefined algorithms for calculating them. The best approach for addressing such problems is through consultation and argumentation among stakeholders. The e-participation research has investigated and suggested several ICT tools for this purpose, such as e-forum, e-petition and e-community tools. This paper investigates the use of an advanced ICT tool, the structured e-forum, for addressing such wicked problems associated with the legislation formation. For this purpose we designed, implemented and evaluated two pilot e-consultations on legislation under formation in the Parliaments of Austria and Greece using a structured e-forum tool based on the Issue Based Information Systems (IBIS) framework. The conclusions drawn reveal the advantages offered by the structured e-forum, but also its difficulties as well.

Eliciting the Functional Processes of Apologizing for Errors in Health Care: Developing an Explanatory Model of Apology.

PubMed

Prothero, Marie M; Morse, Janice M

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article was to analyze the concept development of apology in the context of errors in health care, the administrative response, policy and format/process of the subsequent apology. Using pragmatic utility and a systematic review of the literature, 29 articles and one book provided attributes involved in apologizing. Analytic questions were developed to guide the data synthesis and types of apologies used in different circumstances identified. The antecedents of apologizing, and the attributes and outcomes were identified. A model was constructed illustrating the components of a complete apology, other types of apologies, and ramifications/outcomes of each. Clinical implications of developing formal policies for correcting medical errors through apologies are recommended. Defining the essential elements of apology is the first step in establishing a just culture in health care. Respect for patient-centered care reduces the retaliate consequences following an error, and may even restore the physician patient relationship.

RTG resource book for western states and provinces: Final proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Western Interstate Energy Board held a workshop and liaison activities among western states, provinces, and utilities on the formation of Regional Transmission Groups (RTGs). Purpose of the activities was to examine the policy implications for western states and provinces in the formation of RTGs in the West, the implications for western ratepayers and utilities of the RTG formation and potential impacts of RTGs on the western electricity system. The workshop contributed to fulfilling the transmission access and competition objectives of Title VII of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

Conversion of School Nurse Policy and Procedure Manual to Electronic Format

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randall, Joellyn; Knee, Rachel; Galemore, Cynthia

2006-01-01

Policy and procedure manuals are essential to establishing standards of practice and ensuring quality of care to students and families. The Olathe District Schools (Kansas) Technology Department created the Virtual File Cabinet to provide online access to employee policies, school board policies, forms, and other documents. A task force of school…

Selling Tech to Teachers: Education Trade Shows as Policy Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Player-Koro, Catarina; Bergviken Rensfeldt, Annika; Selwyn, Neil

2018-01-01

Digital technology is an expanding area of education policy. There is growing interest, therefore, in how networks of corporate and state policy actors implicit in the formation of (inter)national education technology agendas intersect with local school systems and teachers. In particular, this paper explores the significant policy work that takes…

State Education Policy Formation: The Case of Arizona's English Language Learner Legislation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawton, Stephen B.

2012-01-01

This historical case study focuses on policy making at the state level by analyzing the development of a new policy for English language learners (ELLs) in Arizona. "New institutionalism" is used as a framework, with political culture and educational regimes acting as environmental factors affecting state policy choices. Key events…

Educational Policy Reform As a Result of a Failed Political Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Ravelle Lyn; Dutton, Jo Sargent

Most political scientists argue that the term "public policy" encompasses both the actions of government and the intentions that determine those actions. This paper presents an overview of theories about the sources of impetus for policy changes, reviews public policy formation about school choice at the national level and in California,…

"No one has yet properly articulated what we are trying to achieve": a discourse analysis of interviews with revalidation policy leaders in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Archer, Julian; Regan de Bere, Sam; Nunn, Suzanne; Clark, Jonathan; Corrigan, Oonagh

2015-01-01

To analyze prevailing definitions of revalidation (i.e., a recently instituted system of ongoing review for all physicians in the United Kingdom), the circumstances of their origin, and proposed applications, after a protracted and sometimes difficult decade in development. This was to support a more consensual approach to revalidation policy before its launch in 2012. In 2010 and 2011, the authors carried out a critical discourse analysis of interviews with 31 medical and legal revalidation policy makers. These individuals represented the main stakeholder bodies, including the General Medical Council, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, British Medical Association, National Health Service Employers, and the departments of health from across the United Kingdom. The authors identified two overarching discourses: regulation and professionalism, held together by patients as "discursive glue." Regulation frames revalidation as a way to identify "bad apples," requiring a summative approach and minimum standards. Professionalism looks to revalidation as a process by which all doctors improve, requiring evolving standards and a developmental model. These two discourses were not mutually exclusive; indeed, most interviewees used them interchangeably. However, they are in some regards at odds. Their coexistence has been supported by a shared discursive formation around patients. Yet the authors found little patient-centered policy in revalidation in its current form. The authors concluded that patients need to be recognized, making them present with an active voice. They also stressed the importance of established and ongoing evaluation of medical regulation as a policy and process.

Applying Critical Discourse Analysis in Health Policy Research: Case Studies in Regional, Organizational, and Global Health.

PubMed

Evans-Agnew, Robin A; Johnson, Susan; Liu, Fuqin; Boutain, Doris M

2016-08-01

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a promising methodology for policy research in nursing. As a critical theoretical methodology, researchers use CDA to analyze social practices and language use in policies to examine whether such policies may promote or impede social transformation. Despite the widespread use of CDA in other disciplines such as education and sociology, nursing policy research employing CDA methodology is sparse. To advance CDA use in nursing science, it is important to outline the overall research strategies and describe the steps of CDA in policy research. This article describes, using exemplar case studies, how nursing and health policy researchers can employ CDA as a methodology. Three case studies are provided to discuss the application of CDA research methodologies in nursing policy research: (a) implementation of preconception care policies in the Zhejiang province of China, (b) formation and enactment of statewide asthma policy in Washington state of the United States, and (c) organizational implementation of employee antibullying policies in hospital systems in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Each exemplar details how CDA guided the examination of policy within specific contexts and social practices. The variations of the CDA approaches in the three exemplars demonstrated the flexibilities and potentials for conducting policy research grounded in CDA. CDA provides novel insights for nurse researchers examining health policy formation, enactment, and implementation. © The Author(s) 2016.

Ecological models supporting environmental decision making: a strategy for the future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmolke, Amelie; Thorbek, Pernille; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Grimm, Volker

2010-01-01

Ecological models are important for environmental decision support because they allow the consequences of alternative policies and management scenarios to be explored. However, current modeling practice is unsatisfactory. A literature review shows that the elements of good modeling practice have long been identified but are widely ignored. The reasons for this might include lack of involvement of decision makers, lack of incentives for modelers to follow good practice, and the use of inconsistent terminologies. As a strategy for the future, we propose a standard format for documenting models and their analyses: transparent and comprehensive ecological modeling (TRACE) documentation. This standard format will disclose all parts of the modeling process to scrutiny and make modeling itself more efficient and coherent.

[Formation and implementation of youth science policy in occupational medicine in Russia].

PubMed

Shigan, E E; Lysukhin, V N

2016-01-01

The authors present manterials on youth movement in medical science, on this trend development priorities in governmental policy, on main historical moments of its formation, on events for young scientists and specialists, their role in advances and implementation of research work. These topics are exemplified on youth participation in medical science, hygiene and science on workers' health preservation--occupational medicine.

"My Eyes Were Opened to the Lack of Diversity in Our Best Schools": Re-Conceptualizing Competitive School Choice Policy as a Racial Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Sophia

2017-01-01

This article documents minority youth sense-making around the concept of diversity and the founding of a youth activist group that seeks spaces for policy thinking and protesting against racial inequalities in selective enrollment schools. Utilizing the sociological theory of racial formation and the concept of racial projects (Omi and Winant in…

A waning of technocratic faith - NASA and the politics of the Space Shuttle decision, 1967-1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Launius, R. D.

1992-01-01

This paper analyzes the decision to build the Space Shuttle as part of a broader public policy trend away from a deference to technical experts and toward greater politicization of traditionally apolitical issues. At the beginning of the 1960s U.S. leaders had a strong faith in the ability of technology to solve most problems. By 1970 this commitment to technological answers had waned and a resurgence of the right of elected officials to control technical matters was gaining currency. The lengthy and bitter Shuttle decision-making process was part of a much broader shift in the formation of public policy, played out in other arenas as well, aimed at the reemergence of direct political management of technological and scientific affairs by politicians.

Health and social security reforms in Latin America: the convergence of the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and transnational corporations.

PubMed

Armada, F; Muntaner, C; Navarro, V

2001-01-01

International financial institutions have played an increasing role in the formation of social policy in Latin American countries over the last two decades, particularly in health and pension programs. World Bank loans and their attached policy conditions have promoted several social security reforms within a neoliberal framework that privileges the role of the market in the provision of health and pensions. Moreover, by endorsing the privatization of health services in Latin America, the World Health Organization has converged with these policies. The privatization of social security has benefited international corporations that become partners with local business elites. Thus the World Health Organization, international financial institutions, and transnational corporations have converged in the neoliberal reforms of social security in Latin America. Overall, the process represents a mechanism of resource transfer from labor to capital and sheds light on one of the ways in which neoliberalism may affect the health of Latin American populations.

Active inference and learning.

PubMed

Friston, Karl; FitzGerald, Thomas; Rigoli, Francesco; Schwartenbeck, Philipp; O Doherty, John; Pezzulo, Giovanni

2016-09-01

This paper offers an active inference account of choice behaviour and learning. It focuses on the distinction between goal-directed and habitual behaviour and how they contextualise each other. We show that habits emerge naturally (and autodidactically) from sequential policy optimisation when agents are equipped with state-action policies. In active inference, behaviour has explorative (epistemic) and exploitative (pragmatic) aspects that are sensitive to ambiguity and risk respectively, where epistemic (ambiguity-resolving) behaviour enables pragmatic (reward-seeking) behaviour and the subsequent emergence of habits. Although goal-directed and habitual policies are usually associated with model-based and model-free schemes, we find the more important distinction is between belief-free and belief-based schemes. The underlying (variational) belief updating provides a comprehensive (if metaphorical) process theory for several phenomena, including the transfer of dopamine responses, reversal learning, habit formation and devaluation. Finally, we show that active inference reduces to a classical (Bellman) scheme, in the absence of ambiguity. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Policy as Practice: Toward a Comparative Sociocultural Analysis of Educational Policy. Sociocultural Studies in Educational Policy Formation and Appropriation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Margaret, Ed.; Levinson, Bradley A. U., Ed.

Over the past 20 years, approaches to educational policy analysis have opened up to qualitative research methods and to sociocultural perspectives on schooling. This volume is a collection of studies that view educational policy from a variety of angles and at different levels of social life. It consists of 12 chapters: (1) "Are Pedagogical Ideals…

The State of State Policies for Principal Preparation Program Approval and Candidate Licensure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Erin; Reynolds, Amy

2015-01-01

Policies for principal preparation and licensure are important levers for improving school leadership. By developing a rubric of research-based practices, this University Council of Educational Administration study aims to provide a formative tool for policy makers. Using a policy analysis frame by Roach et al., this study explores the state code,…

Science as a fundamental framework for shaping policy discussions regarding the use of groundwater in the State of Michigan: A case study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinman, A.D.; Nicholas, J.R.; Seelbach, P.W.; Allan, J.W.; Ruswick, F.

2011-01-01

The availability and use of freshwater is a growing concern in the United States and around the globe. Despite apparently abundant water resources, several conflicts over water use have emerged in the Great Lakes region and the State of Michigan. These conflicts resulted in state legislation that both addresses water withdrawal from the Great Lakes Basin and requires the State of Michigan to begin a process to address the sustainability of water resources. The former resulted in Michigan's support of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Compact, whereas the latter resulted in the formation of a Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council. This paper focuses primarily on the Council, describing its formation, and the products it generated. In particular, we focus on the development of indicators of sustainable use of water, the creation of a water withdrawal assessment process to determine if a proposed withdrawal will create an adverse resource impact in the state, and how the lessons learned in Michigan may be applied to other units of government addressing similar issues. Attention is also given to the Compact, as it provides important context for the Council's formation. ?? IWA Publishing 2011.

7 CFR 1755.407 - Data formats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Data formats. 1755.407 Section 1755.407 Agriculture... TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICIES ON SPECIFICATIONS, ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.407 Data formats. The following suggested formats listed in this section may be used for recording the test data...

7 CFR 1755.407 - Data formats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Data formats. 1755.407 Section 1755.407 Agriculture... TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICIES ON SPECIFICATIONS, ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.407 Data formats. The following suggested formats listed in this section may be used for recording the test data...

7 CFR 1755.407 - Data formats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Data formats. 1755.407 Section 1755.407 Agriculture... TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICIES ON SPECIFICATIONS, ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.407 Data formats. The following suggested formats listed in this section may be used for recording the test data...

7 CFR 1755.407 - Data formats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Data formats. 1755.407 Section 1755.407 Agriculture... TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICIES ON SPECIFICATIONS, ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.407 Data formats. The following suggested formats listed in this section may be used for recording the test data...

7 CFR 1755.407 - Data formats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Data formats. 1755.407 Section 1755.407 Agriculture... TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICIES ON SPECIFICATIONS, ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, AND STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS § 1755.407 Data formats. The following suggested formats listed in this section may be used for recording the test data...

Government: Its Energy Policy and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winek, Gary J.

1980-01-01

Discusses the federal government's progress toward the formation of a national energy policy and briefly describes the energy activities of government agencies, especially the Department of Energy. (SK)

How federal health-care policies interface with urban and rural areas: a comparison of three systems.

PubMed

Baracskay, Daniel

2012-01-01

Global public health policies span national borders and affect multitudes of people. The spread of infectious disease has neither political nor economic boundaries, and when elevated to a status of pandemic proportions, immediate action is required. In federal systems of government, the national level leads the policy formation and implementation process, but also collaborates with supranational organisations as part of the global health network. Likewise, the national level of government cooperates with sub-national governments located in both urban and rural areas. Rural areas, particularly in less developed countries, tend to have higher poverty rates and lack the benefits of proper medical facilities, communication modes and technology to prevent the spread of disease. From the perspective of epidemiological surveillance and intervention, this article will examine federal health policies in three federal systems: Australia, Malaysia and the USA. Using the theoretical foundations of collaborative federalism, this article specifically examines how collaborative arrangements and interactions among governmental and non-governmental actors help to address the inherent discrepancies that exist between policy implementation and reactions to outbreaks in urban and rural areas. This is considered in the context of the recent H1N1 influenza pandemic, which spread significantly across the globe in 2009 and is now in what has been termed the 'post-pandemic era'.

The Origin and Role of Trust in Local Policy Elites' Perceptions of High-Voltage Power Line Installations in the State of Arkansas.

PubMed

Tumlison, Creed; Moyer, Rachael M; Song, Geoboo

2017-05-01

The debate over an installation of high-voltage power lines (HVPLs) has been intense, particularly in northwest Arkansas. Detractors claim that the installation will negatively affect both the natural environment and the local economy, which contains a large tourism component. By contrast, those in favor of installing HVPLs claim that the installation is necessary in order to reliably support the increasing demand for electric power. Using original data collected from a recent statewide Internet survey of 420 local policy elites in Arkansas, this article focuses on two key aspects. First, we examine how local policy elites' perceptions of risks versus benefits of HVPL installation in their communities are influenced by their levels of trust toward information provided by various sources (e.g., energy industry, environmental groups, and government). Second, we utilize cultural theory to explain how the cultural worldviews of policy elites--specifically, egalitarianism, individualism, hierarchism, and fatalism--shape these levels of trust and HVPL benefit-risk perceptions, while controlling for other factors claimed by previous literature, including levels of knowledge on energy-related issues and demographic characteristics. In general, our analysis indicates that policy elites' value-oriented formation of HVPL benefit-risk perceptions is partially due to the influence cultural values have on trust in information sources. We conclude this article by discussing broader implications for the origin and role of trust in policy elites' decisions throughout the policy-making process. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Public attention to science and political news and support for climate change mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, P. Sol; Nisbet, Erik C.; Myers, Teresa A.

2015-06-01

We examine how attention to science and political news may influence public knowledge, perceived harm, and support for climate mitigation policies. Previous research examining these relationships has not fully accounted for how political ideology shapes the mental processes through which the public interprets media discourses about climate change. We incorporate political ideology and the concept of motivated cognition into our analysis to compare and contrast two prominent models of opinion formation, the scientific literacy model, which posits that disseminating scientific information will move public opinion towards the scientific consensus, and the motivated reasoning model, which posits that individuals will interpret information in a biased manner. Our analysis finds support for both models of opinion formation with key differences across ideological groups. Attention to science news was associated with greater perceptions of harm and knowledge for conservatives, but only additional knowledge for liberals. Supporting the literacy model, greater knowledge was associated with more support for climate mitigation for liberals. In contrast, consistent with motivated reasoning, more knowledgeable conservatives were less supportive of mitigation policy. In addition, attention to political news had a negative association with perceived harm for conservatives but not for liberals.

Does knowledge brokering improve the quality of rapid review proposals? A before and after study.

PubMed

Moore, Gabriel; Redman, Sally; D'Este, Catherine; Makkar, Steve; Turner, Tari

2017-01-28

Rapid reviews are increasingly being used to help policy makers access research in short time frames. A clear articulation of the review's purpose, questions, scope, methods and reporting format is thought to improve the quality and generalisability of review findings. The aim of the study is to explore the effectiveness of knowledge brokering in improving the perceived clarity of rapid review proposals from the perspective of potential reviewers. To conduct the study, we drew on the Evidence Check program, where policy makers draft a review proposal (a pre knowledge brokering proposal) and have a 1-hour session with a knowledge broker, who re-drafts the proposal based on the discussion (a post knowledge brokering proposal). We asked 30 reviewers who had previously undertaken Evidence Check reviews to examine the quality of 60 pre and 60 post knowledge brokering proposals. Reviewers were blind to whether the review proposals they received were pre or post knowledge brokering. Using a six-point Likert scale, reviewers scored six questions examining clarity of information about the review's purpose, questions, scope, method and format and reviewers' confidence that they could meet policy makers' needs. Each reviewer was allocated two pre and two post knowledge brokering proposals, randomly ordered, from the 60 reviews, ensuring no reviewer received a pre and post knowledge brokering proposal from the same review. The results showed that knowledge brokering significantly improved the scores for all six questions addressing the perceived clarity of the review proposal and confidence in meeting policy makers' needs; with average changes of 0.68 to 1.23 from pre to post across the six domains. This study found that knowledge brokering increased the perceived clarity of information provided in Evidence Check rapid review proposals and the confidence of reviewers that they could meet policy makers' needs. Further research is needed to identify how the knowledge brokering process achieves these improvements and to test the applicability of the findings in other rapid review programs.

Public sector hospitals and organizational change: an agenda for policy analysis.

PubMed

Collins, C; Green, A

1999-01-01

An important feature of health care systems in recent years is the change in the organizational position and relations of public sector hospitals. Health sector reforms have led to increasing heterogeneity in the organizational location and status of public sector hospitals and new organizational forms of public-private relations are being developed by and for hospitals. These changes can have important implications for health and health care. They raise issues around equity, control, accountability and performance of health care. Yet the policy process in practice may be failing to develop and implement appropriate forms of policy formulation on health sector reform. This paper focuses on the organizational position and relations of hospitals within public sector health services. It firstly outlines key elements of health sector reform and relates these to two dimensions of organizational change for hospitals: increasing heterogeneity and forms of public-private relations. The paper provides a descriptive format for classifying forms of hospital organizational change and proposes a framework of six questions for analysing these organizational forms. This may be used to assess the appropriateness of specific policies to particular country situations and to develop more open debate around hospital organizational forms.

Just Say No to the TPP: A Democratic Setback for American and Asian Public Health

PubMed Central

Muntaner, Carles; Mahabir, Deb Finn

2017-01-01

The article by Labonté, Schram, and Ruckert is a significant and timely analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) policy and the severe threats to public health that it implies for 12 Pacific Rim populations from the Americas and Asia (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam). With careful and analytic precision the authors convincingly unearth many aspects of this piece of legislation that undermine the public health achievements of most countries involved in the TTP. Our comments complement their policy analysis with the aim of providing a positive heuristic tool to assist in the understanding of the TPP, and other upcoming treaties like the even more encompassing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and in so doing motivate the public health community to oppose the implementation of the relevant provisions of the agreements. The aims of this commentary on the study of Labonté et al are to show that an understanding of the health effects of the TPP is incomplete without a political analysis of policy formation, and that realist methods can be useful to uncover the mechanisms underlying TPP’s political and policy processes. PMID:28812839

17 CFR 23.605 - Conflicts of interest policies and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... subject to this rule must adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to... information in the research report, to provide for non-substantive editing, to format the layout or style of... swap participant must establish written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure the...

Anthropologists and Policy-Relevant Research: The Case for Accountability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Milton M. R.

Anthropology research should be relevant to public policy formation. If anthropologists continue to produce research which reflects a "detached observer" perspective, their studies will not enjoy widespread credibility. The use of policy-relevant anthropology (applied anthropology) will depend in large part on the efforts of anthropologists toward…

A Proposal for Urban Policy in the 1990s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fainstein, Susan S.; Fainstein, Norman

1995-01-01

Argues that urban policy should entail a unifying mix of economic, physical, and social initiatives that emphasize job creation and retention and social equity. The author explores a proposal for urban policy involving neighborhood-based planning, regulation of capital flight, local development funding, human capital formation, physical…

Drug benefit decisions among older adults: a policy-capturing analysis.

PubMed

Cline, Richard R; Gupta, Kiran

2006-01-01

Under the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, beneficiaries remaining in the traditional fee-for-service plan will face a variety of drug benefit options provided by private stand-alone prescription drug plans. Although these plans likely will differ with regard to a number of important attributes, little is known about older adults' judgment processes in this context. The objectives of this study were to 1) better understand the manner in which drug insurance attributes are weighted in older adults' judgments of drug benefit suitability, 2) explore variability in judgment strategies among seniors, and 3) assess seniors' insight into their judgment policies. Three focus groups were conducted with 19 older adults to elicit important drug plan attributes. A policy-capturing study with 32 seniors, none of whom had participated in the focus groups, then was employed to quantify the impacts of these attributes on judgments of plan suitability. Focus group participants reported that copayment, monthly premium, deductible, formulary use, and mail-order pharmacy use were important drug insurance attributes. The policy-capturing study showed that deductibles and premiums were weighted most heavily in judgment formation. However, significant variability in judgment policies was apparent, with 3 distinct groups emerging from cluster analysis. The first emphasized deductibles and copayments, the second premiums and deductibles, and the third use of a mail-order pharmacy and deductibles. Study volunteers exhibited insight into the role of some plan attributes in their judgments, but not others. Cost-sharing provisions appear to be most important in older adults' evaluations of drug benefit plans. However, significant heterogeneity in attribute preferences also was apparent in this study. Older adults may not be cognizant of the manner in which some plan attributes affect their evaluations, suggesting a role for decision aids in this process.

The experience of implementing the board of trustees’ policy in teaching hospitals in Iran: an example of health system decentralization

PubMed Central

Doshmangir, Leila; Rashidian, Arash; Ravaghi, Hamid; Takian, Amirhossein; Jafari, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Background: In 2004, the health system in Iran initiated an organizational reform aiming to increase the autonomy of teaching hospitals and make them more decentralized. The policy led to the formation of a board of trustees in each hospital and significant modifications in hospitals’ financing. Since the reform aimed to improve its predecessor policy (implementation of hospital autonomy began in 1995), it expected to increase user satisfaction, as well as enhance effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare services in targeted hospitals. However, such expectations were never realized. In this research, we explored the perceptions and views of expert stakeholders as to why the board of trustees’ policy did not achieve its perceived objectives. Methods: We conducted 47 semi-structured face-to-face interviews and two focus group discussions (involving 8 and 10 participants, respectively) with experts at high, middle, and low levels of Iran’s health system, using purposive and snowball sampling. We also collected a comprehensive set of relevant documents. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically, following a mixed inductive-deductive approach. Results: Three main themes emerged from the analysis. The implementation approach (including the processes, views about the policy and the links between the policy components), using research evidence about the policy (local and global), and policy context (health system structure, health insurers capacity, hospitals’ organization and capacity and actors’ interrelationships) affected the policy outcomes. Overall, the implementation of hospital decentralization policies in Iran did not seem to achieve their intended targets as a result of assumed failure to take full consideration of the above factors in policy implementation into account. Conclusion: The implementation of the board of trustees’ policy did not achieve its desired goals in teaching hospitals in Iran. Similar decentralization policies in the past and their outcomes were overlooked, while the context was not prepared appropriately and key stakeholders, particularly the government, did not support the decentralization of Iran’s health system. PMID:25844379

Warmth of the Welcome: Attitudes toward Immigrants and Immigration Policy

PubMed Central

Fussell, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Natives' attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy are important factors in the context of reception of immigrants since they contribute to a warm or chilly welcome, which potentially shapes immigrant and ethnic identities and inter-group relations. Public opinion polls show a recent “warming” of Americans' traditional ambivalence about immigration. Empirical research on attitudes toward immigrants and racial groups formed by recent waves of immigrants resonate with the dynamic nature of Blumer's (1958) theory of prejudice as a sense of relative group position. To better understand this dynamism, research that intentionally contrasts study sites on conflict and contact conditions and the presence of absence of symbolic politics, as well as research with different native-born racial and ethnic groups, would reveal a broader range of natives' attitude formation processes and the role they play in immigrant reception. PMID:26966338

Considering high occupancy vehicle alternatives in the urban transportation planning process: energy savings. Final report, August 1981-October 1983

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clifford, M.J.; Wickstrom, G.V.

1983-10-01

Preferred treatment of high occupancy vehicles (HOV's), through strategies such as dedicated lanes, can achieve transportation energy conservation. The research presented in this report provides a method for regional planning agencies to assess such HOV facilities, from a travel demand and energy consumption standpoint. The planning process is described and applied in a case study. Products of the case study included estimates of carpool formation and associated fuel savings, and traffic operations on HOV and other facilities in the corridor. The completed process represents a method to examine HOV's under a variety of policy and operational conditions. The process ismore » within the modeling capabilities of other Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's) and should be transferable to other cities and corridors. Additional applications of the HOV estimation and evaluation process are recommended.« less

Infrastructure Task Force National Environmental Policy Act Requirements - February 2011

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document summarizes in a matrix format the federal regulations requirements and guidance for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act for the Infrastructure Task Force federal partner agencies.

40 CFR 610.17 - Application format.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Application format. 610.17 Section 610.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY RETROFIT DEVICES Test Procedures and Evaluation Criteria General Provisions § 610.17 Application format. (a...

40 CFR 610.17 - Application format.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Application format. 610.17 Section 610.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY RETROFIT DEVICES Test Procedures and Evaluation Criteria General Provisions § 610.17 Application format. (a...

40 CFR 610.17 - Application format.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Application format. 610.17 Section 610.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY RETROFIT DEVICES Test Procedures and Evaluation Criteria General Provisions § 610.17 Application format. (a...

The policy process for health promotion.

PubMed

Söderberg, Erik; Wikström, Ewa

2015-08-01

The paper aims to contribute to our understanding of the policy process in health promotion by addressing the following questions: What are the characteristics of the policy process in health promotion? How do policy entrepreneurs influence project implementation? This is a qualitative study with an explorative case study design that uses three different data sources: qualitative interviews, written documents and observations. The paper examines several factors (determinants) that influence the policy process and that, to a lesser extent, are addressed by current models in health policy research. Legitimacy, financial capacity, available structure and political timing are all important determinants that influence the policy process. Policy entrepreneurs, with established networks and knowledge of the environment and its procedures, create legitimacy and provide opportunities for action; however, indistinct organizational boundaries among roles and poorly defined individual responsibilities create policy process uncertainty. As a result, there are lengthy discussions and few decisions, both of which delay the progress of a project. This paper's theoretical contribution is its analysis of the relationship of policy-making to linear models, via a discussion of policy entrepreneurs, and their importance in the policy process. The paper concludes that we need to consider the influence of policy entrepreneurs, whom build legitimacy and seize action opportunities by coupling the three streams in the policy process, as they help bring projects to fruition. Furthermore, the study points to the importance of policy entrepreneurs throughout the policy process. The paper has practical implications for practitioners whom work with the implementation of community policies. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Introduction of male circumcision for HIV prevention in Uganda: analysis of the policy process.

PubMed

Odoch, Walter Denis; Kabali, Kenneth; Ankunda, Racheal; Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Tetui, Moses

2015-06-20

Health policy analysis is important for all health policies especially in fields with ever changing evidence-based interventions such as HIV prevention. However, there are few published reports of health policy analysis in sub-Saharan Africa in this field. This study explored the policy process of the introduction of male circumcision (MC) for HIV prevention in Uganda in order to inform the development processes of similar health policies. Desk review of relevant documents was conducted between March and May 2012. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Conceptual frameworks that demonstrate the interrelationship within the policy development processes and influence of actors in the policy development processes guided the analysis. Following the introduction of MC on the national policy agenda in 2007, negotiation and policy formulation preceded its communication and implementation. Policy proponents included academic researchers in the early 2000s and development partners around 2007. Favourable contextual factors that supported the development of the policy included the rising HIV prevalence, adoption of MC for HIV prevention in other sub-Saharan African countries, and expertise on MC. Additionally, the networking capability of proponents facilitated the change in position of non-supportive or neutral actors. Non-supportive and neutral actors in the initial stages of the policy development process included the Ministry of Health, traditional and Muslim leaders, and the Republican President. Using political authority, legitimacy, and charisma, actors who opposed the policy tried to block the policy development process. Researchers' initial disregard of the Ministry of Health in the research process of MC and the missing civil society advocacy arm contributed to delays in the policy development process. This study underscores the importance of securing top political leadership as well as key implementing partners' support in policy development processes. Equally important is the appreciation of the various forms of actors' power and how such power shapes the policy agenda, development process, and content.

Big Data Processing for a Central Texas Groundwater Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantu, A.; Rivera, O.; Martínez, A.; Lewis, D. H.; Gentle, J. N., Jr.; Fuentes, G.; Pierce, S. A.

2016-12-01

As computational methods improve, scientists are able to expand the level and scale of experimental simulation and testing that is completed for case studies. This study presents a comparative analysis of multiple models for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer. Several numerical simulations using state-mandated MODFLOW models ran on Stampede, a High Performance Computing system housed at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, were performed for multiple scenario testing. One goal of this multidisciplinary project aims to visualize and compare the output data of the groundwater model using the statistical programming language R to find revealing data patterns produced by different pumping scenarios. Presenting data in a friendly post-processing format is covered in this paper. Visualization of the data and creating workflows applicable to the management of the data are tasks performed after data extraction. Resulting analyses provide an example of how supercomputing can be used to accelerate evaluation of scientific uncertainty and geological knowledge in relation to policy and management decisions. Understanding the aquifer behavior helps policy makers avoid negative impact on the endangered species, environmental services and aids in maximizing the aquifer yield.

Going global: the transnationalization of care.

PubMed

Yeates, Nicola

2011-01-01

This article critically examines the contours of ‘care transnationalization’ as an ongoing social process and a field of enquiry. Care transnationalization scholarship combines structural understandings of global power relations with an emphasis on social interactions between defined actors in ways that keep sight of human agency, material welfare and wider social development. It has, however, tended to privilege particular forms, dynamics and sites of care transnationalization over others. The body of research on care labour migration, which is otherwise the most developed literature on care transnationalization to date, contains a number of biases and omissions in its coverage of border-spanning relations and their mediation across country contexts. At the same time, other significant forms of care transnationalization, such as those involving consumer-based care migration, corporate restructuring and the formation of care policy, have suffered from comparative neglect. Working towards an integrated agenda that addresses these diverse expressions of care transnationalization and how they ‘touch down’ in a range of sectoral, social and country contexts is of prime importance to policy research agendas directed at understanding the wider development impacts of processes of social and economic restructuring.

Making Sense of Music Education Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forari, Antonia

2007-01-01

This article looks at the way music education policy is realised in three curriculum contexts: the formation of the official music curriculum, its implementation by music teachers and its reception by students. Working from within the field of education policy studies, I have collected data on music education in Cyprus in order to explore what…

Using Butler to Understand the Multiplicity and Variability of Policy Reception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gowlett, Christina; Keddie, Amanda; Mills, Martin; Renshaw, Peter; Christie, Pam; Geelan, David; Monk, Sue

2015-01-01

Understanding how teachers make sense of education policy is important. We argue that an exploration of teacher reactions to policy requires an engagement with theory focused on the formation of "the subject" since this form of theorisation addresses the creation of a seemingly coherent identity and attitude while acknowledging variation…

The Practice of Educational Consultancy in the Context of Policy Formation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, John L.

The effectiveness, behavior, and role of the consultant as policy advisor is examined in light of three operating assumptions: (1) that educational organiztions are subject to politicization; (2) that the consultant's primary role is to assist in nonroutine, potentially controversial policy decisions; and (3) that the consultant must therefore…

A National Framework for Energy Audit Ordinances

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, Cody; Costa, Marc; Long, Nicholas

A handful of U.S. cities have begun to incorporate energy audits into their building energy performance policies. Cities are beginning to recognize an opportunity to use several information tools to bring to real estate markets both motivation to improve efficiency and actionable pointers on how to improve. Care is necessary to combine such tools as operational ratings, energy audits, asset ratings, and building retro-commissioning in an effective policy regime that maximizes market impact. In this paper, the authors focus on energy audits and consider both the needs of the policies' implementers in local governments and the emerging standards and federalmore » tools to improve data collection and practitioner engagement. Over the past two years, we have compared several related data formats such as New York City's existing audit reporting spreadsheet, ASHRAE guidance on building energy auditing, and the DOE Building Energy Asset Score, to identify a possible set of required and optional fields for energy audit reporting programs. Doing so revealed tensions between the ease of data collection and the value of more detailed information, which had implications for the effort and qualifications needed to complete the energy audit. The resulting list of data fields is now feeding back into the regulatory process in several cities currently working on implementing or developing audit policies. Using complementary policies and standardized tools for data transmission, the next generation of policies and programs will be tailored to local building stock and can more effectively target improvement opportunities through each building's life.« less

Policy Process Editor for P3BM Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Mark; Chang, Hsin-Ping; Chow, Edward T.; Crichton, Gerald A.

2010-01-01

A computer program enables generation, in the form of graphical representations of process flows with embedded natural-language policy statements, input to a suite of policy-, process-, and performance-based management (P3BM) software. This program (1) serves as an interface between users and the Hunter software, which translates the input into machine-readable form; and (2) enables users to initialize and monitor the policy-implementation process. This program provides an intuitive graphical interface for incorporating natural-language policy statements into business-process flow diagrams. Thus, the program enables users who dictate policies to intuitively embed their intended process flows as they state the policies, reducing the likelihood of errors and reducing the time between declaration and execution of policy.

[Estimate of the formation potential of secondary organic aerosol in Beijing summertime].

PubMed

Lü, Zi-Feng; Hao, Ji-Ming; Duan, Jing-Chun; Li, Jun-Hua

2009-04-15

Fractional aerosol coefficients (FAC) are used in conjunction with measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during ozone episodes to estimate the formation potential of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the summertime of Beijing. The estimation is based on the actual atmospheric conditions of Beijing, and benzene and isoprene are considered as the precursors of SOA. The results show that 31 out of 70 measured VOC species are SOA precursors, and the total potential SOA formation is predicted to be 8.48 microg/m3, which accounts for 30% of fine organic particle matter. Toluene, xylene, pinene, ethylbenzene and n-undecane are the 5 largest contributors to SOA production and account for 20%, 22%, 14%, 9% and 4% of total SOA production, respectively. The anthropogenic aromatic compounds, which yield 76% of the calculated SOA, are the major source of SOA. The biogenic alkenes, alkanes and carbonyls produce 16%, 7% and 1% of SOA formation, respectively. The major components of produced SOA are expected to be aromatic compounds, aliphatic acids, carbonyls and aliphatic nitrates, which contribute to 72%, 14%, 11% and 3% of SOA mass, respectively. The SOA precursors have relatively low atmospheric concentrations and low ozone formation potential. Hence, SOA formation potential of VOC species, in addition to their atmospheric concentrations and ozone formation potential, should be considered in policy making process of VOCs control.

Technology transfer and other public policy implications of multi-national arrangements for the production of commercial airframes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gellman, A. J.; Price, J. P.

1978-01-01

A study to examine the question of technology transfer through international arrangements for production of commercial transport aircraft is presented. The likelihood of such transfer under various representative conditions was determined and an understanding of the economic motivations for, effects of, joint venture arrangements was developed. Relevant public policy implications were also assessed. Multinational consortia with U.S. participation were focused upon because they generate the full range of pertinent public issues (including especially technology transfer), and also because of recognized trends toward such arrangements. An extensive search and analysis of existing literature to identify the key issues, and in-person interviews with executives of U.S. and European commercial airframe producers was reviewed. Distinctions were drawn among product-embodied, process, and management technologies in terms of their relative possibilities of transfer and the significance of such transfer. Also included are observations on related issues such as the implications of U.S. antitrust policy with respect to the formation of consortia and the competitive viability of the U.S. aircraft manufacturing industry.

How scientists view the public, the media and the political process.

PubMed

Besley, John C; Nisbet, Matthew

2013-08-01

We review past studies on how scientists view the public, the goals of communication, the performance and impacts of the media, and the role of the public in policy decision-making. We add to these past findings by analyzing two recent large-scale surveys of scientists in the UK and US. These analyses show that scientists believe the public is uninformed about science and therefore prone to errors in judgment and policy preferences. Scientists are critical of media coverage generally, yet they also tend to rate favorably their own experience dealing with journalists, believing that such interactions are important both for promoting science literacy and for career advancement. Scientists believe strongly that they should have a role in public debates and view policy-makers as the most important group with which to engage. Few scientists view their role as an enabler of direct public participation in decision-making through formats such as deliberative meetings, and do not believe there are personal benefits for investing in these activities. Implications for future research are discussed, in particular the need to examine how ideology and selective information sources shape scientists' views.

The Power Behind the Controversy: Understanding Local Policy Elites' Perceptions on the Benefits and Risks Associated with High Voltage Power Line Installation in the State of Arkansas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer, Rachael M.

Following a proposal for the installation of high voltage power lines in northwest Arkansas, a controversial policy debate emerged. Proponents of the transmission line argue that such an installation is inevitable and necessary to efficiently and reliably support the identified electric load in the region. Opponents claim that the lines will degrade the natural environment and hamper the tourism-based local economy in affected regions, notably in Ozark Mountain areas. This study seeks to understand how local policy elites perceive the benefits and risks associated with proposed transmission lines, which is a critical step in comprehending the formation and changes of related government policies. First, based upon the dual process theory of judgment, this study systematically investigates the triadic relationships between (a) more profound personal value predispositions, (b) affects and feelings, and (c) perceived benefits and risks related to the proposed installation of high voltage power lines among local policy elites in the state of Arkansas. Next, this study focuses more specifically on the role of value predispositions, specific emotional dimensions of affect heuristics, and perceptions pertaining to high voltage power line risks and benefits. Using original data collected from a statewide Internet survey of 420 local leaders and key policymakers about their opinions on the related issues, other factors claimed by previous literature, including trust, knowledge level, and demographic characteristics are considered. Analytical results suggest that grid-group cultural predispositions, as deeply held core values within local policy elites' individual belief systems, both directly and indirectly -- through affective feelings -- shape perceived utility associated with the installation of high voltage power lines. Recognizing that risk perceptions factor into policy decisions, some practical considerations for better designing policy addressing controversial issues of this nature.

Promoting evidence informed policy making in Nigeria: a review of the maternal, newborn and child health policy development process

PubMed Central

Uneke, Chigozie Jesse; Sombie, Issiaka; Keita, Namoudou; Lokossou, Virgil; Johnson, Ermel; Ongolo-Zogo, Pierre; Uro-Chukwu, Henry Chukwuemeka

2017-01-01

Background: There is increasing recognition worldwide that health policymaking process should be informed by best available evidence. The purpose of this study was to review the policy documents on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in Nigeria to assess the extent evidence informed policymaking mechanism was employed in the policy formulation process. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of websites of the Federal Ministry of Health(FMOH) Nigeria and other related ministries and agencies for relevant health policy documents related to MNCH from year 2000 to 2015 was undertaken. The following terms were used interchangeably for the literature search: maternal, child, newborn, health, policy, strategy,framework, guidelines, Nigeria. Results: Of the 108 policy documents found, 19 (17.6%) of them fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. The policy documents focused on the major aspects of maternal health improvements in Nigeria such as reproductive health, anti-malaria treatment, development of adolescent and young people health, mid wives service scheme, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and family planning. All the policy documents indicated that a consultative process of collection of input involving multiple stakeholders was employed, but there was no rigorous scientific process of assessing, adapting, synthesizing and application of scientific evidence reported in the policy development process. Conclusion: It is recommended that future health policy development process on MNCH should follow evidence informed policy making process and clearly document the process of incorporating evidence in the policy development. PMID:29085794

Speaking Out: The Use of Tests in the Policy Arena. Proceedings of the New Jersey Conference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Testing Service, Washington, DC. Education Policy Research Inst.

In February, 1976, the Education Policy Research Institute sponsored this conference on the use of tests in educational policy formation; these six papers were presented at that conference. In the first paper, Jenne K. Britell discusses four points that have historically characterized debates about testing; psychometric and technical issues;…

Education Policy as Normative Discourse and Negotiated Meanings: Engaging the Holocaust in Estonia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevick, E. Doyle

2010-01-01

This article uses a socio-cultural approach to analyze the formation and implementation of Estonia's Holocaust Day Policy, a day of both commemoration for victims of the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity, and education about the Holocaust. It investigates both the multi-level development of the policy in light of external pressure (from…

The Societal Construction of "Boys' Underachievement" in Educational Policies: A Cross-National Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreau, Marie-Pierre

2011-01-01

Through the example of what is now known in a large part of the Anglo-saxon world as the boys' underachievement debate, this paper explores the construction of gender issues, which underpins educational policies in England and France. It argues that the formation of particular questions as "policy issues" bears limited relation to what…

A District's Use of Data and Research to Inform Policy Formation and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seager, Andrew; Madura, John P.; Cox, Joshua; Carey, Rebecca

2015-01-01

This descriptive study of a change initiative by the Syracuse (NY) City School District informs the question, "How do school boards and districts better use research and data to inform policy decisions?" Researchers used interviews and artifacts to describe how the district developed and implemented a new discipline policy, the Syracuse…

Cloud Engineering Principles and Technology Enablers for Medical Image Processing-as-a-Service.

PubMed

Bao, Shunxing; Plassard, Andrew J; Landman, Bennett A; Gokhale, Aniruddha

2017-04-01

Traditional in-house, laboratory-based medical imaging studies use hierarchical data structures (e.g., NFS file stores) or databases (e.g., COINS, XNAT) for storage and retrieval. The resulting performance from these approaches is, however, impeded by standard network switches since they can saturate network bandwidth during transfer from storage to processing nodes for even moderate-sized studies. To that end, a cloud-based "medical image processing-as-a-service" offers promise in utilizing the ecosystem of Apache Hadoop, which is a flexible framework providing distributed, scalable, fault tolerant storage and parallel computational modules, and HBase, which is a NoSQL database built atop Hadoop's distributed file system. Despite this promise, HBase's load distribution strategy of region split and merge is detrimental to the hierarchical organization of imaging data (e.g., project, subject, session, scan, slice). This paper makes two contributions to address these concerns by describing key cloud engineering principles and technology enhancements we made to the Apache Hadoop ecosystem for medical imaging applications. First, we propose a row-key design for HBase, which is a necessary step that is driven by the hierarchical organization of imaging data. Second, we propose a novel data allocation policy within HBase to strongly enforce collocation of hierarchically related imaging data. The proposed enhancements accelerate data processing by minimizing network usage and localizing processing to machines where the data already exist. Moreover, our approach is amenable to the traditional scan, subject, and project-level analysis procedures, and is compatible with standard command line/scriptable image processing software. Experimental results for an illustrative sample of imaging data reveals that our new HBase policy results in a three-fold time improvement in conversion of classic DICOM to NiFTI file formats when compared with the default HBase region split policy, and nearly a six-fold improvement over a commonly available network file system (NFS) approach even for relatively small file sets. Moreover, file access latency is lower than network attached storage.

A healthy turn in urban climate change policies; European city workshop proposes health indicators as policy integrators.

PubMed

Keune, Hans; Ludlow, David; van den Hazel, Peter; Randall, Scott; Bartonova, Alena

2012-06-28

The EU FP6 HENVINET project reviewed the potential relevance of a focus on climate change related health effects for climate change policies at the city region level. This was undertaken by means of a workshop with both scientists, city representatives from several EU-countries, representatives of EU city networks and EU-experts. In this paper we introduce some important health related climate change issues, and discuss the current city policies of the participating cities. The workshop used a backcasting format to analyse the future relevance of a health perspective, and the main benefits and challenges this would bring to urban policy making. It was concluded that health issues have an important function as indicators of success for urban climate change policies, given the extent to which climate change policies contribute to public health and as such to quality of life. Simultaneously the health perspective may function as a policy integrator in that it can combine several related policy objectives, such as environmental policies, health policies, urban planning and economic development policies, in one framework for action. Furthermore, the participants to the workshop considered public health to be of strategic importance in organizing public support for climate change policies. One important conclusion of the workshop was the view that the connection of science and policy at the city level is inadequate, and that the integration of scientific knowledge on climate change related health effects and local policy practice is in need of more attention. In conclusion, the workshop was viewed as a constructive advance in the process of integration which hopefully will lead to ongoing cooperation. The workshop had the ambition to bring together a diversity of actor perspectives for exchange of knowledge and experiences, and joint understanding as a basis for future cooperation. Next to the complementarities in experience and knowledge, the mutual critical reflection was a bonus, as ideas had the opportunity to be scrutinized by others, leading to more robustness and common ground. The structured backcasting approach was helpful in integrating all of this with one common focus, embracing diversity and complexity, and stimulating reflection and new ideas.

A healthy turn in urban climate change policies; European city workshop proposes health indicators as policy integrators

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The EU FP6 HENVINET project reviewed the potential relevance of a focus on climate change related health effects for climate change policies at the city region level. This was undertaken by means of a workshop with both scientists, city representatives from several EU-countries, representatives of EU city networks and EU-experts. In this paper we introduce some important health related climate change issues, and discuss the current city policies of the participating cities. Methods The workshop used a backcasting format to analyse the future relevance of a health perspective, and the main benefits and challenges this would bring to urban policy making. Results It was concluded that health issues have an important function as indicators of success for urban climate change policies, given the extent to which climate change policies contribute to public health and as such to quality of life. Simultaneously the health perspective may function as a policy integrator in that it can combine several related policy objectives, such as environmental policies, health policies, urban planning and economic development policies, in one framework for action. Furthermore, the participants to the workshop considered public health to be of strategic importance in organizing public support for climate change policies. One important conclusion of the workshop was the view that the connection of science and policy at the city level is inadequate, and that the integration of scientific knowledge on climate change related health effects and local policy practice is in need of more attention. In conclusion, the workshop was viewed as a constructive advance in the process of integration which hopefully will lead to ongoing cooperation. Conclusions The workshop had the ambition to bring together a diversity of actor perspectives for exchange of knowledge and experiences, and joint understanding as a basis for future cooperation. Next to the complementarities in experience and knowledge, the mutual critical reflection was a bonus, as ideas had the opportunity to be scrutinized by others, leading to more robustness and common ground. The structured backcasting approach was helpful in integrating all of this with one common focus, embracing diversity and complexity, and stimulating reflection and new ideas. PMID:22759496

Communicating contentious health policy: lessons from Ireland's workplace smoking ban.

PubMed

Fahy, Declan; Trench, Brian; Clancy, Luke

2012-05-01

The Irish workplace smoking ban has been described as possibly a tipping point for public health worldwide. This article presents the first analysis of the newspaper coverage of the ban over the duration of the policy formation process. It adds to previous studies by analyzing how health communication strategists engaged, over time, with a newsworthy topic, viewed as being culturally controversial. It analyzes a sample of media content (n = 1,154) and firsthand accounts from pro-ban campaigners and journalists (n = 10). The analysis shows that the ban was covered not primarily as a health issue: Economic, political, social, democratic, and technical aspects also received significant attention. It shows how coverage followed controversy and examines how pro-ban campaigners countered effectively the anti-ban communication efforts of influential social actors in the economic and political spheres. The analysis demonstrates that medical-political sources successfully defined the ban's issues as centrally concerned with public health.

The political contradictions of incremental innovation: lessons from pharmaceutical patent examination in Brazil.

PubMed

Shadlen, Kenneth C

2011-01-01

Neodevelopmental patent regimes aim to facilitate local actors’ access to knowledge and also encourage incremental innovations. The case of pharmaceutical patent examination in Brazil illustrates political contradictions between these objectives. Brazil’s patent law includes the Ministry of Health in the examination of pharmaceutical patent applications. Though widely celebrated as a health-oriented policy, the Brazilian experience has become fraught with tensions and subject to decreasing levels of both stability and enforcement. I show how one pillar of the neodevelopmental regime, the array of initiatives to encourage incremental innovations, has fostered the acquisition of innovative capabilities in the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector, and how these new capabilities have altered actors’ policy preferences and thus contributed to the erosion of the coalition in support of the other pillar of the neodevelopmental regime, the health-oriented approach to examining pharmaceutical patents. The analysis of capability-derived preference formation points to an endogenous process of coalitional change.

The introduction of dram shop legislation in the United States and the advent of server training.

PubMed

Saltz, R F

1993-01-01

This paper discusses the relationship of research to policy in the matter of dram shop liability and server training in the USA. The discussion is made difficult by the apparent lack of any such relationship. While research in the area has only just been published, dram shop liability in the USA actually dates to the nineteenth century, with its current form shaped by the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Because liability law and liability insurance vary from state to state, current movements for reform and server training arise somewhat spontaneously in different localities and with different emphases. Research constitutes only a minor influence among several others more salient to the political process of policy formation. The advent of mandatory server training in the state of Oregon is used to illustrate the somewhat capricious nature of progress in responsible beverage service.

Economic irrationality is optimal during noisy decision making

PubMed Central

Moreland, James; Chater, Nick; Usher, Marius; Summerfield, Christopher

2016-01-01

According to normative theories, reward-maximizing agents should have consistent preferences. Thus, when faced with alternatives A, B, and C, an individual preferring A to B and B to C should prefer A to C. However, it has been widely argued that humans can incur losses by violating this axiom of transitivity, despite strong evolutionary pressure for reward-maximizing choices. Here, adopting a biologically plausible computational framework, we show that intransitive (and thus economically irrational) choices paradoxically improve accuracy (and subsequent economic rewards) when decision formation is corrupted by internal neural noise. Over three experiments, we show that humans accumulate evidence over time using a “selective integration” policy that discards information about alternatives with momentarily lower value. This policy predicts violations of the axiom of transitivity when three equally valued alternatives differ circularly in their number of winning samples. We confirm this prediction in a fourth experiment reporting significant violations of weak stochastic transitivity in human observers. Crucially, we show that relying on selective integration protects choices against “late” noise that otherwise corrupts decision formation beyond the sensory stage. Indeed, we report that individuals with higher late noise relied more strongly on selective integration. These findings suggest that violations of rational choice theory reflect adaptive computations that have evolved in response to irreducible noise during neural information processing. PMID:26929353

Economic irrationality is optimal during noisy decision making.

PubMed

Tsetsos, Konstantinos; Moran, Rani; Moreland, James; Chater, Nick; Usher, Marius; Summerfield, Christopher

2016-03-15

According to normative theories, reward-maximizing agents should have consistent preferences. Thus, when faced with alternatives A, B, and C, an individual preferring A to B and B to C should prefer A to C. However, it has been widely argued that humans can incur losses by violating this axiom of transitivity, despite strong evolutionary pressure for reward-maximizing choices. Here, adopting a biologically plausible computational framework, we show that intransitive (and thus economically irrational) choices paradoxically improve accuracy (and subsequent economic rewards) when decision formation is corrupted by internal neural noise. Over three experiments, we show that humans accumulate evidence over time using a "selective integration" policy that discards information about alternatives with momentarily lower value. This policy predicts violations of the axiom of transitivity when three equally valued alternatives differ circularly in their number of winning samples. We confirm this prediction in a fourth experiment reporting significant violations of weak stochastic transitivity in human observers. Crucially, we show that relying on selective integration protects choices against "late" noise that otherwise corrupts decision formation beyond the sensory stage. Indeed, we report that individuals with higher late noise relied more strongly on selective integration. These findings suggest that violations of rational choice theory reflect adaptive computations that have evolved in response to irreducible noise during neural information processing.

[Facilitators and barriers to implementation of intercultural health policy in Chile].

PubMed

Pérez, Camila; Nazar, Gabriela; Cova, Félix

2016-02-01

Objective To identify elements that either facilitate or hinder implementation of Chile's intercultural health policy. Methods A descriptive study was conducted with the participation of health services users from the Mapuche ethnic group, biomedical health professionals, intercultural facilitators, and key informants in two health facilities serving towns with a high density of Mapuche population. The information was obtained through semi-structured interviews that were analyzed thematically. Results Factors identified as facilitating the implementation of this policy include laws and regulations pertaining to the rights of indigenous peoples, the empowerment of users around their rights, the formation of implementation teams, the presence of professionals of Mapuche origin in health facilities, and the existence of processes for systematization of the work carried out. The asymmetric relationship between the Mapuche people and the state, and between the Mapuche health system and the biomedical model, constitutes a fundamental barrier. Other obstacles include the lack of theoretical and practical clarity around the concept of intercultural health and a lack of resources. Conclusions Despite the facilitators identified and the achievements to date, meaningful progress in implementation of an intercultural health policy is limited by barriers that are hard to change. These include the usual forms of government planning and the hegemony of the biomedical model.

Language Policy and Planning in South America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hornberger, Nancy H.

1994-01-01

A discussion of language policy formation and planning in South America focuses on the highland indigenous sectors and covers the following: colonial languages; immigrant languages; and indigenous languages, including planning, acquisition planning, and corpus planning. (Contains 83 references.) (LB)

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

PubMed

Cullerton, Katherine; Donnet, Timothy; Lee, Amanda; Gallegos, Danielle

2016-08-01

Poor 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. Electronic databases were searched systematically for studies examining policy making in public health nutrition in high-income, democratic countries. International, national, state and local government jurisdictions within high-income, democratic countries. Individuals and organisations involved in the nutrition policy-making process. Sixty-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. There 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.

Development of oral health policy in Nigeria: an analysis of the role of context, actors and policy process.

PubMed

Etiaba, Enyi; Uguru, Nkoli; Ebenso, Bassey; Russo, Giuliano; Ezumah, Nkoli; Uzochukwu, Benjamin; Onwujekwe, Obinna

2015-05-06

In Nigeria, there is a high burden of oral health diseases, poor coordination of health services and human resources for delivery of oral health services. Previous attempts to develop an Oral Health Policy (OHP) to decrease the oral disease burden failed. However, a policy was eventually developed in November 2012. This paper explores the role of contextual factors, actors and the policy process in the development of the OHP and possible reasons why the current approved OHP succeeded. The study was undertaken across Nigeria; information gathered through document reviews and in-depth interviews with five groups of purposively selected respondents. Analysis of the policy development process was guided by the policy triangle framework, examining context, policy process and actors involved in the policy development. The foremost enabling factor was the yearning among policy actors for a policy, having had four failed attempts. Other factors were the presence of a democratically elected government, a framework for health sector reform instituted by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). The approved OHP went through all stages required for policy development unlike the previous attempts. Three groups of actors played crucial roles in the process, namely academics/researchers, development partners and policy makers. They either had decision making powers or influenced policy through funding or technical ability to generate credible research evidence, all sharing a common interest in developing the OHP. Although evidence was used to inform the development of the policy, the complex interactions between the context and actors facilitated its approval. The OHP development succeeded through a complex inter-relationship of context, process and actors, clearly illustrating that none of these factors could have, in isolation, catalyzed the policy development. Availability of evidence is necessary but not sufficient for developing policies in this area. Wider socio-political contexts in which actors develop policy can facilitate and/or constrain actors' roles and interests as well as policy process. These must be taken into consideration at stages of policy development in order to produce policies that will strengthen the health system, especially in low and middle-income countries, where policy processes and influences can be often less than transparent.

Healthcare and development: a dialog with the thinking of Celso Furtado.

PubMed

Costa, Laís Silveira; Bahia, Ligia; Braga, Patrícia Seixas da Costa

2017-07-01

Understanding that conditions of health are dependent on more general nationwide factors relating to the level of development means admitting that 'sectorization' of health service is something that tends to limit the formation of knowledge. It also points to the importance of investigating the relationship between health and development, including issues about the processes that feed the persistence of the polarization between modernization and exclusion which has been a history of Brazil's contemporary development. This paper, based on a review of the literature, aims to look more deeply at the structural conditioning factors of the relationship between health and development, and their reproduction in the formation of contemporary knowledge, based on a dialog with the ideas of Celso Furtado. It concludes that a 'virtuous' articulation between health and development calls for policies that are able to reconcile the antagonistic factors represented by the interests of capitalism, and the interests of social wellbeing, in a harmonious co-existence. In Furtado's conception, this would be possible, if the process of social homogenization is correlated with an efficient production system that has a degree of technological autonomy.

Caught Up in the Past? Social Inclusion, Skills, and Vocational Education and Training Policy in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleckenstein, Timo; Lee, Soohyun Christine

2018-01-01

Since the mid-1990s, governments of different political persuasion have tried to reform VET policy to address problems in skills formation and social inclusion. Despite considerable policy activism, success has been somewhat limited, and England failed to overcome the problems associated with its liberal training regime. This article assesses the…

G. Stanley Hall and Edward Thorndike on the Education of Women: Theory and Policy in the Progressive Era.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seller, Maxine S.

During the Progressive Era (late 19th and early 20th Centuries), the theories of educational psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Edward L. Thorndike provided a basis for educational policy formation. It is hypothesized that their educational policies led to separate and unequal educational programs for women. Review of their writing indicates that…

Elucidating severe urban haze formation in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Song; Hu, Min; Zamora, Misti L.; Peng, Jianfei; Shang, Dongjie; Zheng, Jing; Du, Zhuofei; Wu, Zhijun; Shao, Min; Zeng, Limin; Molina, Mario J.; Zhang, Renyi

2014-12-01

As the world's second largest economy, China has experienced severe haze pollution, with fine particulate matter (PM) recently reaching unprecedentedly high levels across many cities, and an understanding of the PM formation mechanism is critical in the development of efficient mediation policies to minimize its regional to global impacts. We demonstrate a periodic cycle of PM episodes in Beijing that is governed by meteorological conditions and characterized by two distinct aerosol formation processes of nucleation and growth, but with a small contribution from primary emissions and regional transport of particles. Nucleation consistently precedes a polluted period, producing a high number concentration of nano-sized particles under clean conditions. Accumulation of the particle mass concentration exceeding several hundred micrograms per cubic meter is accompanied by a continuous size growth from the nucleation-mode particles over multiple days to yield numerous larger particles, distinctive from the aerosol formation typically observed in other regions worldwide. The particle compositions in Beijing, on the other hand, exhibit a similarity to those commonly measured in many global areas, consistent with the chemical constituents dominated by secondary aerosol formation. Our results highlight that regulatory controls of gaseous emissions for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides from local transportation and sulfur dioxide from regional industrial sources represent the key steps to reduce the urban PM level in China.

Elucidating severe urban haze formation in China

PubMed Central

Guo, Song; Hu, Min; Zamora, Misti L.; Peng, Jianfei; Shang, Dongjie; Zheng, Jing; Du, Zhuofei; Wu, Zhijun; Shao, Min; Zeng, Limin; Molina, Mario J.; Zhang, Renyi

2014-01-01

As the world’s second largest economy, China has experienced severe haze pollution, with fine particulate matter (PM) recently reaching unprecedentedly high levels across many cities, and an understanding of the PM formation mechanism is critical in the development of efficient mediation policies to minimize its regional to global impacts. We demonstrate a periodic cycle of PM episodes in Beijing that is governed by meteorological conditions and characterized by two distinct aerosol formation processes of nucleation and growth, but with a small contribution from primary emissions and regional transport of particles. Nucleation consistently precedes a polluted period, producing a high number concentration of nano-sized particles under clean conditions. Accumulation of the particle mass concentration exceeding several hundred micrograms per cubic meter is accompanied by a continuous size growth from the nucleation-mode particles over multiple days to yield numerous larger particles, distinctive from the aerosol formation typically observed in other regions worldwide. The particle compositions in Beijing, on the other hand, exhibit a similarity to those commonly measured in many global areas, consistent with the chemical constituents dominated by secondary aerosol formation. Our results highlight that regulatory controls of gaseous emissions for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides from local transportation and sulfur dioxide from regional industrial sources represent the key steps to reduce the urban PM level in China. PMID:25422462

Language Teaching in the Indian Ocean: Policy and Pedagogy in Three Developing Nations. A Study of the Formation of National Language Policies and Related Educational Programs in the Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richmond, Edmun B.

The findings of a study of language and language education policy in each of the three independent nations of Comoros, Mauritius, and the Seychelles are reported in this book. Each country is discussed separately, focusing on the linguistic and educational history, the existing educational system, and current language policies and programs.…

12 CFR 338.8 - Compilation of loan data in register format.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Compilation of loan data in register format... OF GENERAL POLICY FAIR HOUSING Recordkeeping § 338.8 Compilation of loan data in register format. Banks and other lenders required to file a Home Mortgage Disclosure Act loan application register (LAR...

12 CFR 338.8 - Compilation of loan data in register format.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Compilation of loan data in register format... OF GENERAL POLICY FAIR HOUSING Recordkeeping § 338.8 Compilation of loan data in register format. Banks and other lenders required to file a Home Mortgage Disclosure Act loan application register (LAR...

12 CFR 338.8 - Compilation of loan data in register format.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Compilation of loan data in register format... OF GENERAL POLICY FAIR HOUSING Recordkeeping § 338.8 Compilation of loan data in register format. Banks and other lenders required to file a Home Mortgage Disclosure Act loan application register (LAR...

48 CFR 241.201 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., and decisions of independent regulatory bodies. This policy does not extend to nonindependent regulatory bodies. (2) Purchases of utility services outside the United States may use— (i) Formats and technical provisions consistent with local practice; and (ii) Dual language forms and contracts. (3) Rates...

48 CFR 241.201 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., and decisions of independent regulatory bodies. This policy does not extend to nonindependent regulatory bodies. (2) Purchases of utility services outside the United States may use— (i) Formats and technical provisions consistent with local practice; and (ii) Dual language forms and contracts. (3) Rates...

48 CFR 241.201 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., and decisions of independent regulatory bodies. This policy does not extend to nonindependent regulatory bodies. (2) Purchases of utility services outside the United States may use— (i) Formats and technical provisions consistent with local practice; and (ii) Dual language forms and contracts. (3) Rates...

48 CFR 241.201 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., and decisions of independent regulatory bodies. This policy does not extend to nonindependent regulatory bodies. (2) Purchases of utility services outside the United States may use— (i) Formats and technical provisions consistent with local practice; and (ii) Dual language forms and contracts. (3) Rates...

The Relationship of Policymaking and Networking Characteristics among Leaders of Large Urban Health Departments.

PubMed

Leider, Jonathon P; Castrucci, Brian C; Harris, Jenine K; Hearne, Shelley

2015-08-06

The relationship between policy networks and policy development among local health departments (LHDs) is a growing area of interest to public health practitioners and researchers alike. In this study, we examine policy activity and ties between public health leadership across large urban health departments. This study uses data from a national profile of local health departments as well as responses from a survey sent to three staff members (local health official, chief of policy, chief science officer) in each of 16 urban health departments in the United States. Network questions related to frequency of contact with health department personnel in other cities. Using exponential random graph models, network density and centrality were examined, as were patterns of communication among those working on several policy areas using exponential random graph models. All 16 LHDs were active in communicating about chronic disease as well as about use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Connectedness was highest among local health officials (density = .55), and slightly lower for chief science officers (d = .33) and chiefs of policy (d = .29). After accounting for organizational characteristics, policy homophily (i.e., when two network members match on a single characteristic) and tenure were the most significant predictors of formation of network ties. Networking across health departments has the potential for accelerating the adoption of public health policies. This study suggests similar policy interests and formation of connections among senior leadership can potentially drive greater connectedness among other staff.

The Relationship of Policymaking and Networking Characteristics among Leaders of Large Urban Health Departments

PubMed Central

Leider, Jonathon P.; Castrucci, Brian C.; Harris, Jenine K.; Hearne, Shelley

2015-01-01

Background: The relationship between policy networks and policy development among local health departments (LHDs) is a growing area of interest to public health practitioners and researchers alike. In this study, we examine policy activity and ties between public health leadership across large urban health departments. Methods: This study uses data from a national profile of local health departments as well as responses from a survey sent to three staff members (local health official, chief of policy, chief science officer) in each of 16 urban health departments in the United States. Network questions related to frequency of contact with health department personnel in other cities. Using exponential random graph models, network density and centrality were examined, as were patterns of communication among those working on several policy areas using exponential random graph models. Results: All 16 LHDs were active in communicating about chronic disease as well as about use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Connectedness was highest among local health officials (density = .55), and slightly lower for chief science officers (d = .33) and chiefs of policy (d = .29). After accounting for organizational characteristics, policy homophily (i.e., when two network members match on a single characteristic) and tenure were the most significant predictors of formation of network ties. Conclusion: Networking across health departments has the potential for accelerating the adoption of public health policies. This study suggests similar policy interests and formation of connections among senior leadership can potentially drive greater connectedness among other staff. PMID:26258784

Kenyan Nurses Involvement in National Policy Development Processes

PubMed Central

Juma, Pamela Atieno

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to critically examine how nurses have been involved in national policy processes in the Kenyan health sector. The paper reports qualitative results from a larger mixed method study. National nonnursing decision-makers and nurse leaders, and provincial managers as well as frontline nurse managers from two Kenyan districts were purposefully selected for interviews. Interviews dealt with nurses' involvement in national policy processes, factors hindering nurses' engagement in policy processes, and ways to enhance nurses' involvement in policy processes. Critical theory and feminist perspectives guided the study process. Content analysis of data was conducted. Findings revealed that nurses' involvement in policy processes in Kenya was limited. Only a few nurse leaders were involved in national policy committees as a result of their positions in the sector. Critical analysis of the findings revealed that hierarchies and structural factors as well as nursing professional issues were the primary barriers constraining nurses' involvement in policy processes. Thus, there is need to address these factors both by nurses themselves and by nonnursing decision makers, in order to enhance nurses engagement in policy making and further the contribution to quality of services to the communities. PMID:25349731

Social scientist on board in long-term management of high level and/or long-lived radioactive waste in Belgium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parotte, C.

In Belgium, the long-term management of radioactive waste is under the exclusive competence of the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (knew as ONDRAF/NIRAS). Unlike low-level waste, no institutional policy has yet been formally approved for the long-term management of high level and/or long-lived radioactive waste (knew as B and C waste). In this context, ONDRAF/NIRAS considers the public and stakeholders' participation as an essential factor in the formulation of an effective and legitimate policy. This is why it has decided to integrate them in different ways during the elaboration of the Waste Plan (ONDRAF/NIRAS-document containing guidelinesmore » to make a principled policy decision about nuclear waste management). To do so, social scientists have been regularly mobilized either as external evaluators, follow-up committee members, or participatory observants. Hence, the Waste Plan is only the first step in a long decision-making process. For a PhD student under contract with ONDRAF/NIRAS, this mandate consists of thinking out a way to construct an inter-organizational innovative communication system that would be participative, transparent and embedded in a long-term perspective, thus integrating all the further legal steps to take throughout the decision-making process. In this regard, two paradoxical constraints must be taken into account: on the one hand, my own influence on the legal decision-making process should remain limited, because of a series of constraints, lock-ins and previous decisions which have to be respected; on the other hand, ONDRAF/NIRAS expects the research conclusions to be policy relevant and useful. In this paper, the purpose is twofold. Firstly, the issues raised by this policy mandate is an opportunity to question the per-formative dimensions of the social scientist in the decision-making process and, more specifically, to have a reflexive view on our position as PhD Student. Secondly, assuming the role of 'embarked' social scientist, numerous of answers will discuss to face the different dilemmas of the researcher 'in action'. Those reflections follow on, among others, those from previous papers discussed in Quimper in April 2013 and in Leuven in June 2013. (authors)« less

Five Tips to Help Prevent Infections

MedlinePlus

... Information For… Media Policy Makers 5 Tips to Help Prevent Infections Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend ... Makers Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) File Formats Help: How do I view different file formats (PDF, ...

Understanding Local Policy Elites' Perceptions on the Benefits and Risks Associated with High-Voltage Power Line Installations in the State of Arkansas.

PubMed

Moyer, Rachael M; Song, Geoboo

2016-10-01

Recently, a controversial policy debate has arisen concerning the installation of high-voltage power lines in northwest Arkansas. While proponents argue that such an installation is inevitable to efficiently and reliably support the identified electric load in the region, opponents claim that the lines will degrade the natural environment and hamper the tourism-based local economy in affected regions, notably in Ozark Mountain areas. Of particular interest is to understand how local policy elites perceive the benefits and risks associated with such divisive proposals, which is critical for comprehending the formation and changes of related government policies. Based upon the dual process theory of judgment, this study systematically investigates the triadic relationships between (a) more profound personal value predispositions, (b) affects and feelings, and (c) perceived benefits and risks related to the proposed installation of high-voltage power lines among local policy elites in the state of Arkansas. In doing so, we analyze original data collected from a statewide Internet survey of 420 local leaders and key policymakers about their opinions on the related issues, while considering other factors claimed by previous literature to influence risk perceptions, including trust, knowledge level, and demographic characteristics. Analytical results suggest that grid-group cultural predispositions, as deeply held core values within local policy elites' individual belief systems, both directly and indirectly-through affective feelings-shape perceived utility associated with the installation of high-voltage power lines. We conclude this article by suggesting some practical considerations for better designing policy addressing controversial issues of this nature. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Regular tracheostomy tube changes to prevent formation of granulation tissue.

PubMed

Yaremchuk, Kathleen

2003-01-01

Tracheostomy is a commonly performed operative procedure that has been described since 2000 B.C. The early indications for tracheostomy were for upper airway obstruction, usually occurring in young people as a result of an infectious process. Recently, tracheostomies are more commonly performed in the critically ill patient to assist in long-term ventilatory support. Granulation tissue at the stoma and the trachea has been described as a late complication resulting in bleeding, drainage, and difficulty with maintaining mechanical ventilatory support. The present report is of an observational study of a newly implemented policy that required regular changing of tracheostomy tubes. Comparable groups of patients were compared before and after this procedural change to document complications. Data collection consisted of chart reviews of all admissions for 1 year before the policy change and the subsequent 2 years. Complication rates were compared using standard statistical techniques. A policy change was instituted that required all tracheostomy tubes to be changed every 2 weeks in conjunction with a detailed evaluation of the tracheostomy stoma. Charts were reviewed the year before the change in policy and in the subsequent 2 years to determine the incidence of granulation tissue requiring operative intervention. The number of patients requiring surgical intervention secondary to granulation tissue showed a statistically significant decrease (P =.02). A review of policies and procedures from the six largest hospitals in southeastern Michigan had no recommendations for routine tracheostomy tube changes. A policy requiring a routine change of tracheostomy tubes results in fewer complications from granulation tissue. Tracheostomy tube changes to prevent granulation tissue and its complications.

Policy dialogue to improve health outcomes in low income countries: what are the issues and way forward?

PubMed

Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet; Dovlo, Delanyo; Kwamie, Aku; Nadege, Ade; Guangya, Wang; Kirigia, Joses Muthuri

2016-07-18

This paper has three objectives: to review the health development landscape in the World Health Organization African Region, to discuss the role of health policy dialogue in improving harmonisation and alignment to national health policies and strategic plans, and to provide an analytical view of the critical factors in realising a good outcome from a health policy dialogue process. Strengthening policy dialogue to support the development and implementation of robust and comprehensive national health policies and plans, as well as to improve aid effectiveness, is seen as a strategic entry point to improving health sector results. However, unbalanced power relations, the lack of contextualised and relevant evidence, the diverse interests of the actors involved, and the lack of conceptual clarity on what policy dialogue entails impact the outcomes of a policy dialogue process. The critical factors for a successful policy dialogue have been identified as adequate preparation; secured time and resources to facilitate an open, inclusive and informed discussion among the stakeholders; and stakeholders' monitoring and assessment of the dialogue's activities for continued learning. Peculiarities of low income countries pose a challenge to their policy dialogue processes, including the chaotic-policy making processes, the varied capacity of the actors and donor dependence. Policy dialogue needs to be appreciated as a complex and iterative process that spans the whole process of policy-making, implementation, review and monitoring, and subsequent policy revisions. The existence of the critical factors for a successful policy dialogue process needs to be ensured whilst paying special attention to the peculiarities of low income countries and potential power relations, and mitigating the possible negative consequences. There is need to be cognisant of the varied capacities and interests of stakeholders and the need for capacity building, and to put in place mechanisms to manage conflict of interest. The likelihood of a favourable outcome from a policy dialogue process will depend on the characteristics of the issue under consideration and whether it is contested or not, and the policy dialogue process needs to be tailored accordingly.

Measuring Security Effectiveness and Efficiency at U.S. Commercial Airports

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

formative program evaluation and policy analysis to investigate current airport security programs. It identifies innovative public administration and...policy-analysis tools that could provide potential benefits to airport security . These tools will complement the System Based Risk Management framework if

Public Policy on the Status of Women: Agenda and Strategy for the 70s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Irene L.

The book, using analytical methods of political science, provides an initial overall study of the formation of national policy on the status of women. It also focuses on factors most likely to influence the future course of the women's rights movement. Concentration is on existing policy from the end of the Johnson presidency on into the women's…

40 CFR Appendix Viii to Part 600 - Fuel Economy Label Formats

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel Economy Label Formats VIII Appendix VIII to Part 600 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Pt. 600, App. VIII Appendix VIII to Part 600—Fuel Economy Label Formats...

21 CFR 20.33 - Form or format of response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Form or format of response. 20.33 Section 20.33 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PUBLIC INFORMATION General Policy § 20.33 Form or format of response. (a) The Food and Drug Administration shall make...

Menu-labeling policy in King County, Washington.

PubMed

Johnson, Donna B; Payne, Elizabeth C; McNeese, Molly A; Allen, Deborah

2012-09-01

Food eaten away from home now accounts for about one third of total calories consumed in the U.S. Policy change could lead to sustainable improvements in restaurant and other nutrition environments. Broadly described, policy development is one of the three core functions of public health, and there is a need to more fully understand and evaluate this function. Policy process research has developed frameworks and models that can be used to understand the policy development process. To describe policy processes associated with the passage of restaurant menu-labeling regulations in order to inform nutrition policy development in other settings. Document reviews and interviews with 12 key players in the policy process were conducted and analyzed between June 2009 and October 2010. Policy process actors primarily belonged to two advocacy coalitions: a public health coalition and an industry coalition. Within the coalitions there were shared values and beliefs about the appropriate role of governmental regulation in protecting the health of the population and the need for environmental change. The process was adversarial at times, but "policy learning" built the trust needed for collaboration to negotiate agreements. Expert technical assistance moved the process forward. Elements that contributed to the success of a menu-labeling policy initiative in a large, urban health department have been identified. The King County case study can inform the work of others who seek to build healthier nutrition environments through policy change. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combining agent-based modeling and life cycle assessment for the evaluation of mobility policies.

PubMed

Florent, Querini; Enrico, Benetto

2015-02-03

This article presents agent-based modeling (ABM) as a novel approach for consequential life cycle assessment (C-LCA) of large scale policies, more specifically mobility-related policies. The approach is validated at the Luxembourgish level (as a first case study). The agent-based model simulates the car market (sales, use, and dismantling) of the population of users in the period 2013-2020, following the implementation of different mobility policies and available electric vehicles. The resulting changes in the car fleet composition as well as the hourly uses of the vehicles are then used to derive consistent LCA results, representing the consequences of the policies. Policies will have significant environmental consequences: when using ReCiPe2008, we observe a decrease of global warming, fossil depletion, acidification, ozone depletion, and photochemical ozone formation and an increase of metal depletion, ionizing radiations, marine eutrophication, and particulate matter formation. The study clearly shows that the extrapolation of LCA results for the circulating fleet at national scale following the introduction of the policies from the LCAs of single vehicles by simple up-scaling (using hypothetical deployment scenarios) would be flawed. The inventory has to be directly conducted at full scale and to this aim, ABM is indeed a promising approach, as it allows identifying and quantifying emerging effects while modeling the Life Cycle Inventory of vehicles at microscale through the concept of agents.

An Analysis of the Extent of Social Inclusion and Equity Consideration in Malawi’s National HIV and AIDS Policy Review Process

PubMed Central

Chinyama, Mathews Junior; MacLachlan, Malcolm; McVeigh, Joanne; Huss, Tessy; Gawamadzi, Sylvester

2018-01-01

Background: Equity and social inclusion for vulnerable groups in policy development processes and resulting documents remain a challenge globally. Most often, the marginalization of vulnerable groups is overlooked in both the planning and practice of health service delivery. Such marginalization may occur because authorities deem the targeting of those who already have better access to healthcare a cheaper and easier way to achieve short-term health gains. The Government of Malawi wishes to achieve an equitable and inclusive HIV and AIDS Policy. The aim of this study is to assess the extent to which the Malawi Policy review process addressed regional and international health priorities of equity and social inclusion for vulnerable groups in the policy content and policy revision process. Methods: This research design comprised two phases. First, the content of the Malawi HIV and AIDS Policy was assessed using EquiFrame regarding its coverage of 21 Core Concepts of human rights and inclusion of 12 Vulnerable Groups. Second, the engagement of vulnerable groups in the policy process was assessed using the EquIPP matrix. For the latter, 10 interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of representatives of public sector, civil society organizations and development partners who participated in the policy revision process. Data was also collected from documented information of the policy processes. Results: Our analyses indicated that the Malawi HIV and AIDS Policy had a relatively high coverage of Core Concepts of human rights and Vulnerable Groups; although with some notable omissions. The analyses also found that reasonable steps were taken to engage and promote participation of vulnerable groups in the planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes of the HIV and AIDS Policy, although again, with some notable exceptions. This is the first study to use both EquiFrame and EquIPP as complimentary tools to assess the content and process of policy. Conclusion: While the findings indicate inclusive processes, commitment to Core Concepts of human rights and inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in relation to the Malawi HIV and AIDS Policy, the results also point to areas in which social inclusion and equity could be further strengthened. PMID:29626397

Developing lay health worker policy in South Africa: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Over the past half decade South Africa has been developing, implementing and redeveloping its Lay Health Worker (LHW) policies. Research during this period has highlighted challenges with LHW programme implementation. These challenges have included an increased burden of care for female LHWs. The aim of this study was to explore contemporary LHW policy development processes and the extent to which issues of gender are taken up within this process. Methods The study adopted a qualitative approach to exploring policy development from the perspective of policy actors. Eleven policy actors (policy makers and policy commentators) were interviewed individually. Data from the interviews were analysed thematically. Results Considerations of LHW working conditions drove policy redevelopment. From the interviews it seems that gender as an issue never reached the policy making agenda. Although there was strong recognition that the working conditions of LHWs needed to be improved, poor working conditions were not necessarily seen as a gender concern. Our data suggests that in the process of defining the problem which the redeveloped policy had to address, gender was not included. There was no group or body who brought the issue of gender to the attention of policy developers. As such the issue of gender never entered the policy debates. These debates focused on whether it was appropriate to have LHWs, what LHW programme model should be adopted and whether or not LHWs should be incorporated into the formal health system. Conclusion LHW policy redevelopment focused on resolving issues of LHW working conditions through an active process involving many actors and strong debates. Within this process the issue of gender had no champion and never reached the LHW policy agenda. Future research may consider how to incorporate the voices of ordinary women into the policy making process. PMID:22410185

Understanding Agenda Setting in State Educational Policy: An Application of Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model to the Formation of State Reading Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Tamara V.; Shepley, Thomas V.; Song, Mengli

2010-01-01

Drawing on interview data from reading policy actors in California, Michigan, and Texas, this study applied Kingdon's (1984, 1995) multiple streams model to explain how the issue of reading became prominent on the agenda of state governments during the latter half of the 1990s. A combination of factors influenced the status of a state's reading…

Design and Formative Evaluation of the Policy Liaison Initiative: A Long-Term Knowledge Translation Strategy to Encourage and Support the Use of Cochrane Systematic Reviews for Informing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Sue E.; Cumpston, Miranda; Misso, Marie L.; McDonald, Steve; Murphy, Matthew J.; Green, Sally E.

2016-01-01

The Policy Liaison Initiative (PLI) is a long-term knowledge translation initiative designed to support the use of Cochrane systematic reviews in health policy. A joint initiative between the Australasian Cochrane Centre and Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, the PLI includes: 1) a community of practice for evidence-informed…

Understanding the development of minimum unit pricing of alcohol in Scotland: a qualitative study of the policy process.

PubMed

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Hilton, Shona; Bonell, Chris; Bond, Lyndal

2014-01-01

Minimum unit pricing of alcohol is a novel public health policy with the potential to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. Theories of the policy process may help to understand the development of policy innovation and in turn identify lessons for future public health research and practice. This study aims to explain minimum unit pricing's development by taking a 'multiple-lenses' approach to understanding the policy process. In particular, we apply three perspectives of the policy process (Kingdon's multiple streams, Punctuated-Equilibrium Theory, Multi-Level Governance) to understand how and why minimum unit pricing has developed in Scotland and describe implications for efforts to develop evidence-informed policymaking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with policy actors (politicians, civil servants, academics, advocates, industry representatives) involved in the development of MUP (n = 36). Interviewees were asked about the policy process and the role of evidence in policy development. Data from two other sources (a review of policy documents and an analysis of evidence submission documents to the Scottish Parliament) were used for triangulation. The three perspectives provide complementary understandings of the policy process. Evidence has played an important role in presenting the policy issue of alcohol as a problem requiring action. Scotland-specific data and a change in the policy 'image' to a population-based problem contributed to making alcohol-related harms a priority for action. The limited powers of Scottish Government help explain the type of price intervention pursued while distinct aspects of the Scottish political climate favoured the pursuit of price-based interventions. Evidence has played a crucial but complex role in the development of an innovative policy. Utilising different political science theories helps explain different aspects of the policy process, with Multi-Level Governance particularly useful for highlighting important lessons for the future of public health policy.

Understanding the Development of Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol in Scotland: A Qualitative Study of the Policy Process

PubMed Central

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Hilton, Shona; Bonell, Chris; Bond, Lyndal

2014-01-01

Background Minimum unit pricing of alcohol is a novel public health policy with the potential to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. Theories of the policy process may help to understand the development of policy innovation and in turn identify lessons for future public health research and practice. This study aims to explain minimum unit pricing’s development by taking a ‘multiple-lenses’ approach to understanding the policy process. In particular, we apply three perspectives of the policy process (Kingdon’s multiple streams, Punctuated-Equilibrium Theory, Multi-Level Governance) to understand how and why minimum unit pricing has developed in Scotland and describe implications for efforts to develop evidence-informed policymaking. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with policy actors (politicians, civil servants, academics, advocates, industry representatives) involved in the development of MUP (n = 36). Interviewees were asked about the policy process and the role of evidence in policy development. Data from two other sources (a review of policy documents and an analysis of evidence submission documents to the Scottish Parliament) were used for triangulation. Findings The three perspectives provide complementary understandings of the policy process. Evidence has played an important role in presenting the policy issue of alcohol as a problem requiring action. Scotland-specific data and a change in the policy ‘image’ to a population-based problem contributed to making alcohol-related harms a priority for action. The limited powers of Scottish Government help explain the type of price intervention pursued while distinct aspects of the Scottish political climate favoured the pursuit of price-based interventions. Conclusions Evidence has played a crucial but complex role in the development of an innovative policy. Utilising different political science theories helps explain different aspects of the policy process, with Multi-Level Governance particularly useful for highlighting important lessons for the future of public health policy. PMID:24670519

Law and Marine Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bockrath, Joseph

1976-01-01

The University of Delaware Marine Studies has implemented courses in coastal zone law and policy and maritime law. The courses attempt to integrate the scientist's or engineer's work with public policy formation. The program emphasizes historical and current issues and the economic, cultural, and political forces operating in decision-making…

Clinical Guidelines. Dental Hygiene Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branson, Bonnie

This manual contains information concerning the policies and procedures of the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Dental Hygiene Clinic. The manual is presented in a question/answer format for the information and convenience of dental hygiene students in the program, and is intended to answer their questions concerning clinical policies and…

Clearing the Air: A Collaborative Approach to Smoke-Free Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Kelly; Staufacker, Michael J.

Suggestions are made for establishing a policy for prohibiting smoking on school property. First, a working committee for policy formation should be established. This committee should consist of representatives from all populations affected: students, teachers, parents, staff, bus drivers, cooks, administrators, and union and community…

ICCE Policy Statement on Network and Multiple Machine Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Computing Teacher, 1983

1983-01-01

Issued to provide guidance for the resolution of problems inherent in providing and securing good educational software, this statement outlines responsibilities of educators, hardware vendors, and software developers/vendors. Sample policy statements for school districts and community colleges, suggested format for software licenses, and technical…

[Current problems in price formation in public health].

PubMed

Poliakov, I V; Uvarov, S A; Seleznev, V D; Zelenskaia, T M

1996-01-01

Adequate policy of price formation is one condition for effective development of public health under conditions of market economy. The authors present the fundamentals of price formation in public health under conditions of state financing, insurance, and self-support. Price formation should promote the activities of public health institutions, aimed at improving the quality of medical aid to the population and at the creation of conditions for the welfare of medical workers.

Framework for assessing the capacity of a health ministry to conduct health policy processes--a case study from Tajikistan.

PubMed

Mirzoev, Tolib N; Green, Andrew; Van Kalliecharan, Ricky

2015-01-01

An adequate capacity of ministries of health (MOH) to develop and implement policies is essential. However, no frameworks were found assessing MOH capacity to conduct health policy processes within developing countries. This paper presents a conceptual framework for assessing MOH capacity to conduct policy processes based on a study from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic where independence highlighted capacity challenges. The data collection for this qualitative study included in-depth interviews, document reviews and observations of policy events. Framework approach for analysis was used. The conceptual framework was informed by existing literature, guided the data collection and analysis, and was subsequently refined following insights from the study. The Tajik MOH capacity, while gradually improving, remains weak. There is poor recognition of wider contextual influences, ineffective leadership and governance as reflected in centralised decision-making, limited use of evidence, inadequate actors' participation and ineffective use of resources to conduct policy processes. However, the question is whether this is a reflection of lack of MOH ability or evidence of constraining environment or both. The conceptual framework identifies five determinants of robust policy processes, each with specific capacity needs: policy context, MOH leadership and governance, involvement of policy actors, the role of evidence and effective resource use for policy processes. Three underlying considerations are important for applying the capacity to policy processes: the need for clear focus, recognition of capacity levels and elements, and both ability and enabling environment. The proposed framework can be used in assessing and strengthening of the capacity of different policy actors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The process of changing national malaria treatment policy: lessons from country-level studies.

PubMed

Williams, Holly Ann; Durrheim, David; Shretta, Rima

2004-11-01

Widespread resistance of Plasmodium falciparum parasites to commonly used antimalarials, such as chloroquine, has resulted in many endemic countries considering changing their malaria treatment policy. Identifying and understanding the key influences that affect decision-making, and factors that facilitate or undermine policy implementation, is critical for improving the policy process and guiding resource allocation during this process. A historical review of archival documents from Malaŵi and data obtained from in-depth policy studies in four countries (Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and Peru) that have changed malaria treatment policy provides important lessons about decision-making, the policy cycle and complex policy environment, while specifically identifying strategies successfully employed to facilitate policy-making and implementation. Findings from these country-level studies indicate that the process of malaria drug policy review should be institutionalized in endemic countries and based on systematically collected data. Key stakeholders need to be identified early and engaged in the process, while improved communication is needed on all levels. Although malaria drug policy change is often perceived to be a daunting task, using these and other proven strategies should assist endemic countries to tackle this challenge in a systematic fashion that ensures the development and implementation of the rational malaria drug policy.

Family physicians' professional identity formation: a study protocol to explore impression management processes in institutional academic contexts.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Charo; Pawlikowska, Teresa; Schweyer, Francois-Xavier; López-Roig, Sofia; Bélanger, Emmanuelle; Burns, Jane; Hugé, Sandrine; Pastor-Mira, Maria Ángeles; Tellier, Pierre-Paul; Spencer, Sarah; Fiquet, Laure; Pereiró-Berenguer, Inmaculada

2014-09-06

Despite significant differences in terms of medical training and health care context, the phenomenon of medical students' declining interest in family medicine has been well documented in North America and in many other developed countries as well. As part of a research program on family physicians' professional identity formation initiated in 2007, the purpose of the present investigation is to examine in-depth how family physicians construct their professional image in academic contexts; in other words, this study will allow us to identify and understand the processes whereby family physicians with an academic appointment seek to control the ideas others form about them as a professional group, i.e. impression management. The methodology consists of a multiple case study embedded in the perspective of institutional theory. Four international cases from Canada, France, Ireland and Spain will be conducted; the "case" is the medical school. Four levels of analysis will be considered: individual family physicians, interpersonal relationships, family physician professional group, and organization (medical school). Individual interviews and focus groups with academic family physicians will constitute the main technique for data generation, which will be complemented with a variety of documentary sources. Discourse techniques, more particularly rhetorical analysis, will be used to analyze the data gathered. Within- and cross-case analysis will then be performed. This empirical study is strongly grounded in theory and will contribute to the scant body of literature on family physicians' professional identity formation processes in medical schools. Findings will potentially have important implications for the practice of family medicine, medical education and health and educational policies.

Interpretations of Formative Assessment in the Teaching of English at Two Chinese Universities: A Sociocultural Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Qiuxian; Kettle, Margaret; Klenowski, Val; May, Lyn

2013-01-01

Formative assessment is increasingly being implemented through policy initiatives in Chinese educational contexts. As an approach to assessment, formative assessment derives many of its key principles from Western contexts, notably through the work of scholars in the UK, the USA and Australia. The question for this paper is the ways that formative…

Evidence summaries tailored to health policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Glenton, Claire; Wiysonge, Charles Shey; Abalos, Edgardo; Mignini, Luciano; Young, Taryn; Althabe, Fernando; Ciapponi, Agustín; Marti, Sebastian Garcia; Meng, Qingyue; Wang, Jian; la Hoz Bradford, Ana Maria De; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N; Rutebemberwa, Elizeus; Pariyo, George W; Flottorp, Signe; Oxman, Andrew D

2011-01-01

Abstract Objective To describe how the SUPPORT collaboration developed a short summary format for presenting the results of systematic reviews to policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods We carried out 21 user tests in six countries to explore users’ experiences with the summary format. We modified the summaries based on the results and checked our conclusions through 13 follow-up interviews. To solve the problems uncovered by the user testing, we also obtained advisory group feedback and conducted working group workshops. Findings Policy-makers liked a graded entry format (i.e. short summary with key messages up front). They particularly valued the section on the relevance of the summaries for LMICs, which compensated for the lack of locally-relevant detail in the original review. Some struggled to understand the text and numbers. Three issues made redesigning the summaries particularly challenging: (i) participants had a poor understanding of what a systematic review was; (ii) they expected information not found in the systematic reviews and (iii) they wanted shorter, clearer summaries. Solutions included adding information to help understand the nature of a systematic review, adding more references and making the content clearer and the document quicker to scan. Conclusion Presenting evidence from systematic reviews to policy-makers in LMICs in the form of short summaries can render the information easier to assimilate and more useful, but summaries must be clear and easy to read or scan quickly. They should also explain the nature of the information provided by systematic reviews and its relevance for policy decisions. PMID:21346891

Adapting public policy theory for public health research: A framework to understand the development of national policies on global health.

PubMed

Jones, Catherine M; Clavier, Carole; Potvin, Louise

2017-03-01

National policies on global health appear as one way that actors from health, development and foreign affairs sectors in a country coordinate state action on global health. Next to a burgeoning literature in which international relations and global governance theories are employed to understand global health policy and global health diplomacy at the international level, little is known about policy processes for global health at the national scale. We propose a framework of the policy process to understand how such policies are developed, and we identify challenges for public health researchers integrating conceptual tools from political science. We developed the framework using a two-step process: 1) reviewing literature to establish criteria for selecting a theoretical framework fit for this purpose, and 2) adapting Real-Dato's synthesis framework to integrate a cognitive approach to public policy within a constructivist perspective. Our framework identifies multiple contexts as part of the policy process, focuses on situations where actors work together to make national policy on global health, considers these interactive situations as spaces for observing external influences on policy change and proposes policy design as the output of the process. We suggest that this framework makes three contributions to the conceptualisation of national policy on global health as a research object. First, it emphasizes collective action over decisions of individual policy actors. Second, it conceptualises the policy process as organised interactive spaces for collaboration rather than as stages of a policy cycle. Third, national decision-making spaces are opportunities for transferring ideas and knowledge from different sectors and settings, and represent opportunities to identify international influences on a country's global health policy. We discuss two sets of challenges for public health researchers using interdisciplinary approaches in policy research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seattle's minimum wage ordinance did not affect supermarket food prices by food processing category.

PubMed

Spoden, Amanda L; Buszkiewicz, James H; Drewnowski, Adam; Long, Mark C; Otten, Jennifer J

2018-06-01

To examine the impacts of Seattle's minimum wage ordinance on food prices by food processing category. Supermarket food prices were collected for 106 items using a University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition market basket at affected and unaffected supermarket chain stores at three times: March 2015 (1-month pre-policy enactment), May 2015 (1-month post-policy enactment) and May 2016 (1-year post-policy enactment). Food items were categorized into four food processing groups, from minimally to ultra-processed. Data were analysed across time using a multilevel, linear difference-in-differences model at the store and price level stratified by level of food processing. Six large supermarket chain stores located in Seattle ('intervention') affected by the policy and six same-chain but unaffected stores in King County ('control'), Washington, USA. One hundred and six food and beverage items. The largest change in average price by food item was +$US 0·53 for 'processed foods' in King County between 1-month post-policy and 1-year post-policy enactment (P < 0·01). The smallest change was $US 0·00 for 'unprocessed or minimally processed foods' in Seattle between 1-month post-policy and 1-year post-policy enactment (P = 0·94). No significant changes in averaged chain prices were observed across food processing level strata in Seattle v. King County stores at 1-month or 1-year post-policy enactment. Supermarket food prices do not appear to be differentially impacted by Seattle's minimum wage ordinance by level of the food's processing. These results suggest that the early implementation of a city-level minimum wage policy does not alter supermarket food prices by level of food processing.

Policy Issues in Day Care: Summaries of 21 Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Systems and Program Development, Inc., Washington, DC.

This report presents summaries of 21 papers which address various issues related to day care policy formation. The papers were commissioned as part of the information gathering and dissemination activities of the Federal Interagency Day Care Requirements (FIDCR) Appropriateness Study. The summaries of the papers are divided into four topical…

Translating Policy: Governmentality and the Reflective Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perryman, Jane; Ball, Stephen J.; Braun, Annette; Maguire, Meg

2017-01-01

This paper deploys some concepts from the work of Michel Foucault to problematise the mundane and quotidian "practices" of policy translation as these occur in the everyday of schools. In doing that, we suggest that these "practices" are complicit in the formation of and constitution of teacher subjects, and their subjection to…

Policy Information System Computer Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamlin, Roger E.; And Others

The concepts and methodologies outlined in "A Policy Information System for Vocational Education" are presented in a simple computer format in this booklet. It also contains a sample output representing 5-year projections of various planning needs for vocational education. Computerized figures in the eight areas corresponding to those in the…

The Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Conservative Educational Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Percival, James

2017-01-01

Contemporary Conservative education policy may seem to be hastily formulated and executed, but, it is arguably founded on deeply held ideological beliefs. By briefly examining the history of the British Conservative party and its complex formation and disparate ideological traditions, including the broader conservative diaspora, four key…

The evidence does not speak for itself: The role of research evidence in shaping policy change for the implementation of publicly funded syringe exchange programs in three US cities.

PubMed

Allen, Sean T; Ruiz, Monica S; O'Rourke, Allison

2015-07-01

A breadth of literature exists that explores the utilization of research evidence in policy change processes. From this work, a number of studies suggest research evidence is applied to change processes by policy change stakeholders primarily through instrumental, conceptual, and/or symbolic applications, or is not used at all. Despite the expansiveness of research on policy change processes, a deficit exists in understanding the role of research evidence during change processes related to the implementation of structural interventions for HIV prevention among injection drug users (IDU). This study examined the role of research evidence in policy change processes for the implementation of publicly funded syringe exchange services in three US cities: Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, DC. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with key stakeholders (n=29) from each of the study cities. Stakeholders were asked about the historical, social, political, and scientific contexts in their city during the policy change process. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for common themes pertaining to applications of research evidence. In Baltimore and Philadelphia, the typological approaches (instrumental and symbolic/conceptual, respectively) to the applications of research evidence used by harm reduction proponents contributed to the momentum for securing policy change for the implementation of syringe exchange services. Applications of research evidence were less successful in DC because policymakers had differing ideas about the implications of syringe exchange program implementation and because opponents of policy change used evidence incorrectly or not at all in policy change discussions. Typological applications of research evidence are useful for understanding policy change processes, but their efficacy falls short when sociopolitical factors complicate legislative processes. Advocates for harm reduction may benefit from understanding how to effectively integrate research evidence into policy change processes in ways that confront the myriad of factors that influence policy change. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of Interstate Policy Organizations in State Higher Education Policy Processes: Perceptions of Policymakers and Policy Shapers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michelau, Demaree K.

2010-01-01

Political science offers rich explanations for how different types of organizations that are focused on public policy decisions (e.g., boundary organizations, interest groups, policy networks (or communities), and think tanks) influence public policy processes (Cash, Clark, Alcock, Dickson, Eckley, Guston, Jager, and Mitchell 2003; Guston 2001;…

Health policy--why research it and how: health political science.

PubMed

de Leeuw, Evelyne; Clavier, Carole; Breton, Eric

2014-09-23

The establishment of policy is key to the implementation of actions for health. We review the nature of policy and the definition and directions of health policy. In doing so, we explicitly cast a health political science gaze on setting parameters for researching policy change for health. A brief overview of core theories of the policy process for health promotion is presented, and illustrated with empirical evidence. The key arguments are that (a) policy is not an intervention, but drives intervention development and implementation; (b) understanding policy processes and their pertinent theories is pivotal for the potential to influence policy change; (c) those theories and associated empirical work need to recognise the wicked, multi-level, and incremental nature of elements in the process; and, therefore, (d) the public health, health promotion, and education research toolbox should more explicitly embrace health political science insights. The rigorous application of insights from and theories of the policy process will enhance our understanding of not just how, but also why health policy is structured and implemented the way it is.

Measuring research influence on drug policy: a case example of two epidemiological monitoring systems.

PubMed

Ritter, Alison; Lancaster, Kari

2013-01-01

Assessing the extent to which drug research influences and impacts upon policy decision-making needs to go beyond bibliometric analysis of academic citations. Policy makers do not necessarily access the academic literature, and policy processes are largely iterative and rely on interactions and relationships. Furthermore, media representation of research contributes to public opinion and can influence policy uptake. In this context, assessing research influence involves examining the extent to which a research project is taken up in policy documents, used within policy processes, and disseminated via the media. This three component approach is demonstrated using a case example of two ongoing illicit drug monitoring systems: the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS). Systematic searches for reference to the IDRS and/or EDRS within policy documents, across multiple policy processes (such as parliamentary inquiries) and in the media, in conjunction with analysis of the types of mentions in these three sources, enables an analysis of policy influence. The context for the research is also described as the foundation for the approach. The application of the three component approach to the case study demonstrates a practical and systematic retrospective approach to measure drug research influence. For example, the ways in which the IDRS and EDRS were mentioned in policy documents demonstrated research utilisation. Policy processes were inclusive of IDRS and EDRS findings, while the media analysis revealed only a small contribution in the context of wider media reporting. Consistent with theories of policy processes, assessing the extent of research influence requires a systematic analysis of policy documents and processes. Development of such analyses and associated methods will better equip researchers to evaluate the impact of research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The inter-section of political history and health policy in Asia--the historical foundations for health policy analysis.

PubMed

Grundy, John; Hoban, Elizabeth; Allender, Steve; Annear, Peter

2014-09-01

One of the challenges for health reform in Asia is the diverse set of socio-economic and political structures, and the related variability in the direction and pace of health systems and policy reform. This paper aims to make comparative observations and analysis of health policy reform in the context of historical change, and considers the implications of these findings for the practice of health policy analysis. We adopt an ecological model for analysis of policy development, whereby health systems are considered as dynamic social constructs shaped by changing political and social conditions. Utilizing historical, social scientific and health literature, timelines of health and history for five countries (Cambodia, Myanmar, Mongolia, North Korea and Timor Leste) are mapped over a 30-50 year period. The case studies compare and contrast key turning points in political and health policy history, and examines the manner in which these turning points sets the scene for the acting out of longer term health policy formation, particularly with regard to the managerial domains of health policy making. Findings illustrate that the direction of health policy reform is shaped by the character of political reform, with countries in the region being at variable stages of transition from monolithic and centralized administrations, towards more complex management arrangements characterized by a diversity of health providers, constituency interest and financing sources. The pace of reform is driven by a country's institutional capability to withstand and manage transition shocks of post conflict rehabilitation and emergence of liberal economic reforms in an altered governance context. These findings demonstrate that health policy analysis needs to be informed by a deeper understanding and questioning of the historical trajectory and political stance that sets the stage for the acting out of health policy formation, in order that health systems function optimally along their own historical pathways. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cloud Engineering Principles and Technology Enablers for Medical Image Processing-as-a-Service

PubMed Central

Bao, Shunxing; Plassard, Andrew J.; Landman, Bennett A.; Gokhale, Aniruddha

2017-01-01

Traditional in-house, laboratory-based medical imaging studies use hierarchical data structures (e.g., NFS file stores) or databases (e.g., COINS, XNAT) for storage and retrieval. The resulting performance from these approaches is, however, impeded by standard network switches since they can saturate network bandwidth during transfer from storage to processing nodes for even moderate-sized studies. To that end, a cloud-based “medical image processing-as-a-service” offers promise in utilizing the ecosystem of Apache Hadoop, which is a flexible framework providing distributed, scalable, fault tolerant storage and parallel computational modules, and HBase, which is a NoSQL database built atop Hadoop’s distributed file system. Despite this promise, HBase’s load distribution strategy of region split and merge is detrimental to the hierarchical organization of imaging data (e.g., project, subject, session, scan, slice). This paper makes two contributions to address these concerns by describing key cloud engineering principles and technology enhancements we made to the Apache Hadoop ecosystem for medical imaging applications. First, we propose a row-key design for HBase, which is a necessary step that is driven by the hierarchical organization of imaging data. Second, we propose a novel data allocation policy within HBase to strongly enforce collocation of hierarchically related imaging data. The proposed enhancements accelerate data processing by minimizing network usage and localizing processing to machines where the data already exist. Moreover, our approach is amenable to the traditional scan, subject, and project-level analysis procedures, and is compatible with standard command line/scriptable image processing software. Experimental results for an illustrative sample of imaging data reveals that our new HBase policy results in a three-fold time improvement in conversion of classic DICOM to NiFTI file formats when compared with the default HBase region split policy, and nearly a six-fold improvement over a commonly available network file system (NFS) approach even for relatively small file sets. Moreover, file access latency is lower than network attached storage. PMID:28884169

Routinely collected data as a strategic resource for research: priorities for methods and workforce.

PubMed

Jorm, Louisa

2015-09-30

In the era of 'big data', research using routinely collected data offers greater potential than ever before to drive health system effectiveness and efficiency, and population health improvement. In Australia, the policy environment, and emerging frameworks and processes for data governance and access, increasingly support the use of routinely collected data for research. Capitalising on this strategic resource requires investment in both research methods and research workforce. Priorities for methods development include validation studies, techniques for analysing complex longitudinal data, exploration of bias introduced through linkage error, and a robust toolkit to evaluate policies and programs using 'natural experiments'. Priorities for workforce development include broadening the skills base of the existing research workforce, and the formation of new, larger, interdisciplinary research teams to incorporate capabilities in computer science, partnership research, research translation and the 'business' aspects of research. Large-scale, long-term partnership approaches involving government, industry and researchers offer the most promising way to maximise returns on investment in research using routinely collected data.

History Teaches Us That Confronting Antibiotic Resistance Requires Stronger Global Collective Action.

PubMed

Podolsky, Scott H; Bud, Robert; Gradmann, Christoph; Hobaek, Bård; Kirchhelle, Claas; Mitvedt, Tore; Santesmases, María Jesús; Thoms, Ulrike; Berild, Dag; Kveim Lie, Anne

2015-01-01

Antibiotic development and usage, and antibiotic resistance in particular, are today considered global concerns, simultaneously mandating local and global perspectives and actions. Yet such global considerations have not always been part of antibiotic policy formation, and those who attempt to formulate a globally coordinated response to antibiotic resistance will need to confront a history of heterogeneous, often uncoordinated, and at times conflicting reform efforts, whose legacies remain apparent today. Historical analysis permits us to highlight such entrenched trends and processes, helping to frame contemporary efforts to improve access, conservation and innovation. © 2015 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Formation and Regional to Global Impacts of Severe Haze in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, R.

2017-12-01

As the world's second largest economy, China has experienced severe haze pollution, with fine particulate matter (PM) recently reaching unprecedentedly high levels across many cities. An understanding of the PM formation mechanism is critical in the development of efficient mediation policies to minimize its regional to global impacts. The formation mechanisms leading to severe haze episodes with exceedingly high PM2.5 levels in China remain uncertain, and the abundance and chemical constituents of PM2.5 vary considerably, depending on complex interplay between meteorology, pollution sources, and atmospheric chemical processes. In addition, aerosols interact directly and indirectly with the Earth's radiation budget and climate. For the direct effect, aerosols scatter and absorb solar radiation. Light scattering by aerosols changes the radiative fluxes at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA), at the surface, and within the atmospheric column, while aerosol absorption modifies the atmospheric temperature structure, decreases the solar radiation at the surface, and lowers surface sensible and latent fluxes, suppressing convection and reducing cloud fraction. Furthermore, aerosols by serving as cloud condensation nuclei indirectly impact climate by altering cloud development, lifetime, precipitation, and albedo. This talk will discuss the latest progress in understanding of severe haze formation in China and the regional to global impacts of Asian pollution.

40 CFR Appendix Viii to Part 600 - Fuel Economy Label Formats

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fuel Economy Label Formats VIII... POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Pt. 600, App. VIII Appendix VIII to Part 600—Fuel Economy Label Formats EC01MY92.117 EC01MY92.118 EC01MY92.119 EC01MY92.120...

The Possibilities and Limitations of Assessment for Learning: Exploring the Theory of Formative Assessment and the Notion of "Closing the Learning Gap"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ninomiya, Shuichi

2016-01-01

Black and Wiliam (1998a, 1998b) demonstrate that formative assessment is one of the most effective strategies for promoting student learning. Since the publication of their reviews, formative assessment has gained increasing international prominence in both policy and practice. However, despite this early innovation, the theory and practice of…

Arms control movements and the media: From the Cold War to the nuclear freeze

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rojecki, A.

1993-12-31

The dissertation examines news coverage of the two most recent arms control movements: The test ban (1957-1963) and the nuclear freeze (1981-1984). Four questions guide the research: (1) To what extent do the news media maintain a space for oppositional politics that is independent of elite influence? (2) DOes the existence and characters of the space matter to policy outcomes? (3) Has the character of voices permitted into this space changed over time? (4) Are there differences between the more elite-oriented media and those aiming for mass audiences? The study begins by tracing the formation of arms control policy inmore » the three presidential administrations that span the two movements. Finally, it examines the news frames used to depict movement messages and participants. The study found that space provided to movement politics varied both with administration policy formation and editorial policy. Because news coverage followed the contours of elite policy, the movements succeeded only in placing their issues on the policy agenda but not in achieving their desired goals. There were significant differences in the types of voiced permitted into the news across the two movements. Moral authority to participate in and influence arms control policy debates was virtually unquestioned during the cold war, but by the 1980s, the media were more likely to defer to expert opinion, despite its underlying partisan interest. The most significant difference in news treatment was between the elite press and television news: The simplicity of the television report was more likely to elicit core issues. But neither the press, the opposition party in Congress, nor the movement used these to challenge the rationale of administration policy or to explore the ethical implications of the influence of defense industry PACs on policy-making.« less

Institutional policy learning and public consultation: the Canadian xenotransplantation experience.

PubMed

Jones, Mavis; Einsiedel, Edna

2011-09-01

Attempts to evaluate public consultations, participatory technology assessment, and deliberative democracy have typically considered impacts on either policy or participants. The determination of impacts on policy institutions has been limited due to the challenges of tracing effects through the policy process, or penetrating bureaucratic walls. This paper presents findings from a retrospective study exploring the institutional lessons learned from a 2001 Canadian national public consultation on xenotransplantation. The consultation was conducted through an arm's-length process and involved the use of citizen juries in six regional sites. We conducted in-depth interviews of regulatory and policy actors who were engaged in early policy discussions and the consultation process. We reviewed evaluations of this process, both internal and external, which gave us richer insights into what institutional actors saw as the impacts of this consultative experience on their policy environment. Participants in our research identified a broader shift toward openness in policy culture which they linked specifically to the innovative consultation process employed for xenotransplantation. We argue that beyond input into policy decisions, a consultation may have an impact in terms of its contribution to overall shifts in institutional culture (related to institutional learning), such as an "opening" of technological decision processes to a broader range of actors, knowledge, and values. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How do external donors influence national health policy processes? Experiences of domestic policy actors in Cambodia and Pakistan.

PubMed

Khan, Mishal S; Meghani, Ankita; Liverani, Marco; Roychowdhury, Imara; Parkhurst, Justin

2018-03-01

Although concerns have historically been raised about the influence of external donors on health policy process in recipient countries, remarkably few studies have investigated perspectives and experiences of domestic policymakers and advisers. This study examines donor influence at different stages of the health policy process (priority setting, policy formulation, policy implementation and monitoring and evaluation) in two aid-dependent LMICs, Cambodia and Pakistan. It identifies mechanisms through which asymmetries in influence between donors and domestic policy actors emerge. We conducted 24 key informant interviews-14 in Pakistan and 10 in Cambodia-with high-level decision-makers who inform or authorize health priority setting, allocate resources and/or are responsible for policy implementation, identifying three routes of influence: financial resources, technical expertise and indirect financial and political incentives. We used both inductive and deductive approaches to analyse the data. Our findings indicate that different routes of influence emerged depending on the stage of the policy process. Control of financial resources was the most commonly identified route by which donors influenced priority setting and policy implementation. Greater (perceived) technical expertise played an important role in donor influence at the policy formulation stage. Donors' power in influencing decisions, particularly during the final (monitoring and evaluation) stage of the policy process, was mediated by their ability to control indirect financial and political incentives as well as direct control of financial resources. This study thus helps unpack the nuances of donor influence over health policymaking in these settings, and can potentially indicate areas that require attention to increase the ownership of domestic actors of their countries' health policy processes. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

How do external donors influence national health policy processes? Experiences of domestic policy actors in Cambodia and Pakistan

PubMed Central

Khan, Mishal S; Liverani, Marco; Roychowdhury, Imara; Parkhurst, Justin

2018-01-01

Abstract Although concerns have historically been raised about the influence of external donors on health policy process in recipient countries, remarkably few studies have investigated perspectives and experiences of domestic policymakers and advisers. This study examines donor influence at different stages of the health policy process (priority setting, policy formulation, policy implementation and monitoring and evaluation) in two aid-dependent LMICs, Cambodia and Pakistan. It identifies mechanisms through which asymmetries in influence between donors and domestic policy actors emerge. We conducted 24 key informant interviews—14 in Pakistan and 10 in Cambodia—with high-level decision-makers who inform or authorize health priority setting, allocate resources and/or are responsible for policy implementation, identifying three routes of influence: financial resources, technical expertise and indirect financial and political incentives. We used both inductive and deductive approaches to analyse the data. Our findings indicate that different routes of influence emerged depending on the stage of the policy process. Control of financial resources was the most commonly identified route by which donors influenced priority setting and policy implementation. Greater (perceived) technical expertise played an important role in donor influence at the policy formulation stage. Donors’ power in influencing decisions, particularly during the final (monitoring and evaluation) stage of the policy process, was mediated by their ability to control indirect financial and political incentives as well as direct control of financial resources. This study thus helps unpack the nuances of donor influence over health policymaking in these settings, and can potentially indicate areas that require attention to increase the ownership of domestic actors of their countries’ health policy processes. PMID:29237026

Supplementing Summative Findings with Formative Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noggle, Nelson L.

This paper attempts to provide evaluators, administrators, and policy makers with the advantages of and methodology of merging formative and summative data to enhance summative evaluations. It draws on RMC Research Corporation's 1980-81 California Statewide Evaluation of Migrant Education. The concern that evaluations typically fail to obtain the…

Handbook of Formative Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrade, Heidi, Ed.; Cizek, Gregory J., Ed.

2010-01-01

Formative assessment has recently become a focus of renewed research as state and federal policy-makers realize that summative assessments have reached a point of diminishing returns as a tool for increasing student achievement. Consequently, supporters of large-scale testing programs are now beginning to consider the potential of formative…

Policy Intensions and the Folds of the Self

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, P. Taylor; Gulson, Kalervo N.

2013-01-01

In this essay, P. Taylor Webb and Kalervo N. Gulson argue that educational policy is a spatial process and that implementation processes in particular produce crucial emergent geographies for policy research. Webb and Gulson describe how emergent geographies are produced when policy "folds" actors through senses and enactments of policy. The idea…

Fusion policy advisory committee named

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Department of Energy Secretary James Watkins has announced the formation of new Fusion Policy Advisory Committee which will recommend a policy for conducting DOE's fusion energy research program. Issues that will be considered by the committee include the balance of research activities within the programs, the timing of experiments to test the burning of plasma fuel, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, and the development of laser technologies, DOE said. Watkins said that he would be entirely open to the committee's advice.

Legislative coalitions with incomplete information

PubMed Central

Dragu, Tiberiu; Laver, Michael

2017-01-01

In most parliamentary democracies, proportional representation electoral rules mean that no single party controls a majority of seats in the legislature. This in turn means that the formation of majority legislative coalitions in such settings is of critical political importance. Conventional approaches to modeling the formation of such legislative coalitions typically make the “common knowledge” assumption that the preferences of all politicians are public information. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework to investigate which legislative coalitions form when politicians’ policy preferences are private information, not known with certainty by the other politicians with whom they are negotiating over what policies to implement. The model we develop has distinctive implications. It suggests that legislative coalitions should typically be either of the center left or the center right. In other words our model, distinctively, predicts only center-left or center-right policy coalitions, not coalitions comprising the median party plus parties both to its left and to its right. PMID:28242675

Legislative coalitions with incomplete information.

PubMed

Dragu, Tiberiu; Laver, Michael

2017-03-14

In most parliamentary democracies, proportional representation electoral rules mean that no single party controls a majority of seats in the legislature. This in turn means that the formation of majority legislative coalitions in such settings is of critical political importance. Conventional approaches to modeling the formation of such legislative coalitions typically make the "common knowledge" assumption that the preferences of all politicians are public information. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework to investigate which legislative coalitions form when politicians' policy preferences are private information, not known with certainty by the other politicians with whom they are negotiating over what policies to implement. The model we develop has distinctive implications. It suggests that legislative coalitions should typically be either of the center left or the center right. In other words our model, distinctively, predicts only center-left or center-right policy coalitions, not coalitions comprising the median party plus parties both to its left and to its right.

Occupational Stress among Schoolteachers: A Review of Research Findings Relevant to Policy Formation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siu, Oi Ling

1995-01-01

Reviews conceptions of teacher stress and the literature on prevalence, sources, and effects of occupational stress on schoolteachers. Reviews research findings on how teachers cope with stress. Identifies policy changes in Hong Kong that could reduce stress levels among teachers and recommends the expansion of educational psychological services.…

17 CFR 1.71 - Conflicts of interest policies and procedures by futures commission merchants and introducing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... subject to this rule must adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to... broker must establish structural and institutional safeguards reasonably designed to ensure that the... for non-substantive editing, to format the layout or style of the research report, or to identify any...

17 CFR 1.71 - Conflicts of interest policies and procedures by futures commission merchants and introducing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... subject to this rule must adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to... broker must establish structural and institutional safeguards reasonably designed to ensure that the... for non-substantive editing, to format the layout or style of the research report, or to identify any...

The "German Children" of Mozambique: Long-Term Legacies of a Socialist Educational Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Tanja R.

2012-01-01

State-led education policies that centre on citizenship formation and are based on socialist-inspired values have been found in many newly independent post-colonial regimes. Such policies have led to a number of educational exchange programmes between developing countries and former "Eastern Bloc" countries. This paper looks at an…

Outdoor Education Research: Implications for Social/Educational and Natural Resource Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewert, Alan; McAvoy, Leo

This paper discusses the potential role of outdoor education research in the formation of public policies on natural resource management, social issues, and education. Some current environmental, social, and educational problems include the lack of public knowledge about natural resources at a time of heightened and conflicting demands for those…

Science in the Publicity Laboratory: The Case of Eugenics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caudill, Edward

The eugenicists of the 1920s and 1930s aggressively pursued media attention and sought policy change for their cause of improving the human race by selective breeding. Eugenics gained momentum in the United States when the American Eugenics Society (AES) was organized in 1921. Policy formation and information dissemination were central to the…

Language Policies as Virtual Realities: Two Australian Examples.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Helen

This chapter uses the insights of Dorothy Smith and Anna Yeatman, both feminist scholars, to explore the nature of policy formation through two examples from Australia. Smith and Yeatman argue that all description is both biased and interested. The article documents how the values of pluralism and equity were not served well by Australian policy…

Greek University: The Road to Marketization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgiadis, Nikos M.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is the analysis of higher education policy in Greece during the last decade, which is tied in with the ascendancy of market orientation and the complete restructuring of the university. The formation of this policy and its main axes are studied in the context of the pertinent developments at international and European…

At a Glance: ADHD and IDEA 1997. A Guide for State and Local Policymakers. Policy Briefs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregg, Soleil

This policy brief summarizes the literature and identifies responsibilities of state and local policymakers in meeting legal obligations to provide educational services for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Presented in a general question-and-answer format,…

Ethnicity and Education in China and Vietnam: Discursive Formations of Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeJaeghere, Joan; Wu, Xinyi; Vu, Lisa

2015-01-01

This article aims to understand how ethnicity is discursively framed in national policies in China and Vietnam and argues that policy discourses affect how the "problem" of ethnicity and educational inequalities is framed and how these inequalities can be addressed. The analysis shows how both Marxist and market-economy governing…

Strengthening Traditions and Embracing a Commercial Tobacco-Free Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosma, Linda M.; Hanson, Matt

2017-01-01

Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) officially implemented its commercial tobacco-free campus policy at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, prohibiting commercial tobacco use anywhere on campus while supporting and encouraging sacred uses of tobacco. LLTC worked on its policy formation for several years; college leaders made the decision to…

Social and Demographic Problems of Young People in the Russian Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ermakov, S. P.

2014-01-01

Changes in reproductive behavior among young people in Russia, changing patterns of marriage and family formation, and high death rates among males are all affecting Russia's human capital potential, and public policy reforms will need to take this into account. The new Federal Law "On Youth Policy" represents an important stage that…

Components of a Course on National Security Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quester, George H.

1987-01-01

Describes the components of a course on the formation of national security policy. Includes information on the amount of emphasis and instructional approach to take with each component of the course. Components include the nature of strategy, the role of war in international politics, disarmament and arms control, nuclear weapons and nuclear war,…

Debating Values: Key Issues in Formatting an Argumentative Case.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, David K.

This paper analyzes the components of an "ideal" debate using a non-policy proposition. It is argued that debates using non-policy propositions are currently plagued by a variety of problems. Value propositions on the college level are dissimilar to the value propositions used in high school Lincoln-Douglas debate. Many debaters are…

European Higher Education Policy and the Formation of Entrepreneurial Students as Future European Citizens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papatsiba, Vassiliki

2009-01-01

In this article, the author argues that European education policies and rhetoric are imbued with orthodoxy of agency and models of empowered, entrepreneurial actors, striving to surpass the limits of national boundaries. Free circulation of citizens has progressively underpinned a new construction of "the European", who is…

Pressure Groups and Education Policy and Administration in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, G. S.

This report discusses the role and function of pressure groups with regard to policy formation and implementation in Australian education. It is addressed to the scholar interested in gaining further insight into the structure and operation of the political and educational systems, as well as to those engaged or involved in the whole educational…

Universities, Public Policy and Economic Development in Latin America: The Cases of Mexico and Venezuela.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorey, David E.

1992-01-01

Since establishment of national university systems in Mexico and Venezuela, three principal demands have dominated policy formation: government ideological demand; economic demand for expertise; and political and social demand for upward mobility through education. Tensions between these demands have stemmed from economic inability to sustain…

Framing and the health policy process: a scoping review.

PubMed

Koon, Adam D; Hawkins, Benjamin; Mayhew, Susannah H

2016-07-01

Framing research seeks to understand the forces that shape human behaviour in the policy process. It assumes that policy is a social construct and can be cast in a variety of ways to imply multiple legitimate value considerations. Frames provide the cognitive means of making sense of the social world, but discordance among them forms the basis of policy contestation. Framing, as both theory and method, has proven to generate considerable insight into the nature of policy debates in a variety of disciplines. Despite its salience for understanding health policy debates; however, little is known about the ways frames influence the health policy process. A scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley framework was conducted. The literature on framing in the health sector was reviewed using nine health and social science databases. Articles were included that explicitly reported theory and methods used, data source(s), at least one frame, frame sponsor and evidence of a given frame's effect on the health policy process. A total of 52 articles, from 1996 to 2014, and representing 12 countries, were identified. Much of the research came from the policy studies/political science literature (n = 17) and used a constructivist epistemology. The term 'frame' was used as a label to describe a variety of ideas, packaged as values, social problems, metaphors or arguments. Frames were characterized at various levels of abstraction ranging from general ideological orientations to specific policy positions. Most articles presented multiple frames and showed how actors advocated for them in a highly contested political process. Framing is increasingly an important, yet overlooked aspect of the policy process. Further analysis on frames, framing processes and frame conflict can help researchers and policymakers to understand opaque and highly charged policy issues, which may facilitate the resolution of protracted policy controversies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Framing and the health policy process: a scoping review

PubMed Central

Koon, Adam D; Hawkins, Benjamin; Mayhew, Susannah H

2016-01-01

Framing research seeks to understand the forces that shape human behaviour in the policy process. It assumes that policy is a social construct and can be cast in a variety of ways to imply multiple legitimate value considerations. Frames provide the cognitive means of making sense of the social world, but discordance among them forms the basis of policy contestation. Framing, as both theory and method, has proven to generate considerable insight into the nature of policy debates in a variety of disciplines. Despite its salience for understanding health policy debates; however, little is known about the ways frames influence the health policy process. A scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley framework was conducted. The literature on framing in the health sector was reviewed using nine health and social science databases. Articles were included that explicitly reported theory and methods used, data source(s), at least one frame, frame sponsor and evidence of a given frame’s effect on the health policy process. A total of 52 articles, from 1996 to 2014, and representing 12 countries, were identified. Much of the research came from the policy studies/political science literature (n = 17) and used a constructivist epistemology. The term ‘frame’ was used as a label to describe a variety of ideas, packaged as values, social problems, metaphors or arguments. Frames were characterized at various levels of abstraction ranging from general ideological orientations to specific policy positions. Most articles presented multiple frames and showed how actors advocated for them in a highly contested political process. Framing is increasingly an important, yet overlooked aspect of the policy process. Further analysis on frames, framing processes and frame conflict can help researchers and policymakers to understand opaque and highly charged policy issues, which may facilitate the resolution of protracted policy controversies. PMID:26873903

Rationality versus reality: the challenges of evidence-based decision making for health policy makers

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Current healthcare systems have extended the evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach to health policy and delivery decisions, such as access-to-care, healthcare funding and health program continuance, through attempts to integrate valid and reliable evidence into the decision making process. These policy decisions have major impacts on society and have high personal and financial costs associated with those decisions. Decision models such as these function under a shared assumption of rational choice and utility maximization in the decision-making process. Discussion We contend that health policy decision makers are generally unable to attain the basic goals of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) and evidence-based policy making (EBPM) because humans make decisions with their naturally limited, faulty, and biased decision-making processes. A cognitive information processing framework is presented to support this argument, and subtle cognitive processing mechanisms are introduced to support the focal thesis: health policy makers' decisions are influenced by the subjective manner in which they individually process decision-relevant information rather than on the objective merits of the evidence alone. As such, subsequent health policy decisions do not necessarily achieve the goals of evidence-based policy making, such as maximizing health outcomes for society based on valid and reliable research evidence. Summary In this era of increasing adoption of evidence-based healthcare models, the rational choice, utility maximizing assumptions in EBDM and EBPM, must be critically evaluated to ensure effective and high-quality health policy decisions. The cognitive information processing framework presented here will aid health policy decision makers by identifying how their decisions might be subtly influenced by non-rational factors. In this paper, we identify some of the biases and potential intervention points and provide some initial suggestions about how the EBDM/EBPM process can be improved. PMID:20504357

Rationality versus reality: the challenges of evidence-based decision making for health policy makers.

PubMed

McCaughey, Deirdre; Bruning, Nealia S

2010-05-26

Current healthcare systems have extended the evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach to health policy and delivery decisions, such as access-to-care, healthcare funding and health program continuance, through attempts to integrate valid and reliable evidence into the decision making process. These policy decisions have major impacts on society and have high personal and financial costs associated with those decisions. Decision models such as these function under a shared assumption of rational choice and utility maximization in the decision-making process. We contend that health policy decision makers are generally unable to attain the basic goals of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) and evidence-based policy making (EBPM) because humans make decisions with their naturally limited, faulty, and biased decision-making processes. A cognitive information processing framework is presented to support this argument, and subtle cognitive processing mechanisms are introduced to support the focal thesis: health policy makers' decisions are influenced by the subjective manner in which they individually process decision-relevant information rather than on the objective merits of the evidence alone. As such, subsequent health policy decisions do not necessarily achieve the goals of evidence-based policy making, such as maximizing health outcomes for society based on valid and reliable research evidence. In this era of increasing adoption of evidence-based healthcare models, the rational choice, utility maximizing assumptions in EBDM and EBPM, must be critically evaluated to ensure effective and high-quality health policy decisions. The cognitive information processing framework presented here will aid health policy decision makers by identifying how their decisions might be subtly influenced by non-rational factors. In this paper, we identify some of the biases and potential intervention points and provide some initial suggestions about how the EBDM/EBPM process can be improved.

Developing the next generation of diverse computer scientists: the need for enhanced, intersectional computing identity theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Sarah L.; Lehman, Kathleen

2017-10-01

This theoretical paper explores the need for enhanced, intersectional computing identity theory for the purpose of developing a diverse group of computer scientists for the future. Greater theoretical understanding of the identity formation process specifically for computing is needed in order to understand how students come to understand themselves as computer scientists. To ensure that the next generation of computer scientists is diverse, this paper presents a case for examining identity development intersectionally, understanding the ways in which women and underrepresented students may have difficulty identifying as computer scientists and be systematically oppressed in their pursuit of computer science careers. Through a review of the available scholarship, this paper suggests that creating greater theoretical understanding of the computing identity development process will inform the way in which educational stakeholders consider computer science practices and policies.

Conducting Nursing Research to Advance and Inform Health Policy.

PubMed

Ellenbecker, Carol Hall; Edward, Jean

2016-11-01

The primary roles of nurse scientists in conducting health policy research are to increase knowledge in the discipline and provide evidence for informing and advancing health policies with the goal of improving the health outcomes of society. Health policy research informs, characterizes, explains, or tests hypotheses by employing a variety of research designs. Health policy research focuses on improving the access to care, the quality and cost of care, and the efficiency with which care is delivered. In this article, we explain how nurses might envision their research in a policy process framework, describe research designs that nurse researchers might use to inform and advance health policies, and provide examples of research conducted by nurse researchers to explicate key concepts in the policy process framework. Health policies are well informed and advanced when nurse researchers have a good understanding of the political process. The policy process framework provides a context for improving the focus and design of research and better explicating the connection between research evidence and policy. Nurses should focus their research on addressing problems of importance that are on the healthcare agenda, work with interdisciplinary teams of researchers, synthesize, and widely disseminate results.

Inherit the policy: A sociocultural approach to understanding evolutionary biology policy in South Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Gregory D.

South Carolina biology Indicator 5.6 calls for students to "Summarize ways that scientists use data from a variety of sources to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory" (South Carolina Department of Education, 2006). Levinson and Sutton (2001) offered a sociocultural approach to policy that considers cultural and historical influences at all levels of the policy process. Lipsky (1980/2010) and others have identified teachers as de facto policy makers, exercising broad discretion in the execution of their work. This study looks to Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior as an initial framework to inform how evolutionary biology policy in South Carolina is conceptualized and understood at different levels of the policy process. The results of this study indicate that actors in the state's evolutionary biology policy process draw upon a myriad of Discourses (Gee, 1999/2005). These Discourses shape cultural dynamics and the agency of the policy actors as they navigate conflicting messages between testing mandates and evolutionary biology policy. There indeed exist gaps between how evolutionary biology policy in South Carolina is conceptualized and understood at the different levels of the policy process. Evidence from this study suggests that appropriation-level policy actors must be brought into the Discourse related to the critical analysis of evolutionary biology and academic freedom legislation must be enacted if South Carolina biology Indicator 5.6 is to realize practical significance in educational policy.

The economics, technology, and neuroscience of human capability formation

PubMed Central

Heckman, James J.

2007-01-01

This article begins the synthesis of two currently unrelated literatures: the human capital approach to health economics and the economics of cognitive and noncognitive skill formation. A lifecycle investment framework is the foundation for understanding the origins of human inequality and for devising policies to reduce it. PMID:17686985

Aspects that facilitate or interfere in the communication process between nursing professionals and patients in critical state.

PubMed

Achury Saldaña, Diana Marcela; Pinilla Alarcón, Maribel; Alvarado Romero, Herly

2015-01-01

To describe aspects facilitating or interfering in the communication process between nursing professionals and patients in critical state. Descriptive study conducted during the second semester of 2013, with the participation of 112 nurses who work in Intensive Care Units of Bogotá (Colombia). To gather the information, the researchers designed a survey. A total of 91.6% of the nursing professionals considers communication important with patients and their families; 75.9% seeks to provide, during the care interventions, physical care and communicate per shift from two to four times with the patient and from one to two times with the family; 50% states feeling afraid to communicate; only 53.7% integrate their emotions in the patient's physical care. Regarding the elements of communication developed during their graduate formation, 42.8% received tools of therapeutic communication during their undergraduate studies and only 33.0% during graduate studies. It is worth to indicate that 80.36% of the Intensive Care Units, where the nursing professionals work, privilege interventions aimed at satisfying physiological needs. The communication process between nurses and patients in critical state is limited by restrictive institutional policies and by the nurse' scarce academic formation. The need exists to start a process of change in relation to models of professional practice deeply rooted in physical care of critical patients to establish models that, during physical care, are centered on communication and the patient-family-professional relationship.

An Analysis of the Extent of Social Inclusion and Equity Consideration in Malawi's National HIV and AIDS Policy Review Process.

PubMed

Chinyama, Mathews Junior; MacLachlan, Malcolm; McVeigh, Joanne; Huss, Tessy; Gawamadzi, Sylvester

2017-07-29

Equity and social inclusion for vulnerable groups in policy development processes and resulting documents remain a challenge globally. Most often, the marginalization of vulnerable groups is overlooked in both the planning and practice of health service delivery. Such marginalization may occur because authorities deem the targeting of those who already have better access to healthcare a cheaper and easier way to achieve short-term health gains. The Government of Malawi wishes to achieve an equitable and inclusive HIV and AIDS Policy. The aim of this study is to assess the extent to which the Malawi Policy review process addressed regional and international health priorities of equity and social inclusion for vulnerable groups in the policy content and policy revision process. This research design comprised two phases. First, the content of the Malawi HIV and AIDS Policy was assessed using EquiFrame regarding its coverage of 21 Core Concepts of human rights and inclusion of 12 Vulnerable Groups. Second, the engagement of vulnerable groups in the policy process was assessed using the EquIPP matrix. For the latter, 10 interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of representatives of public sector, civil society organizations and development partners who participated in the policy revision process. Data was also collected from documented information of the policy processes. Our analyses indicated that the Malawi HIV and AIDS Policy had a relatively high coverage of Core Concepts of human rights and Vulnerable Groups; although with some notable omissions. The analyses also found that reasonable steps were taken to engage and promote participation of vulnerable groups in the planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes of the HIV and AIDS Policy, although again, with some notable exceptions. This is the first study to use both EquiFrame and EquIPP as complimentary tools to assess the content and process of policy. While the findings indicate inclusive processes, commitment to Core Concepts of human rights and inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in relation to the Malawi HIV and AIDS Policy, the results also point to areas in which social inclusion and equity could be further strengthened. © 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Presidential and bureaucratic policy-making: The case of Mexican oil policy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

de la Luz Valverde Rocha, M.

1991-01-01

A close examination of the literature yielded two different, but vague models of Mexican policy-making: (1) closed presidential policy-making and (2) open presidential policy-making. These two models are tested by identifying the regime's policy-making structures and by explaining the manner in which they operated to produce oil policy in two presidential administrations. To attain these goals, the oil policy-making process was divided into several stages. The policy roles played by different actors in the various stages of policy-making were analyzed. The process they engaged in to produce oil policy was also examined. The findings lend strong support to the openmore » presidential policy-making model. The most salient features of this model are: (1) the president and different members of the Mexican federal bureaucracy share policy-making functions, power, and influence; (2) policymakers engage in a political process of persuasion, coalition building, information functions, power, and influence; and (3) policymakers engage in these and other political techniques to produce government decisions and actions.« less

Development of a program theory for shared decision-making: a realist review protocol.

PubMed

Groot, Gary; Waldron, Tamara; Carr, Tracey; McMullen, Linda; Bandura, Lori-Ann; Neufeld, Shelley-May; Duncan, Vicky

2017-06-17

The practicality of applying evidence to healthcare systems with the aim of implementing change is an ongoing challenge for practitioners, policy makers, and academics. Shared decision- making (SDM), a method of medical decision-making that allows a balanced relationship between patients, physicians, and other key players in the medical decision process, is purported to improve patient and system outcomes. Despite the oft-mentioned benefits, there are gaps in the current literature between theory and implementation that would benefit from a realist approach given the value of this methodology to analyze complex interventions. In this protocol, we outline a study that will explore: "In which situations, how, why, and for whom does SDM between patients and health care providers contribute to improved decision making?" A seven step iterative process will be described including preliminary theory development, establishment of a search strategy, selection and appraisal of literature, data extraction, analysis and synthesis of extracted results from literature, and formation of a revised program theory with the input of patients, physicians, nurse navigators, and policy makers from a stakeholder session. The goal of the realist review will be to identify and refine a program theory for SDM through the identification of mechanisms which shape the characteristics of when, how, and why SDM will, and will not, work. PROSPERO CRD42017062609.

Haze, public health and mitigation measures in China: A review of the current evidence for further policy response.

PubMed

Gao, Jinghong; Woodward, Alistair; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Kovats, Sari; Wilkinson, Paul; Li, Liping; Xu, Lei; Li, Jing; Yang, Jun; Li, Jing; Cao, Lina; Liu, Xiaobo; Wu, Haixia; Liu, Qiyong

2017-02-01

With rapid economic development, China has been plagued by choking air pollution in recent years, and the frequent occurrence of haze episodes has caused widespread public concern. The purpose of this study is to describe the sources and formation of haze, summarize the mitigation measures in force, review the relationship between haze pollution and public health, and to discuss the challenges, potential research directions and policy options. Haze pollution has both natural and man-made causes, though it is anthropogenic sources that are the major contributors. Accumulation of air pollutants, secondary formation of aerosols, stagnant meteorological conditions, and trans-boundary transportation of pollutants are the principal causes driving the formation and evolution of haze. In China, haze includes gaseous pollutants and fine particles, of which PM 2.5 is the dominant component. Short and long-term exposure to haze pollution are associated with a range of negative health outcomes, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, mental health problems, lung cancer and premature death. China has paid increasing attention to the improvement of air quality, and has introduced action plans and policies to tackle pollution, but many interventions have only temporary effects. There may be fierce resistance from industry groups and some government agencies, and often it is challenging to enforce relevant control measures and laws. We discuss the potential policy options for prevention, the need for wider public dialogue and the implications for scientific research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sustainability indicator system and policy processes in Malaysia: a framework for utilisation and learning.

PubMed

Hezri, A A

2004-12-01

Formulation of effective sustainability indicators for national assessment demands a comprehensive understanding of the utilisation, diffusion and dissemination of information in policy processes. To illustrate the dynamic of sustainability assessment within the context of policy processes, this paper uses a case study of national sustainability indicators development in Malaysia. Subsequently, this paper ascribes the limited achievement of national sustainability assessment in Malaysia to four types of constraints: meta-policy issues; technical capacities; communication concerns; and the inherent knowledge gaps within the indicator developer community vis-a-vis their theoretical limitations. It is proposed that such constraints will be encountered in many countries. Drawing from the literature on public policy, this paper outlines a framework for investigating indicator behaviour within policy processes based on well-established concepts such as knowledge utilisation and policy learning. I conclude this paper by elaborating on the corresponding future challenges that must be addressed before effective integration of sustainability indicators within policy systems can occur.

Policy Making Processes with Respect to Teacher Education in Finland and Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afdal, Hilde Wagsas

2013-01-01

This article examines policy making processes in the area of teacher education (TE) in Finland and Norway. Particular attention is given to the roles different actors play in these processes and the potential effects of their involvement on the TE programs in the two countries. Contemporary policy processes are analyzed through a set of interviews…

Chapter 4: A policy process and tools for international non-governmental organizations in the health sector using ISPRM as a case in point.

PubMed

Reinhardt, Jan D; von Groote, Per M; DeLisa, Joel A; Melvin, John L; Bickenbach, Jerome E; Stucki, Gerold

2009-09-01

The politics of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) serve the function of selecting and attaining particular socially valued goals. The selection and attainment of goals as the primary function of political action can be structured along a policy process or cycle comprising the stages of strategic goal setting and planning of strategic pathways, agenda setting, resource mobilization, implementation, evaluation and innovation. At the various stages of this policy process different policy tools or instruments, which can be used to influence citizen and organizational behaviour in the light of defined goals, can be applied. The objective of this paper is to introduce and describe policy tools of potential relevance to ISPRM with regard to different policy functions and stages of the policy process.

Elucidating secondary organic aerosol from diesel and gasoline vehicles through detailed characterization of organic carbon emissions

PubMed Central

Gentner, Drew R.; Isaacman, Gabriel; Worton, David R.; Chan, Arthur W. H.; Dallmann, Timothy R.; Davis, Laura; Liu, Shang; Day, Douglas A.; Russell, Lynn M.; Wilson, Kevin R.; Weber, Robin; Guha, Abhinav; Harley, Robert A.; Goldstein, Allen H.

2012-01-01

Emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles are predominant anthropogenic sources of reactive gas-phase organic carbon and key precursors to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban areas. Their relative importance for aerosol formation is a controversial issue with implications for air quality control policy and public health. We characterize the chemical composition, mass distribution, and organic aerosol formation potential of emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles, and find diesel exhaust is seven times more efficient at forming aerosol than gasoline exhaust. However, both sources are important for air quality; depending on a region’s fuel use, diesel is responsible for 65% to 90% of vehicular-derived SOA, with substantial contributions from aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Including these insights on source characterization and SOA formation will improve regional pollution control policies, fuel regulations, and methodologies for future measurement, laboratory, and modeling studies. PMID:23091031

Elucidating secondary organic aerosol from diesel and gasoline vehicles through detailed characterization of organic carbon emissions.

PubMed

Gentner, Drew R; Isaacman, Gabriel; Worton, David R; Chan, Arthur W H; Dallmann, Timothy R; Davis, Laura; Liu, Shang; Day, Douglas A; Russell, Lynn M; Wilson, Kevin R; Weber, Robin; Guha, Abhinav; Harley, Robert A; Goldstein, Allen H

2012-11-06

Emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles are predominant anthropogenic sources of reactive gas-phase organic carbon and key precursors to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban areas. Their relative importance for aerosol formation is a controversial issue with implications for air quality control policy and public health. We characterize the chemical composition, mass distribution, and organic aerosol formation potential of emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles, and find diesel exhaust is seven times more efficient at forming aerosol than gasoline exhaust. However, both sources are important for air quality; depending on a region's fuel use, diesel is responsible for 65% to 90% of vehicular-derived SOA, with substantial contributions from aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Including these insights on source characterization and SOA formation will improve regional pollution control policies, fuel regulations, and methodologies for future measurement, laboratory, and modeling studies.

Discovering the knowledge creation process of an expert group in women-friendly policy: The policy case of Seoul City.

PubMed

Oh, Young Sam; Nam, SungHee; Kim, Yuna

2016-01-01

This research explores how expert knowledge is created in the process of women-friendly policy making, based on actor network theory (ANT). To address this purpose, this study uses the "Women's Happiness in the City of Seoul" policy initiated by the local government of Seoul as one example of policy development. Research findings demonstrate that knowledge creation in expert groups followed the four stages suggested by ANT. In addition, this study found that various types of knowledge emerged from individual experts. This research elucidates the process of knowledge creation and its meanings for women-friendly policy.

Description and evaluation of a serious game intervention to engage low secure service users with serious mental illness in the design and refurbishment of their environment.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, M M; Kirk, G D; Bristow, C A

2011-05-01

Service user involvement in all levels of healthcare provision is the expectation of UK government policy. Involvement should not only include participation in the planning and delivery of health care but also the exercise of choice and opinions about that care. In practice, however, service user engagement is most often tokenistic, involving post hoc consultation over plans already committed to by services. This paper explores an Occupational Therapy-led initiative to use the Serious Game format to engage low secure service users with serious mental illness in the design, layout and refurbishment of their unit. Among other things how medication was to be dispensed on the new unit was explored by this game and led to significant replanning in response to service user involvement. The game format was found to be a useful tool in facilitating communication between professionals and a traditionally marginalized and powerless client group. It enabled service users to have a voice, it provided a format for that voice to be heard and made possible service-led change in the planning process. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

Space environment data storage and access: lessons learned and recommendations for the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Hugh; Heynderickx, Daniel

2012-07-01

With the ever increasing volume of space environment data available at present and planned for the near future, the demands on data storage and access methods are increasing as well. In addition, continued access to historical, archived data remains crucial. On the basis of many years of experience, the authors identify the following issues as important for continued and efficient handling of datasets now and in the future: The huge data volumes currently or very soon avaiable from a number of space missions will limi direct Internet download access to even relatively short epoch ranges of data. Therefore, data providers should establish or extend standardised data (post-) processing services so that only data query results should be downloaded. Although a single standardised data format will in all likelihood remain utopia, data providers should at least include extensive metadata with their data products, according to established standards and practices (e.g. ISTP, SPASE). Standardisation of (sets of) metadata greatly facilitates data mining and querying. The use of SQL database storage should be considered instead of, or in parallel with, classic storage of data files. The use of SQL does away with having to handle file parsing and processing, while at the same time standard access protocols can be used to (remotely) connect to such data repositories. Many data holdings are still lacking in extensive descriptions of data provenance (e.g. instrument description), content and format. Unfortunately, detailed data information is usually rejected by scientific and technical journals. Re-processing of historical archived datasets into modern formats, making them easily available and usable, is urgently required, as knowledge is being lost. A global data directory has still not been achieved; policy makers should enforce stricter rules for "broadcasting" dataset information.

When Neighbours Matter Most: Innovation, Diffusion and State Policy Adoption in Tertiary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen-Vogel, Lora; Ingle, William Kyle

2007-01-01

We now have ample evidence that public policies diffuse across the American states; that is, policy adoption is due at least in part to the emulation of policies enacted in nearby states. But, policy adoption is the result of a complex process, a process that often takes years and sometimes decades to complete. According to the "stage"…

Why Do Policy-Makers Adopt Global Education Policies? Toward a Research Framework on the Varying Role of Ideas in Education Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verger, Antoni

2014-01-01

Globalization is profoundly altering the education policy landscape. It introduces new problems in education agendas, compresses time and space in policy processes, and revitalizes the role of a range of supra-national players in educational reform. This deterritorialization of the education policy process has important theoretical and…

Who runs public health? A mixed-methods study combining qualitative and network analyses.

PubMed

Oliver, Kathryn; de Vocht, Frank; Money, Annemarie; Everett, Martin

2013-09-01

Persistent health inequalities encourage researchers to identify new ways of understanding the policy process. Informal relationships are implicated in finding evidence and making decisions for public health policy (PHP), but few studies use specialized methods to identify key actors in the policy process. We combined network and qualitative data to identify the most influential individuals in PHP in a UK conurbation and describe their strategies to influence policy. Network data were collected by asking for nominations of powerful and influential people in PHP (n = 152, response rate 80%), and 23 semi-structured interviews were analysed using a framework approach. The most influential PHP makers in this conurbation were mid-level managers in the National Health Service and local government, characterized by managerial skills: controlling policy processes through gate keeping key organizations, providing policy content and managing selected experts and executives to lead on policies. Public health professionals and academics are indirectly connected to policy via managers. The most powerful individuals in public health are managers, not usually considered targets for research. As we show, they are highly influential through all stages of the policy process. This study shows the importance of understanding the daily activities of influential policy individuals.

Shaping Education Policy: Power and Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Douglas E., Ed.; Crowson, Robert L., Ed.; Shipps, Dorothy, Ed.

2011-01-01

"Shaping Education Policy" is a comprehensive overview of education politics and policy during the most turbulent and rapidly changing period in American history. Respected scholars review the history of education policy to explain the political powers and processes that shape education today. Chapters cover major themes that have…

In the Center of the Cold War: The American Occupation of Berlin and Education Reform, 1945-1952.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wegner, Gregory

1995-01-01

Examines educational policy formation in the Education and Religion branch of postwar Berlin's Office of Military Government relating to the "gymnasium," a potent symbol of elite German schooling tradition. As shown by West Berlin's conservative 1950s schooling policies, German education traditions were so powerful that neither Hitler's…

Preschool for All? Examining the Current Policy Context in Light of Genishi's Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Tamara

2014-01-01

Within United States policymaking, there is widespread recognition that universal preschool works towards a societal good, advancing children's social and academic needs while expanding the economic landscape for a nation. However, in trying to deliver these benefits, all too often educational policies apply a rigid format that overemphasizes…

Think Tanks, Education and Elite Policy Actors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Glenn C.

2016-01-01

The past decade has seen think tanks operate in sophisticated ways to influence the development of education policies. In this paper, I reflect upon the influence of think tanks in the formation of national reform, using the Common Core State Standards initiative in the USA as an illustrative case. In doing so, I explore how certain think tanks,…

Policies to Create and Destroy Human Capital in Europe. NBER Working Paper No. 15742

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heckman, James J.; Jacobs, Bas

2010-01-01

Trends in skill bias and greater turbulence in modern labor markets put wages and employment prospects of unskilled workers under pressure. Weak incentives to utilize and maintain skills over the life-cycle become manifest with the ageing of the population. Policies to promote human capital formation reduce welfare state dependency among the…

Asserting National Sovereignty in Cyberspace: The Case for Internet Border Inspection

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

Influencing Foreign Policy. in Internet and International Systems: Information Technology and American Foreign Policy Decisionmaking Workshop. 1999...investigative Agencies that investigate violations of federal law IO Information Operations, military operations in information realm IP Internet ...Protocol, a specific format for Internet packet headers IW Information Warfare, part of information operations NCP Network Control Protocol NSA

Language Policies' Impact on Immigrant Students' Lived Experiences in New York City Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gica, Diosdado Galan, Jr.

2012-01-01

Language policies' impact is evident in how most immigrant children become English monolinguals by the third generation. Yet a large percentage continues to underperform in public schools. Formative and summative evaluations draw from a narrow methodology, thus this study strived to tell the stories of immigrant students' lived experiences in New…

Labor Market Data Needs Relating to Antidiscrimination Activities. Project on the Economics of Discrimination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergmann, Barbara R.

The utilization of data in combatting employment discrimination against women and minorities is reviewed in this paper. Suggestions are made for changes which would allow better use of data in formulating national policy and in enforcing the laws and executive orders against discrimination. For purposes of overall policy formation, emphasis is put…

Language Policy in British Colonial Education: Evidence from Nineteenth-Century Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Stephen

2006-01-01

This article examines the evolution of language-in-education policy in Hong Kong during the first six decades of British rule (1842-1902). In particular, it analyses the changing roles and status of the English and Chinese languages during this formative period in the development of the colony's education system. The textual and statistical data…

A tale of CIN--the Cannabis infringement notice scheme in Western Australia.

PubMed

Lenton, Simon; Allsop, Steve

2010-05-01

To describe the development and enactment of the Western Australian (WA) Cannabis Infringement Notice scheme and reflect on the lessons for researchers and policy-makers interested in the translation of policy research to policy practice. An insiders' description of the background research, knowledge transfer strategies and political and legislative processes leading to the enactment and implementation of the WA Cannabis Control Act 2003. Lenton and Allsop were involved centrally in the process as policy-researcher and policy-bureaucrat. In March 2004, Western Australia became the fourth Australian jurisdiction to adopt a 'prohibition with civil penalties' scheme for possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis. We reflect upon: the role of research evidence in the policy process; windows for policy change; disseminating findings when apparently no one is listening; the risks and benefits of the researcher as advocate; the differences between working on the inside and outside of government; and the importance of relationships, trust and track record. There was a window of opportunity and change was influenced by research that was communicated by a reliable and trusted source. Those who want to conduct research that informs policy need to understand the policy process more clearly, look for and help create emerging windows that occur in the problem and political spheres, and make partnerships with key stakeholders in the policy arena. The flipside of the process is that, when governments change, policy born in windows of opportunity can be a casualty.

Just Say No to the TPP: A Democratic Setback for American and Asian Public Health Comment on "The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Is It Everything We Feared for Health?"

PubMed

Muntaner, Carles; Mahabir, Deb Finn

2016-11-06

(TPP) policy and the severe threats to public health that it implies for 12 Pacific Rim populations from the Americas and Asia (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam). With careful and analytic precision the authors convincingly unearth many aspects of this piece of legislation that undermine the public health achievements of most countries involved in the TTP. Our comments complement their policy analysis with the aim of providing a positive heuristic tool to assist in the understanding of the TPP, and other upcoming treaties like the even more encompassing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and in so doing motivate the public health community to oppose the implementation of the relevant provisions of the agreements. The aims of this commentary on the study of Labonté et al are to show that an understanding of the health effects of the TPP is incomplete without a political analysis of policy formation, and that realist methods can be useful to uncover the mechanisms underlying TPP's political and policy processes. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The road to smoke-free legislation in Ireland.

PubMed

Currie, Laura M; Clancy, Luke

2011-01-01

To describe the process through which Ireland changed its policies towards smoking in work-places and distil lessons for others implementing or extending smoke-free laws. This analysis is informed by a review of secondary sources including a commissioned media analysis, documentary analysis and key informant interviews with policy actors who provide insight into the process of smoke-free policy development. The policy analysis techniques used include the development of a time-line for policy reform, stakeholder analysis, policy mapping techniques, impact analysis through use of secondary data and a review process. The policy analysis triangle, which highlights the importance of examining policy content, context, actors and processes, will be used as an analytical framework. The importance of the political, economic, social and cultural context emerged clearly. The interaction of the context with the policy process both in identification of need for policy and its formulation demonstrated the opportunity for advocates to exert influence at all points of the process. The campaign to support the legislation had the following characteristics: a sustained consistent simple health message, sustained political leadership/commitment, a strong coalition between the Health Alliance, the Office of Tobacco Control and the Department of Health and Children, with cross-party political support and trade union support. The public and the media support clearly defined the benefit of deliberate and consistent planning and organization of a communication strategy. The Irish smoke-free legislation was a success as a policy initiative because of timing, dedication, planning, implementation and the existence of strong leadership and a powerful convinced credible political champion. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

National malaria vector control policy: an analysis of the decision to scale-up larviciding in Nigeria.

PubMed

Tesfazghi, Kemi; Hill, Jenny; Jones, Caroline; Ranson, Hilary; Worrall, Eve

2016-02-01

New vector control tools are needed to combat insecticide resistance and reduce malaria transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorses larviciding as a supplementary vector control intervention using larvicides recommended by the WHO Pesticides Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). The decision to scale-up larviciding in Nigeria provided an opportunity to investigate the factors influencing policy adoption and assess the role that actors and evidence play in the policymaking process, in order to draw lessons that help accelerate the uptake of new methods for vector control. A retrospective policy analysis was carried out using in-depth interviews with national level policy stakeholders to establish normative national vector control policy or strategy decision-making processes and compare these with the process that led to the decision to scale-up larviciding. The interviews were transcribed, then coded and analyzed using NVivo10. Data were coded according to pre-defined themes from an analytical policy framework developed a priori. Stakeholders reported that the larviciding decision-making process deviated from the normative vector control decision-making process. National malaria policy is normally strongly influenced by WHO recommendations, but the potential of larviciding to contribute to national economic development objectives through larvicide production in Nigeria was cited as a key factor shaping the decision. The larviciding decision involved a restricted range of policy actors, and notably excluded actors that usually play advisory, consultative and evidence generation roles. Powerful actors limited the access of some actors to the policy processes and content. This may have limited the influence of scientific evidence in this policy decision. This study demonstrates that national vector control policy change can be facilitated by linking malaria control objectives to wider socioeconomic considerations and through engaging powerful policy champions to drive policy change and thereby accelerate access to new vector control tools. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Current issues in dietary acrylamide: formation, mitigation and risk assessment.

PubMed

Pedreschi, Franco; Mariotti, María Salomé; Granby, Kit

2014-01-15

Acrylamide (AA) is known as a neurotoxin in humans and it is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. AA is produced as by-product of the Maillard reaction in starchy foods processed at high temperatures (>120 °C). This review includes the investigation of AA precursors, mechanisms of AA formation and AA mitigation technologies in potato, cereal and coffee products. Additionally, most relevant issues of AA risk assessment are discussed. New technologies tested from laboratory to industrial scale face, as a major challenge, the reduction of AA content of browned food, while still maintaining its attractive organoleptic properties. Reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose are the major contributors to AA in potato-based products. On the other hand, the limiting substrate of AA formation in cereals and coffee is the free amino acid asparagine. For some products the addition of glycine or asparaginase reduces AA formation during baking. Since, for potatoes, the limiting substrate is reducing sugars, increases in sugar content in potatoes during storage then introduce some difficulties and potentially quite large variations in the AA content of the final product. Sugars in potatoes may be reduced by blanching. Levels of AA in different foods show large variations and no general upper limit is easily applicable, since some formation will always occur. Current policy is that practical measures should be taken voluntarily to reduce AA formation in vulnerable foods since AA is considered a health risk at the concentrations found in foods. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Implementing Health in All Policies – Time and Ideas Matter Too!

PubMed Central

Clavier, Carole

2016-01-01

Carey and Friel suggest that we turn to knowledge developed in the field of public administration, especially new public governance, to better understand the process of implementing health in all policies (HiAP). In this commentary, I claim that theories from the policy studies bring a broader view of the policy process, complementary to that of new public governance. Drawing on the policy studies, I argue that time and ideas matter to HiAP implementation, alongside with interests and institutions. Implementing HiAP is a complex process considering that it requires the involvement and coordination of several policy sectors, each with their own interests, institutions and ideas about the policy. Understanding who are the actors involved from the various policy sectors concerned, what context they evolve in, but also how they own and frame the policy problem (ideas), and how this has changed over time, is crucial for those involved in HiAP implementation so that they can relate to and work together with actors from other policy sectors. PMID:27694654

Comparing Web, Group and Telehealth Formats of a Military Parenting Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0143 TITLE: Comparing Web, Group and Telehealth Formats of a Military Parenting Program PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. REPORT DOCUMENTATION...2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Comparing Web, Group and Telehealth Formats of a Military Parenting Program 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

Deciding State School Policy in Minnesota. An Analysis of Policy Participants, Influence Relationships, and Decision Processes in the 1970s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzoni, Tim L.

This report examines the process through which the Minnesota state government established school policy during the 1970s. The analysis focuses on who shaped state school policy and how they did it. The data come in part from personal interviews to determine the perceptions key participants had of the state school policy system. These interview…

Using Formative Assessment to Support Complex Learning in Conditions of Social Adversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossouard, Barbara

2011-01-01

This article reports on research into formative assessment within a task design that produces multiple opportunities for teacher and pupil dialogue. It draws upon in-depth case studies conducted in schools in socially deprived areas of Scotland, using policy and documentary analysis, video-observation, and an iterative series of interviews with…

40 CFR 600.307-95 - Fuel economy label format requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel economy label format requirements. 600.307-95 Section 600.307-95 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year Automobile...

40 CFR 600.307-86 - Fuel economy label format requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel economy label format requirements. 600.307-86 Section 600.307-86 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year Automobile...

Incorporating a Rich Media Presentation Format into a Lecture-Based Course Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Nicholas

2005-01-01

The e-syllabus is a set of Web pages in which each course in the curriculum is assigned a "course page" and multiple "session pages." Course pages have a standardized format that provides course objectives, course policies, required or recommended textbooks, grading scales, and faculty listings. A separate session page is…

48 CFR 604.502 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the head of the agency for the purpose of FAR 4.502(b). (1)(i) Materials not in automated format. For solicitations containing drawings or other materials that are not in an automated format, the contracting officer shall: (A) Post as much of the solicitation as possible on the Internet; and, (B) Make hard copies...

Investigating the Dynamics of Formative Assessment: Relationships between Teacher Knowledge, Assessment Practice and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Joan; Osmundson, Ellen; Dai, Yunyun; Ringstaff, Cathy; Timms, Michael

2015-01-01

This exploratory study of elementary school science examines questions central to policy, practice and research on formative assessment: What is the quality of teachers' content-pedagogical and assessment knowledge? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge and assessment practice? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge,…

Formation of Education Clusters as a Way to Improve Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aitbayeva, Gul'zamira D.; Zhubanova, Mariyash K.; Kulgildinova, Tulebike A.; Tusupbekova, Gulsum M.; Uaisova, Gulnar I.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze basic prerequisites formation and development factors of educational clusters of the world's leading nations for studying the possibility of cluster policy introduction and creating educational clusters in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors of this study concluded that educational cluster could be…

18 CFR 380.7 - Format of an environmental impact statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... environmental impact statement. 380.7 Section 380.7 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT § 380.7 Format of an environmental impact statement. In addition to the requirements for an environmental impact statement prescribed in 40 CFR 1502.10 of the regulations of the Council...

Energy availabilities for state and local development: projected energy patterns for 1985 and 1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vogt, D. P.; Rice, P. L.; Corey, T. A.

1979-11-01

This report (one of a series) presents projections of the energy supply, demand, and net imports of seven fuel types (gasoline, distillates, residual oil, crude, natural gas, coal, electricity) and four final consuming sectors. To facilitate detailed regional analysis these projections have been prepared for Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) areas, states, census regions, and the nation for 1985 and 1990. The data are formatted to present regional energy availability from primary extraction, as well as from energy-transformation processes. The tables depict energy balances between availability and use for each specific fuel. The objective of this series is to providemore » a consistent base of historic and projected energy information within a standard format. Such a framework should aid regional policymakers in their consideration of regional growth issues that may be influenced by the regional energy system. However, for analysis of specific regions, this basic data should be supplemented by additional information which only the local policy analyst can bring to bear in his or her assessment of the energy conditions that characterize the region. Earlier volumes in this series have proved useful for both specific and general analysis of this type, and it is hoped that the current volume will prove equally so. This volume presents an updated benchmark projection series, which captures recent developments in the business as usual projections of energy supply and consumption due to national policy developments since the 1976 National Energy Outlook projection series were prepared.« less

Threatened or Threatening? How Ideology Shapes Asylum Seekers’ Immigration Policy Attitudes in Israel and Australia

PubMed Central

Canetti, Daphna; Snider, Keren L. G.; Pedersen, Anne

2016-01-01

Can different political ideologies explain policy preferences regarding asylum seekers? We focus on attitudes regarding governmental policy towards out-group members and suggest that perceptions of threat help to shape these policy attitudes. Study 1 compared public opinion regarding asylum policy in Israel (N = 137) and Australia (N = 138), two countries with restrictive asylum policies and who host a large number of asylum seekers; Study 2, a longitudinal study, was conducted during two different time periods in Israel—before and during the Gaza conflict. Results of both studies showed that threat perceptions of out-group members drive the relationship between conservative political ideologies and support for exclusionary asylum policies among citizens. Perceptions of threat held by members of the host country (the in-group) towards asylum seekers (the out-group) may influence policy formation. The effect of these out-groups threats needs to be critically weighed when considering Israeli and Australian policies towards asylum seekers. PMID:28190933

Threatened or Threatening? How Ideology Shapes Asylum Seekers' Immigration Policy Attitudes in Israel and Australia.

PubMed

Canetti, Daphna; Snider, Keren L G; Pedersen, Anne; Hall, Brian J

2016-12-01

Can different political ideologies explain policy preferences regarding asylum seekers? We focus on attitudes regarding governmental policy towards out-group members and suggest that perceptions of threat help to shape these policy attitudes. Study 1 compared public opinion regarding asylum policy in Israel ( N = 137) and Australia ( N = 138), two countries with restrictive asylum policies and who host a large number of asylum seekers; Study 2, a longitudinal study, was conducted during two different time periods in Israel-before and during the Gaza conflict. Results of both studies showed that threat perceptions of out-group members drive the relationship between conservative political ideologies and support for exclusionary asylum policies among citizens. Perceptions of threat held by members of the host country (the in-group) towards asylum seekers (the out-group) may influence policy formation. The effect of these out-groups threats needs to be critically weighed when considering Israeli and Australian policies towards asylum seekers.

Data of a willingness to pay survey for national climate change mitigation policies in Germany.

PubMed

Uehleke, Reinhard

2016-06-01

The dataset includes responses from a contingent valuation study about the national climate change mitigation policies in Germany. The online survey was carried out in the spring of 2014. It assesses the willingness to pay for an increase of the national CO2 reduction target by 10 percentage points, which closely represents Germany׳s climate change mitigation strategy. Respondents were randomly allocated to one of the following three question formats: The dichotomous choice referendum, the dissonance minimizing referendum and the two-sided payment ladder. The data can be used to investigate the influence of alternative statistical approaches on the willingness to pay measures and their comparison across question formats.

NPITxt, a 21st-Century Reporting System: Engaging Residents in a Lean-Inspired Process.

PubMed

Raja, Pushpa V; Davis, Michael C; Bales, Alicia; Afsarmanesh, Nasim

2015-05-01

Operational waste, or workflow processes that do not add value, is a frustrating but nonetheless largely tolerated barrier to efficiency and morale for medical trainees. In this article, the authors tested a novel reporting system using several submission formats (text messaging, e-mail, Web form, mobile application) to allow residents to report various types of operational waste in real time. This system informally promoted "lean" principles of waste identification and continuous improvement. In all, 154 issues were submitted between March 30, 2011, and June 30, 2012, and categorized as closely as possible into lean categories of operational waste; 131 issues were completely addressed with the requested outcome partially or fully implemented or with successful clarification of existing policies. A real-time, voluntary reporting system can effectively capture trainee observations of waste in health care and training processes, give trainees a voice in a hierarchical system, and lead to meaningful operations improvement. © 2014 by the American College of Medical Quality.

Emerging methods for the study of coastal ecosystem landscape structure and change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Purkis, Sam

2013-01-01

Coastal landscapes are heterogeneous, dynamic, and evolve over a range of time scales due to intertwined climatic, geologic, hydrologic, biologic, and meteorological processes, and are also heavily impacted by human development, commercial activities, and resource extraction. A diversity of complex coastal systems around the globe, spanning glaciated shorelines to tropical atolls, wetlands, and barrier islands are responding to multiple human and natural drivers. Interdisciplinary research based on remote-sensing observations linked to process studies and models is required to understand coastal ecosystem landscape structure and change. Moreover, new techniques for coastal mapping and monitoring are increasingly serving the needs of policy-makers and resource managers across local, regional, and national scales. Emerging remote-sensing methods associated with a diversity of instruments and platforms are a key enabling element of integrated coastal ecosystem studies. These investigations require both targeted and synoptic mapping, and involve the monitoring of formative processes such as hydrodynamics, sediment transport, erosion, accretion, flooding, habitat modification, land-cover change, and biogeochemical fluxes.

Integrating policy-based management and SLA performance monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tzong-Jye; Lin, Chin-Yi; Chang, Shu-Hsin; Yen, Meng-Tzu

2001-10-01

Policy-based management system provides the configuration capability for the system administrators to focus on the requirements of customers. The service level agreement performance monitoring mechanism helps system administrators to verify the correctness of policies. However, it is difficult for a device to process the policies directly because the policies are the management concept. This paper proposes a mechanism to decompose a policy into rules that can be efficiently processed by a device. Thus, the device may process the rule and collect the performance statistics information efficiently; and the policy-based management system may collect these performance statistics information and report the service-level agreement performance monitoring information to the system administrator. The proposed policy-based management system achieves both the policy configuration and service-level agreement performance monitoring requirements. A policy consists of a condition part and an action part. The condition part is a Boolean expression of a source host IP group, a destination host IP group, etc. The action part is the parameters of services. We say that an address group is compact if it only consists of a range of IP address that can be denoted by a pair of IP address and corresponding IP mask. If the condition part of a policy only consists of the compact address group, we say that the policy is a rule. Since a device can efficiently process a compact address and a system administrator prefers to define a range of IP address, the policy-based management system has to translate policy into rules and supplements the gaps between policy and rules. The proposed policy-based management system builds the relationships between VPN and policies, policy and rules. Since the system administrator wants to monitor the system performance information of VPNs and policies, the proposed policy-based management system downloads the relationships among VPNs, policies and rules to the SNMP agents. The SNMP agents build the management information base (MIB) of all VPNs, policies and rules according to the relationships obtained from the management server. Thus, the proposed policy-based management system may get all performance monitoring information of VPNs and policies from agents. The proposed policy-based manager achieves two goals: a) provide a management environment for the system administrator to configure their network only considering the policy requirement issues and b) let the device have only to process the packet and then collect the required performance information. These two things make the proposed management system satisfy both the user and device requirements.

[On the formulation of TCM foreign exchange policy after the reform and opening-up].

PubMed

Wang, Jingfang; Zhu, Jianping

2015-03-01

The foreign exchange activities of traditional Chinese medicine are conducted under the guidance of the policy of the CPC and Chinese government. After the carrying out of the reform and opening-up policy, foreign exchange policy of TCM has experienced the process of growing up from nothing, from less to more, and from coarse to fine, which is closely related to our country's foreign policy, the cause of Chinese medicine development, and urgent need of international communication. In the three decades after the reform and opening-up policy, the formulation of foreign exchange policy of TCM can be divided into three stages: viz., inclusion in the framework of national foreign policy (1978-1985), embodiment in the policy of developing TCM cause (1986-1996), and appearance in the special policy of foreign exchange of Chinese medicine (since 1997). From the development process of these policies, the development of each policy gradually complies with the process of the development of the times, with its contents basically in line with the requirements of the times. The implementation of some policies promotes the foreign exchanges and cooperation of Chinese medicine.

Australians' views on carbon pricing before and after the 2013 federal election

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreyer, Stacia J.; Walker, Iain; McCoy, Shannon K.; Teisl, Mario F.

2015-12-01

As climate policies change through the legislative process, public attitudes towards them may change as well. Therefore, it is important to assess how people accept and support controversial climate policies as the policies change over time. Policy acceptance is a positive evaluation of, or attitude towards, an existing policy; policy support adds an active behavioural component. Acceptance does not necessarily lead to support. We conducted a national survey of Australian residents to investigate acceptance of, and support for, the Australian carbon pricing policy before and after the 2013 federal election, and how perceptions of the policy, economic ideology, and voting behaviour affect acceptance and support. We found acceptance and support were stable across the election period, which was surprising given that climate policy was highly contentious during the election. Policy acceptance was higher than policy support at both times and acceptance was a necessary but insufficient condition of support. We conclude that acceptance is an important process through which perceptions of the policy and economic ideology influence support. Therefore, future climate policy research needs to distinguish between acceptance and support to better understand this process, and to better measure these concepts.

Unpacking policy formulation and industry influence: the case of the draft control of marketing of alcoholic beverages bill in South Africa.

PubMed

Bertscher, Adam; London, Leslie; Orgill, Marsha

2018-06-21

Alcohol is a major contributor to the Non-Communicable Disease burden in South Africa. In 2000, 7.1% of all deaths and 7% of total disability-adjusted life years were ascribed to alcohol-related harm in the country. Regulations proposed to restrict alcohol advertising in South Africa present an evidence-based upstream intervention. Research on policy formulation in low- and middle-income countries is limited. This study aims to describe and explore the policy formulation process of the 2013 draft Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill in South Africa between March 2011 and May 2017. Recognising the centrality of affected actors in policy-making processes, the study focused on the alcohol industry as a central actor affected by the policy, to understand how they-together with other actors-may influence the policy formulation process. A qualitative case study approach was used, involving a stakeholder mapping, 10 in-depth interviews, and review of approximately 240 documents. A policy formulation conceptual framework was successfully applied as a lens to describe a complex policy formulation process. Key factors shaping policy formulation included: (1) competing and shared values-different stakeholders promote conflicting ideals for policymaking; (2) inter-department jostling-different government departments seek to protect their own functions, hindering policy development; (3) stakeholder consultation in democratic policymaking-policy formulation requires consultations even with those opposed to regulation and (4) battle for evidence-evidence is used strategically by all parties to shape perceptions and leverage positions. This research (1) contributes to building an integrated body of knowledge on policy formulation in low- and middle-income countries; (2) shows that achieving policy coherence across government departments poses a major challenge to achieving effective health policy formulation and (3) shows that networks of actors with commercial and financial interests use diverse strategies to influence policy formulation processes to avoid regulation.

Inclusion and Human Rights in Health Policies: Comparative and Benchmarking Analysis of 51 Policies from Malawi, Sudan, South Africa and Namibia

PubMed Central

MacLachlan, Malcolm; Amin, Mutamad; Mannan, Hasheem; El Tayeb, Shahla; Bedri, Nafisa; Swartz, Leslie; Munthali, Alister; Van Rooy, Gert; McVeigh, Joanne

2012-01-01

While many health services strive to be equitable, accessible and inclusive, peoples’ right to health often goes unrealized, particularly among vulnerable groups. The extent to which health policies explicitly seek to achieve such goals sets the policy context in which services are delivered and evaluated. An analytical framework was developed – EquiFrame – to evaluate 1) the extent to which 21 Core Concepts of human rights were addressed in policy documents, and 2) coverage of 12 Vulnerable Groups who might benefit from such policies. Using this framework, analysis of 51 policies across Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Sudan, confirmed the relevance of all Core Concepts and Vulnerable Groups. Further, our analysis highlighted some very strong policies, serious shortcomings in others as well as country-specific patterns. If social inclusion and human rights do not underpin policy formation, it is unlikely they will be inculcated in service delivery. EquiFrame facilitates policy analysis and benchmarking, and provides a means for evaluating policy revision and development. PMID:22649488

Up close and personal: lesbian sub-culture in the female factories of Van Diemen's Land.

PubMed

Nolan, Bláthnaid

2013-01-01

This article focuses on how the sexuality of convict women transported in the first half of the nineteenth century to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) was monitored by the British establishment. A series of Victorian enquiries into the convict system were set up to report on the efficacy of transportation. I argue that the anxious discussion and ensuing policies used to observe, curtail, punish, and "correct" convict women's bodies reveal the processes by which Victorian gender, class, and race regimes were socially constructed. Further, the article argues that convict women used various tools of resistance and defiance, one of which was the formation of lesbian sub-cultures as the embodiment of sexual dissidence.

Measuring disaster-resilient communities: a case study of coastal communities in Indonesia.

PubMed

Kafle, Shesh Kanta

2012-01-01

Vulnerability reduction and resilience building of communities are central concepts in recent policy debates. Although there are fundamental linkages, and complementarities exist between the two concepts, recent policy and programming has focused more on the latter. It is assumed here that reducing underlying causes of vulnerabilities and their interactions with resilience elements is a prerequisite for obtaining resilience capabilities. An integrated approach, incorporating both the vulnerability and resilience considerations, has been taken while developing an index for measuring disaster-resilient communities. This study outlines a method for measuring community resilience capabilities using process and outcome indicators in 43 coastal communities in Indonesia. An index was developed using ten process and 25 outcome indicators, selected on the basis of the ten steps of the Integrated Community Based Risk Reduction (ICBRR) process, and key characteristics of disaster resilient communities were taken from various literatures. The overall index value of all 43 communities was 63, whereas the process and outcome indicator values were measured as 63 and 61.5 respectively. The core components of this index are process and outcome indicators. The tool has been developed with an assumption that both the process and outcome indicators are equally important in building disaster-resilient communities. The combination of both indicators is an impetus to quality change in the community. Process indicators are important for community understanding, ownership and the sustainability of the programme; whereas outcome indicators are important for the real achievements in terms of community empowerment and capacity development. The process of ICBRR approach varies by country and location as per the level of community awareness and organisational strategy. However, core elements such as the formation of community groups, mobilising those groups in risk assessment and planning should be present in all the countries or locations. As this study shows, community resiliency can be measured but any such measurement must be both location- and hazard-specific.

Can policy analysis theories predict and inform policy change? Reflections on the battle for legal abortion in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Surjadjaja, Claudia; Mayhew, Susannah H

2011-01-01

The relevance and importance of research for understanding policy processes and influencing policies has been much debated, but studies on the effectiveness of policy theories for predicting and informing opportunities for policy change (i.e. prospective policy analysis) are rare. The case study presented in this paper is drawn from a policy analysis of a contemporary process of policy debate on legalization of abortion in Indonesia, which was in flux at the time of the research and provided a unique opportunity for prospective analysis. Applying a combination of policy analysis theories, this case study provides an analysis of processes, power and relationships between actors involved in the amendment of the Health Law in Indonesia. It uses a series of practical stakeholder mapping tools to identify power relations between key actors and what strategic approaches should be employed to manage these to enhance the possibility of policy change. The findings show how the moves to legalize abortion have been supported or constrained according to the balance of political and religious powers operating in a macro-political context defined increasingly by a polarized Islamic-authoritarian—Western-liberal agenda. The issue of reproductive health constituted a battlefield where these two ideologies met and the debate on the current health law amendment became a contest, which still continues, for the larger future of Indonesia. The findings confirm the utility of policy analysis theories and stakeholder mapping tools for predicting the likelihood of policy change and informing the strategic approaches for achieving such change. They also highlight opportunities and dilemmas in prospective policy analysis and raise questions about whether research on policy processes and actors can or should be used to inform, or even influence, policies in ‘real-time’. PMID:21183461

Can policy analysis theories predict and inform policy change? Reflections on the battle for legal abortion in Indonesia.

PubMed

Surjadjaja, Claudia; Mayhew, Susannah H

2011-09-01

The relevance and importance of research for understanding policy processes and influencing policies has been much debated, but studies on the effectiveness of policy theories for predicting and informing opportunities for policy change (i.e. prospective policy analysis) are rare. The case study presented in this paper is drawn from a policy analysis of a contemporary process of policy debate on legalization of abortion in Indonesia, which was in flux at the time of the research and provided a unique opportunity for prospective analysis. Applying a combination of policy analysis theories, this case study provides an analysis of processes, power and relationships between actors involved in the amendment of the Health Law in Indonesia. It uses a series of practical stakeholder mapping tools to identify power relations between key actors and what strategic approaches should be employed to manage these to enhance the possibility of policy change. The findings show how the moves to legalize abortion have been supported or constrained according to the balance of political and religious powers operating in a macro-political context defined increasingly by a polarized Islamic-authoritarian-Western-liberal agenda. The issue of reproductive health constituted a battlefield where these two ideologies met and the debate on the current health law amendment became a contest, which still continues, for the larger future of Indonesia. The findings confirm the utility of policy analysis theories and stakeholder mapping tools for predicting the likelihood of policy change and informing the strategic approaches for achieving such change. They also highlight opportunities and dilemmas in prospective policy analysis and raise questions about whether research on policy processes and actors can or should be used to inform, or even influence, policies in 'real-time'.

Media Accounts of School Performance: Reinforcing Dominant Practices of Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baroutsis, Aspa

2016-01-01

Media reportage often act as interpretations of accountability policies thereby making the news media a part of the policy enactment process. Within such a process, their role is that of policy reinforcement rather than policy construction or contestation. This paper draws on the experiences of school leaders in regional Queensland, Australia, and…

Transition in Education: Policy Making and the Key Educational Policy Areas in the Central-European and Baltic Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rado, Peter

This report examines transition in educational systems and identifies key policy areas in Central-Eastern European countries. It summarizes policy implications of the transition process within the educational context of these countries. Chapter 1, "Transition and Education," outlines key characteristics of the transition process and…

People, Processes, and Policy-Making in Canadian Post-secondary Education, 1990-2000

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Axelrod, Paul; Desai-Trilokekar, Roopa; Shanahan, Theresa; Wellen, Richard

2011-01-01

Policy-making in Canadian post-secondary education is rarely the subject of intensive, systematic study. This paper seeks to identify the distinctive ways in which Canadian post-secondary education policy decisions were constructed and implemented, and to posit an analytical framework for interpreting policy-making process in post-secondary…

The Policy-Making Process of the State University System of Florida.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Sandra M.

The policy-making process of the State University System of Florida is described using David Easton's model of a political system as the conceptual framwork. Two models describing the policy-making process were developed from personal interviews with the primary participants in the governance structure and from three case studies of policy…

Framing Student Perspectives into the Higher Education Institutional Review Policy Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poth, Cheryl; Riedel, Alex; Luth, Robert

2015-01-01

It is necessary and desirable to enhance student learning in higher education by integrating multiple perspectives during institutional policy reviews, yet few examples of such a process exist. This article describes an institutional assessment policy review process that used a questionnaire to elicit 269 students' perspectives on a draft policy…

PUBLIC POLICY, CHILD DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AND BOYS AT RISK: CHALLENGING, ENDURING AND NECESSARY PARTNERSHIP.

PubMed

Mckinney, Marvin; Fitzgerald, Hiram E; Winn, Donna-Marie; Babcock, Patrick

2017-01-01

Research findings documenting the issues and challenges of boys prebirth through age 5 years have barely penetrated the arena of public policy making nor has it permeated the public agenda of politicians, government, or other funding stakeholders. The purpose of this article is to articulate pathways for researchers to enter into the policy-making process. We review critical issues related to implementing the process of public policy. We argue that the policy process needs to be informed by more dynamic theoretical models of human development, and that researchers and clinicians need to be exposed more deeply to the processes required to inform and subsequently change public policy. We contend that most quantitative research on boys at risk occurs at the micro- and the mesosystem level rather than at the exo- and the macrosystem levels where structural societal policies embedded in economic and racial inequities contribute to risk. Researchers, clinicians, and policy makers need to create collaborative partnerships designed to develop, advocate, and implement more evidence-based policies designed to enhance the quality of life for boys at risk. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Designing for action: adapting and implementing a community-based newborn care package to affect national change in Uganda.

PubMed

Waiswa, Peter; Namazzi, Gertrude; Kerber, Kate; Peterson, Stefan

2015-01-01

There is a lack of literature on how to adapt new evidence-based interventions for maternal and newborn care into local health systems and policy for rapid scale-up, particularly for community-based interventions in low-income settings. The Uganda Newborn Study (UNEST) was a cluster randomised control trial to test a community-based care package which was rapidly taken up at national level. Understanding this process may help inform other studies looking to design and evaluate with scale-up in mind. This study aimed to describe the process of using evidence to design a community-based maternal and newborn care package in rural eastern Uganda, and to determine the dissemination and advocacy approaches used to facilitate rapid policy change and national uptake. We reviewed UNEST project literature including meeting reports and minutes, supervision reports, and annual and midterm reports. National stakeholders, project and district staff were interviewed regarding their role in the study and perceptions of what contributed to uptake of the package under evaluation. Data related to UNEST formative research, study design, implementation and policy influence were extracted and analysed. An advisory committee of key players in development of maternal and newborn policies and programmes in Uganda was constituted from many agencies and disciplines. Baseline qualitative and quantitative data collection was done at district, community and facility level to examine applicability of aspects of a proposed newborn care package to the local setting. Data were summarised and presented to stakeholders to adapt the intervention that was ultimately tested. Quarterly monitoring of key activities and events around the interventions were used to further inform implementation. The UNEST training package, home visit schedule and behaviour change counselling materials were incorporated into the national Village Health Team and Integrated Community Case Management packages while the study was ongoing. Designing interventions for national scale-up requires strategies and planning from the outset. Use of evidence alongside engagement of key stakeholders and targeted advocacy about the burden and potential solutions is important when adapting interventions to local health systems and communities. This approach has the potential to rapidly translate research into policy, but care must be taken not to exceed available evidence while seizing the policy opportunity.

Bureaucratic politics of Soviet energy policy in the late Brezhnev period, 1976-1982: policy process and the energy balance. (Volumes I and II)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, E.A.

1988-01-01

During 1976-82, policy disputes existed throughout the Soviet political system over what priority should be given to the West Siberia Petroleum and Gas Complex's development. In the Politburo and Secretariat, most members were motivated to take distinct stands on issues of energy policy strategy, with each member's stand based on his own combination of political, personal, and organizational reasons. Energy-related ministries and Gosplan departments pursued their own organizational missions and priorities, and obstructed official policies and projects in spite of their inclusion in the Five-Year Plan and widespread support for them at all levels of the Soviet political system. Themore » energy policy process was strongly influenced by the actions and interactions of the different energy-policy groups. Each energy-policy group was a cross-institutional cluster of actors. During 1976-82, the policy process for formulating and implementing Soviet energy policy was best explained by a combination of (1) the organizational process model, which operated at the ministry level and to a degree among the regional party secretaries who sat on the Politiburo, and (2) the bureaucratic politics model, which operated in Gosplan, the Secretariat, and the Politburo.« less

The Greenhouse Effect and the Destruction of the Ozone Shield: Implications for Rhetoric and Criticism.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoller, Martin Reid

Rhetoric, in the Aristotelian sense of "the available means of persuasion," is a crucial, often determining component of the process of making public policy generally, and environmental policy specifically. Environmental crises which have been addressed by the governmental, industrial, and social policy -making establishments have tended to be treated in a manner similar to that in which social, political, economic, military, and other problems have been commonly treated, utilizing a traditional rhetoric, including long-proven persuasive language and arguments. Such problems as air pollution and water pollution have been, to some degree, successfully addressed in this manner. A new and fundamentally different cluster of environmental problems has recently been recognized by elements of the policy making establishment as a legitimate candidate for consideration and policy formation. These environmental problems differ from the more familiar type in a variety of ways, each of which, to a greater or lesser degree, make problematic for those activists concerned with these crises the production of an effective crisis-oriented rhetoric. This study addresses two such closely related phenomena, the Greenhouse Effect and ozone depletion, and identifies those characteristics which contribute to their rhetorical complexity. Using traditional techniques of rhetorical examination, primarily neo-Aristotelian analysis, this study demonstrates the inadequacy of current crisis-oriented rhetoric, and identifies the causes of this rhetorical ineffectiveness. The study concludes that the mediation of such crises as the Greenhouse Effect and ozone depletion cannot be significantly facilitated by traditional environmental-oriented rhetoric, and may in fact be hindered by the use of rhetoric associated with fundamentally different (i.e., easier to solve) environmental problems.

Addressing the systems-based practice requirement with health policy content and educational technology.

PubMed

Nagler, Alisa; Andolsek, Kathryn; Dossary, Kristin; Schlueter, Joanne; Schulman, Kevin

2010-01-01

Duke University Hospital Office of Graduate Medical Education and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business collaborated to offer a Health Policy lecture series to residents and fellows across the institution, addressing the "Systems-based Practice" competency.During the first year, content was offered in two formats: live lecture and web/podcast. Participants could elect the modality which was most convenient for them. In Year Two, the format was changed so that all content was web/podcast and a quarterly live panel discussion was led by module presenters or content experts. Lecture evaluations, qualitative focus group feedback, and post-test data were analyzed.A total of 77 residents and fellows from 8 (of 12) Duke Graduate Medical Education departments participated. In the first year, post-test results were the same for those who attended the live lectures and those who participated via web/podcast. A greater number of individuals participated in Year Two. Participants from both years expressed the need for health policy content in their training programs. Participants in both years valued a hybrid format for content delivery, recognizing a desire for live interaction with the convenience of accessing web/podcasts at times and locations convenient for them. A positive unintended consequence of the project was participant networking with residents and fellows from other specialties.

Psychosocial development in racially and ethnically diverse youth: conceptual and methodological challenges in the 21st century.

PubMed

Swanson, Dena Phillips; Spencer, Margaret Beale; Harpalani, Vinay; Dupree, Davido; Noll, Elizabeth; Ginzburg, Sofia; Seaton, Gregory

2003-01-01

As the US population becomes more diverse in the 21st century, researchers face many conceptual and methodological challenges in working with diverse populations. We discuss these issues for racially and ethnically diverse youth, using Spencer's phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) as a guiding framework. We present a brief historical background and discuss recurring conceptual flaws in research on diverse youth, presenting PVEST as a corrective to these flaws. We highlight the interaction of race, culture, socioeconomic status, and various contexts of development with identity formation and other salient developmental processes. Challenges in research design and interpretation of data are also covered with regard to both assessment of contexts and developmental processes. We draw upon examples from neighborhood assessments, ethnic identity development, and attachment research to illustrate conceptual and methodological challenges, and we discuss strategies to address these challenges. The policy implications of our analysis are also considered.

The Timber Resource Inventory Model (TRIM): a projection model for timber supply and policy analysis.

Treesearch

P.L. Tedder; R.N. La Mont; J.C. Kincaid

1987-01-01

TRIM (Timber Resource Inventory Model) is a yield table projection system developed for timber supply projections and policy analysis. TRIM simulates timber growth, inventories, management and area changes, and removals over the projection period. Programs in the TRIM system, card-by-card descriptions of required inputs, table formats, and sample results are presented...

Extending the Boundaries of Debate Theory: A Value-Bounded Policy Decision Making Paradigm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, David A.; Corsi, Jerome R.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new, synthetic paradigm for debate analysis and decision making that features the policy systems approach within a context of values as boundaries for decision. As background for the proposed theory, the paper (1) summarizes the notions of paradigm formation and shifts initially presented by T. Kuhn; (2)…

ICT Teacher Training: Evaluation of the Curriculum and Training Approach in Flanders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valcke, Martin; Rots, Isabel; Verbeke, Marjolein; van Braak, Johan

2007-01-01

A policy-evaluation study was set up of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) teacher training in Flanders, focusing on the following questions: (a) What is the validity of the content and format of the teacher training, and (b) to what extent is the ICT teacher training linked to policies of schools? In-depth interviews were organised…

Ruffling the Calm of the Ocean Floor: Merging Practice, Policy and Research in Assessment in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayward, Louise; Priestley, Mark; Young, Myra

2004-01-01

The formative Assessment for Learning proposals outlined by Black and Wiliam (e.g. Black et al. , 2002 ) have been well publicised. Since 2002, in its Assessment is for Learning programme, the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) has been exploring ways of bringing research, policy and practice in assessment into closer alignment using…

Internationalization, Nationalism, and Global Competitiveness: A Comparison of Approaches to Higher Education in China and Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Christopher D.

2016-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which policies for national identity formation and internationalization interact to complement and contradict each other in the context of global higher education. These themes are explored by comparing recent policies in two countries in East Asia, a part of the world currently on the rise in the global hierarchy…

Staff Governance and Institutional Policy Formation. Educational Policy in the 21st Century: Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, John W., Ed.; Miller, Michael T., Ed.

2011-01-01

The number of staff members serving American higher education institutions has more than doubled in the past twenty years, as occupations in technology, development, government relations, and even athletic administration have grown as never before in the history of the academy. As the number, variety, and importance of these positions have grown,…

Global Dimensions of Gifted and Talented Education: The Influence of National Perceptions on Policies and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heuser, Brian L.; Wang, Ke; Shahid, Salman

2017-01-01

We examine recent research across countries and cultures in regard to the issues related to the formation of gifted and talented education perspectives, policies, and practices. Many modern cultures and subcultures have developed formal and informal definitions of what it means to be gifted and talented, and when we compare the perceptions,…

Formation of social acceptability judgments and their implications for management of rare and little-known species.

Treesearch

George H. Stankey; Bruce Shindler

2006-01-01

Effective policies for management of rare and little-known species (RLKS) must be not only scientifically valid and cost-effective but also consistent with prevailing social beliefs and values. Limited public awareness of RLKS, however; constrains efforts to frame such policies. Lacking public support, resistance to RLKS programs is likely, particularly when other uses...

Policy dialogues - the "bolts and joints" of policy-making: experiences from Cabo Verde, Chad and Mali.

PubMed

Dovlo, Delanyo; Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet; Estrelli, Yolanda; Mwisongo, Aziza

2016-07-18

Policy processes that yield good outcomes are inherently complex, requiring interactions of stakeholders in problem identification, generation of political will and selection of practical solutions. To make policy processes rational, policy dialogues are increasingly being used as a policy-making tool. Despite their increasing use for policy-making in Africa, evidence is limited on how they have evolved and are being used on the continent or in low and middle income countries elsewhere. This was an exploratory study using qualitative methods. It utilised data related to policy dialogues for three specific policies and strategies to understand the interplay between policy dialogue and policy-making in Cabo Verde, Chad and Mali. The specific methods used to gather data were key informant interviews and document review. Data were analysed inductively and deductively using thematic content analysis. Participation in the policy dialogues was inclusive, and in some instances bottom-up participatory approaches were used. The respondents felt that the execution of the policy dialogues had been seamless, and the few divergent views expressed often were resolved in a unanimous manner. The policies and strategies developed were seen by all stakeholders as relating to priority issues. Other specific process factors that contributed to the success of the dialogues included the use of innovative approaches, good facilitation, availability of resources for the dialogues, good communication, and consideration of the different opinions. Among the barriers were contextual issues, delays in decision-making and conflicting coordination roles and mandates. Policy dialogues have proved to be an effective tool in health sector management and could be a crucial component of the governance dynamics of the sector. The policy dialogue process needs to be institutionalised for continuity and maintenance of institutional intelligence. Other essential influencing factors include building capacity for coordination and facilitation of policy dialogues, provision of sustainable financing for execution of the dialogues, use of inclusive and bottom-up approaches, and timely provision of reliable evidence. Ensuring continued participation of all the actors necessitates innovation to allow dialogue outside the formal frameworks and spaces that should feed into the formal dialogue processes.

Oregon's Senate Bill 560: practical policy lessons for nurse advocates.

PubMed

Gilson Sistrom, Maria

2010-02-01

In response to striking rates of childhood obesity in Oregon, advocates led by a nurse lobbyist proposed legislation in 2005 to regulate junk foods in public schools. Several theories propose to explain the policy-making process, yet Senate Bill 560 (SB 560) followed a twisted course through rule making, legislative and political processes that are not well articulated in policy theory. Three overlapping mechanisms were identified in content analysis of documents and interviews with participants in the SB 560 policy process. Strategically placed legislative "banana peels," proponents' amateur advocacy, and legislative outflanking by professional lobbyists more fully characterize this policy process and better account for the failure of SB 560. Subsequent passage of the Oregon Healthy School Foods bill in the more politically conducive 2007 legislature suggest that advocacy and incremental change frameworks are less predictive of successful passage than is the ability to take advantage of political opportunities to change public health policy.

Soil processes and functions across an international network of Critical Zone Observatories: Introduction to experimental methods and initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banwart, Steven; Menon, Manoj; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Bloem, Jaap; Blum, Winfried E. H.; Souza, Danielle Maia de; Davidsdotir, Brynhildur; Duffy, Christopher; Lair, Georg J.; Kram, Pavel; Lamacova, Anna; Lundin, Lars; Nikolaidis, Nikolaos P.; Novak, Martin; Panagos, Panos; Ragnarsdottir, Kristin Vala; Reynolds, Brian; Robinson, David; Rousseva, Svetla; de Ruiter, Peter; van Gaans, Pauline; Weng, Liping; White, Tim; Zhang, Bin

2012-11-01

Growth in human population and demand for wealth creates ever-increasing pressure on global soils, leading to soil losses and degradation worldwide. Critical Zone science studies the impact linkages between these pressures, the resulting environmental state of soils, and potential interventions to protect soil and reverse degradation. New research on soil processes is being driven by the scientific hypothesis that soil processes can be described along a life cycle of soil development. This begins with formation of new soil from parent material, development of the soil profile, and potential loss of the developed soil functions and the soil itself under overly intensive anthropogenic land use, thus closing the cycle. Four Critical Zone Observatories in Europe have been selected focusing research at sites that represent key stages along the hypothetical soil life cycle; incipient soil formation, productive use of soil for farming and forestry, and decline of soil due to longstanding intensive agriculture. Initial results from the research show that soil develops important biogeochemical properties on the time scale of decades and that soil carbon and the development of favourable soil structure takes place over similar time scales. A new mathematical model of soil aggregate formation and degradation predicts that set-aside land at the most degraded site studied can develop substantially improved soil structure with the accumulation of soil carbon over a period of several years. Further results demonstrate the rapid dynamics of soil carbon; how quickly it can be lost, and also demonstrate how data from the CZOs can be used to determine parameter values for models at catchment scale. A structure for a new integrated Critical Zone model is proposed that combines process descriptions of carbon and nutrient flows, a simplified description of the soil food web, and reactive transport; all coupled with a dynamic model for soil structure and soil aggregation. This approach is proposed as a methodology to analyse data along the soil life cycle and test how soil processes and rates vary within, and between, the CZOs representing different life cycle stages. In addition, frameworks are discussed that will help to communicate the results of this science into a more policy relevant format using ecosystem service approaches.

The role of power in health policy dialogues: lessons from African countries.

PubMed

Mwisongo, Aziza; Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet; Yao, Theodore; Dovlo, Delanyo

2016-07-18

Policy-making is a dynamic process involving the interplay of various factors. Power and its role are some of its core components. Though power exerts a profound role in policy-making, empirical evidence suggests that health policy analysis has paid only limited attention to the role of power, particularly in policy dialogues. This exploratory study, which used qualitative methods, had the main aim of learning about and understanding policy dialogues in five African countries and how power influences such processes. Data were collected using key informant interviews. An interview guide was developed with standardised questions and probes on the policy dialogues in each country. This paper utilises these data plus document review to understand how power was manifested during the policy dialogues. Reference is made to the Arts and Tatenhove conceptual framework on power dimensions to understand how power featured during the policy dialogues in African health contexts. Arts and Tatenhove conceptualise power in policy-making in relational, dispositional and structural layers. Our study found that power was applied positively during the dialogues to prioritise agendas, fast-track processes, reorganise positions, focus attention on certain items and foster involvement of the community. Power was applied negatively during the dialogues, for example when position was used to control and shape dialogues, which limited innovation, and when knowledge power was used to influence decisions and the direction of the dialogues. Transitive power was used to challenge the government to think of implementation issues often forgotten during policy-making processes. Dispositional power was the most complex form of power expressed both overtly and covertly. Structural power was manifested socially, culturally, politically, legally and economically. This study shows that we need to be cognisant of the role of power during policy dialogues and put mechanisms in place to manage its influence. There is need for more research to determine how to channel power influence policy-making processes positively, for example through interactive policy dialogues.

‘Rowing against the current’: the policy process and effects of removing user fees for caesarean sections in Benin

PubMed Central

Cresswell, Jenny A; Makoutodé, Patrick; De Brouwere, Vincent; Witter, Sophie; Filippi, Veronique; Kanhonou, Lydie G; Goufodji, Sourou B; Lange, Isabelle L; Lawin, Lionel; Affo, Fabien; Marchal, Bruno

2018-01-01

Background In 2009, the Benin government introduced a user fee exemption policy for caesarean sections. We analyse this policy with regard to how the existing ideas and institutions related to user fees influenced key steps of the policy cycle and draw lessons that could inform the policy dialogue for universal health coverage in the West African region. Methods Following the policy stages model, we analyse the agenda setting, policy formulation and legitimation phase, and assess the implementation fidelity and policy results. We adopted an embedded case study design, using quantitative and qualitative data collected with 13 tools at the national level and in seven hospitals implementing the policy. Results We found that the initial political goal of the policy was not to reduce maternal mortality but to eliminate the detention in hospitals of mothers and newborns who cannot pay the user fees by exempting a comprehensive package of maternal health services. We found that the policy development process suffered from inadequate uptake of evidence and that the policy content and process were not completely in harmony with political and public health goals. The initial policy intention clashed with the neoliberal orientation of the political system, the fee recovery principles institutionalised since the Bamako Initiative and the prevailing ideas in favour of user fees. The policymakers did not take these entrenched factors into account. The resulting tension contributed to a benefit package covering only caesarean sections and to the variable implementation and effectiveness of the policy. Conclusion The influence of organisational culture in the decision-making processes in the health sector is often ignored but must be considered in the design and implementation of any policy aimed at achieving universal health coverage in West African countries. PMID:29564156

The evolution of HIV policy in Vietnam: from punitive control measures to a more rights-based approach

PubMed Central

Nguyen Ha, Pham; Pharris, Anastasia; Huong, Nguyen Thanh; Chuc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Brugha, Ruairi; Thorson, Anna

2010-01-01

Aim Policymaking in Vietnam has traditionally been the preserve of the political elite, not open to the scrutiny of those outside the Communist Party. This paper aims to analyse Vietnam's HIV policy development in order to describe and understand the policy content, policy-making processes, actors and obstacles to policy implementation. Methods Nine policy documents on HIV were analysed and 17 key informant interviews were conducted in Hanoi and Quang Ninh Province, based on a predesigned interview guide. Framework analysis, a type of qualitative content analysis, was applied for data analysis. Results Our main finding was that during the last two decades, developments in HIV policy in Vietnam were driven in a top-down way by the state organs, with support and resources coming from international agencies. Four major themes were identified: HIV policy content, the policy-making processes, the actors involved and human resources for policy implementation. Vietnam's HIV policy has evolved from one focused on punitive control measures to a more rights-based approach, encompassing harm reduction and payment of health insurance for medical costs of patients with HIV-related illness. Low salaries and staff reluctance to work with patients, many of whom are drug users and female sex workers, were described as the main barriers to low health staff motivation. Conclusion Health policy analysis approaches can be applied in a traditional one party state and can demonstrate how similar policy changes take place, as those found in pluralistic societies, but through more top-down and somewhat hidden processes. Enhanced participation of other actors, like civil society in the policy process, is likely to contribute to policy formulation and implementation that meets the diverse needs and concerns of its population. PMID:20824159

Policies and Processes for Social Inclusion: Using EquiFrame and EquIPP for Policy Dialogue Comment on "Are Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies Designed for All? Vulnerable Groups in Policy Documents of Four European Countries and Their Involvement in Policy Development".

PubMed

MacLachlan, Malcolm; Mannan, Hasheem; Huss, Tessy; Munthali, Alister; Amin, Mutamad

2015-11-16

The application of EquiFrame in the analysis of sexual and reproductive health policies by Ivanova et al to a new thematic area, their selection of only some of the Core Concepts of human rights in health service provision and the addition of new vulnerable groups relevant to the purpose of their analysis, are all very welcome developments. We also applaud their application of EquiFrame to policies in countries where it has not previously been used, along with their use of interviews with policy-makers to produce a deeper understanding of policy processes. We argue that clear justification for the inclusion of additional, or replacement of some exiting vulnerable groups within EquiFrame should be accompanied by clear definitions of such groups, along with the evidence-base that justifies their classification as a vulnerable or marginalised group. To illustrate the versatility of EquiFrame, we summarise a range of ways in which it has been used across a number of regions; including a brief Case Study of its use to develop the National Health Policy of Malawi. While EquiFrame focuses on policy content, we preview a new policy analysis tool - Equity and Inclusion in Policy Processes (EquIPP) - which assesses the extent of equity and inclusion in broader policy processes. Together, EquiFrame and EquIPP can be used to help governments and civil society ensure that policies are addressing the much stronger emphasis on social inclusion, now apparent in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

The evolution of HIV policy in Vietnam: from punitive control measures to a more rights-based approach.

PubMed

Nguyen Ha, Pham; Pharris, Anastasia; Huong, Nguyen Thanh; Chuc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Brugha, Ruairi; Thorson, Anna

2010-08-28

Policymaking in Vietnam has traditionally been the preserve of the political elite, not open to the scrutiny of those outside the Communist Party. This paper aims to analyse Vietnam's HIV policy development in order to describe and understand the policy content, policy-making processes, actors and obstacles to policy implementation. Nine policy documents on HIV were analysed and 17 key informant interviews were conducted in Hanoi and Quang Ninh Province, based on a predesigned interview guide. Framework analysis, a type of qualitative content analysis, was applied for data analysis. Our main finding was that during the last two decades, developments in HIV policy in Vietnam were driven in a top-down way by the state organs, with support and resources coming from international agencies. Four major themes were identified: HIV policy content, the policy-making processes, the actors involved and human resources for policy implementation. Vietnam's HIV policy has evolved from one focused on punitive control measures to a more rights-based approach, encompassing harm reduction and payment of health insurance for medical costs of patients with HIV-related illness. Low salaries and staff reluctance to work with patients, many of whom are drug users and female sex workers, were described as the main barriers to low health staff motivation. Health policy analysis approaches can be applied in a traditional one party state and can demonstrate how similar policy changes take place, as those found in pluralistic societies, but through more top-down and somewhat hidden processes. Enhanced participation of other actors, like civil society in the policy process, is likely to contribute to policy formulation and implementation that meets the diverse needs and concerns of its population.

Disability Policy Evaluation: Combining Logic Models and Systems Thinking.

PubMed

Claes, Claudia; Ferket, Neelke; Vandevelde, Stijn; Verlet, Dries; De Maeyer, Jessica

2017-07-01

Policy evaluation focuses on the assessment of policy-related personal, family, and societal changes or benefits that follow as a result of the interventions, services, and supports provided to those persons to whom the policy is directed. This article describes a systematic approach to policy evaluation based on an evaluation framework and an evaluation process that combine the use of logic models and systems thinking. The article also includes an example of how the framework and process have recently been used in policy development and evaluation in Flanders (Belgium), as well as four policy evaluation guidelines based on relevant published literature.

Development of agribiotechnology and biosafety regulations used to assess safety of genetically modified crops in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nasiruddin, Khondoker M; Nasim, Anwar

2007-01-01

Bangladesh is on the verge of adopting genetically modified (GM) crops for commercial cultivation and consumption as feed and food. Most of the laboratories are engaged in tissue culture and molecular characterization on plants, whereas some have started living modified organism research with shortages of trained manpower, infrastructure, and funding. Nutritionally improved Golden Rice, biotech brinjal, and late blight-resistant potato are in contained trials in a greenhouse, and potato ring spot virus-resistant papaya is in the process of approval for a field trial. The government has taken some initiative in support of GM organism research, which include the formation of a Biotechnology Department in all institutes and the formation of the apex body, the National Task Force Committee on Biotechnology of Bangladesh under the chairpersonship of the Prime Minister. Biosafety policy guidelines and related aspects of biotechnology issues have been approved, and the laws are in the process of being promulgated. Being a party to the Cartagena Protocol, proper biosafety measures are regulated by the appropriate authority as stated. Although there are no laws made yet directly for biosafety of GM crops/foods, the relevant laws on agriculture, medicine, food, import, trade, environment, etc. may suffice and explain the situation.

Policy Internationalization, National Variety and Governance: Global Models and Network Power in Higher Education States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Roger

2010-01-01

This article analyzes policy convergence and the adoption of globalizing models by higher education states, a process we describe, following Thatcher (2007), as policy internationalization. This refers to processes found in many policy domains and which increasingly are exemplified in tertiary education systems too. The focus is on governmental…

Meeting the challenge of policy-relevant science: lessons from a water resource project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lamb, Berton L.

1986-01-01

Water resource scientists face complex tasks in evaluating aspects of water projects, but relatively few assessment procedures have been applied and accepted as standard applications. Decision-makers often rely on environmental assessments to evaluate the value and operation of projects. There is often confusion about scientists' role in policy decisions. The scientist can affect policy-making as an expert withess, an advocate or a surrogate. By understanding the policy process, scientists can make their work more “policy relevant.” Using the Terror Lake hydro project in Alaska as a guide, three lessons are discussed: (1) not all problems are able to be solved with technology; (2) policy-relevant technology is rarely imposed on a problem; and (3) the scientist need not just react to the policy process, but can have an impact on how that process unfolds.

10 CFR 26.39 - Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. 26.39 Section 26.39 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.39 Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. (a) Each licensee and other entity who is...

10 CFR 26.39 - Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. 26.39 Section 26.39 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.39 Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. (a) Each licensee and other entity who is...

10 CFR 26.39 - Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. 26.39 Section 26.39 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.39 Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. (a) Each licensee and other entity who is...

10 CFR 26.39 - Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. 26.39 Section 26.39 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.39 Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. (a) Each licensee and other entity who is...

10 CFR 26.39 - Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. 26.39 Section 26.39 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.39 Review process for fitness-for-duty policy violations. (a) Each licensee and other entity who is...

Adapting American Policymaking to Overcome American Exceptionalism

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-13

policies of the United States were due a portion of blame for motivating the attacks of 9/11. Whether due to self - referentialism , cultural centrism, or...for. However, a deep inward look toward the foreign policy framing and decision making process is necessary to adapt that policy and address the tension...inward look toward the foreign policy framing and decision making process is necessary to adapt that policy and address the tension between U.S

The limits of evidence: evidence based policy and the removal of gamete donor anonymity in the UK.

PubMed

Frith, Lucy

2015-03-01

This paper will critically examine the use of evidence in creating policy in the area of reproductive technologies. The use of evidence in health care and policy is not a new phenomenon. However, codified strategies for evidence appraisal in health care technology assessments and attempts to create evidence based policy initiatives suggest that the way evidence is used in practice and policy has changed. This paper will examine this trend by considering what is counted as 'good' evidence, difficulties in translating evidence into policy and practice and how evidence interacts with principles. To illustrate these points the removal of gamete donor anonymity in the UK in 2005 and the debates that preceded this change in the law will be examined. It will be argued that evidence will only ever take us so far and attention should also be paid to the underlying principles that guide policy. The paper will conclude with suggestions for how underlying principles can be more rigorously used in policy formation.

The Enactment of Formative Assessment in English Language Classrooms in Two Chinese Universities: Teacher and Student Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Qiuxian; May, Lyn; Klenowski, Val; Kettle, Margaret

2014-01-01

The "College English Curriculum Requirements," announced by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2007, recommended the inclusion of formative assessment into the existing summative assessment framework of College English. This policy had the potential to fundamentally change the nature of assessment and its role in the teaching and…

Universal Documentation System Handbook. Volume 3. Response Formats and Instructions; Statement of Capability, Program Support Plan/Operations Directive

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

requesting agency and support agency which are not self -evident within the information content of the PI/SC or which involve deviations from policy; e.g...preparation instructions for Format 1000. RESPOSE ( ) INFOATION( ): Indicate whether each item number documented is a response for support or is

76 FR 37686 - Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program; Amendment of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... electronic file on computer disk. The Department will consider providing the proposed rule in other formats... format, contact the Office of Policy Development and Research at (202) 693-3700 (VOICE) (this is not a... August 30, 2010 order,\\1\\ arguing that the Wage Rule violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA...

Teacher Beliefs and the Mediation of Curriculum Innovation in Scotland: A Socio-Cultural Perspective on Professional Development and Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Carolyn S.; Priestley, Mark

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate socio-cultural factors underpinning curriculum change by examining teacher beliefs in the context of professional development. Scottish teachers in the study were participating in policy implementation based on formative assessment. Teachers were selected who were positive about the formative assessment…

The Promise and Reality of Formative Assessment Practice in a Continuous Assessment Scheme: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Lisle, Jerome

2015-01-01

Continuous Assessment (CA) systems are externally directed, curriculum-based assessment schemes used for both summative and formative purposes within classrooms. CA has been implemented as national policy in several postcolonial developing countries and is believed to hold great promise for improving education outcomes. This theory-driven…

The productive techniques and constitutive effects of 'evidence-based policy' and 'consumer participation' discourses in health policy processes.

PubMed

Lancaster, K; Seear, K; Treloar, C; Ritter, A

2017-03-01

For over twenty years there have been calls for greater 'consumer' participation in health decision-making. While it is recognised by governments and other stakeholders that 'consumer' participation is desirable, barriers to meaningful involvement nonetheless remain. It has been suggested that the reifying of 'evidence-based policy' may be limiting opportunities for participation, through the way this discourse legitimates particular voices to the exclusion of others. Others have suggested that assumptions underpinning the very notion of the 'affected community' or 'consumers' as fixed and bounded 'policy publics' need to be problematised. In this paper, drawing on interviews (n = 41) with individuals closely involved in Australian drug policy discussions, we critically interrogate the productive techniques and constitutive effects of 'evidence-based policy' and 'consumer participation' discourses in the context of drug policy processes. To inform our analysis, we draw on and combine a number of critical perspectives including Foucault's concept of subjugated knowledges, the work of feminist theorists, as well as recent work regarding conceptualisations of emergent policy publics. First, we explore how the subject position of 'consumer' might be seen as enacted in the material-discursive practices of 'evidence-based policy' and 'consumer participation' in drug policy processes. Secondly, we consider the centralising power-effects of the dominant 'evidence-based policy' paradigm, and how resistance may be thought about in this context. We suggest that such interrogation has potential to recast the call for 'consumer' participation in health policy decision-making and drug policy processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Processes of local alcohol policy-making in England: Does the theory of policy transfer provide useful insights into public health decision-making?

PubMed

Gavens, Lucy; Holmes, John; Buykx, Penny; de Vocht, Frank; Egan, Matt; Grace, Daniel; Lock, Karen; Mooney, John D; Brennan, Alan

2017-06-13

Recent years have seen a rise in new and innovative policies to reduce alcohol consumption and related harm in England, which can be implemented by local, as opposed to national, policy-makers. The aim of this paper is to explore the processes that underpin the adoption of these alcohol policies within local authorities. In particular, it aims to assess whether the concept of policy transfer (i.e. a process through which knowledge about policies in one place is used in the development of policies in another time or place) provides a useful model for understanding local alcohol policy-making. Qualitative data generated through in-depth interviews and focus groups from five case study sites across England were used to explore stakeholder experiences of alcohol policy transfer between local authorities. The purposive sample of policy actors included representatives from the police, trading standards, public health, licensing, and commissioning. Thematic analysis was used inductively to identify key features in the data. Themes from the policy transfer literature identified in the data were: policy copying, emulating, hybridization, and inspiration. Participants described a multitude of ways in which learning was shared between places, ranging from formal academic evaluation to opportunistic conversations in informal settings. Participants also described facilitators and constraints to policy transfer, such as the historical policy context and the local cultural, economic, and bureaucratic context, which influenced whether or not a policy that was perceived to work in one place might be transferred successfully to another context. Theories of policy transfer provide a promising framework for characterising processes of local alcohol policy-making in England, extending beyond debates regarding evidence-informed policy to account for a much wider range of considerations. Applying a policy transfer lens enables us to move beyond simple (but still important) questions of what is supported by 'robust' research evidence by paying greater attention to how policy making is carried out in practice and the multiple methods by which policies diffuse across jurisdictions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy analysis for deciding on a malaria vaccine RTS,S in Tanzania.

PubMed

Romore, Idda; Njau, Ritha J A; Semali, Innocent; Mwisongo, Aziza; Ba Nguz, Antoinette; Mshinda, Hassan; Tanner, Marcel; Abdulla, Salim

2016-03-08

Traditionally, it has taken decades to introduce new interventions in low-income countries. Several factors account for these delays, one of which is the absence of a framework to facilitate comprehensive understanding of policy process to inform policy makers and stimulate the decision-making process. In the case of the proposed introduction of malaria vaccines in Tanzania, a specific framework for decision-making will speed up the administrative process and shorten the time until the vaccine is made available to the target population. Qualitative research was used as a basis for developing the Policy Framework. Interviews were conducted with government officials, bilateral and multilateral partners and other stakeholders in Tanzania to assess malaria treatment policy changes and to draw lessons for malaria vaccine adoption. The decision-making process for adopting malaria interventions and new vaccines in general takes years, involving several processes: meetings and presentations of scientific data from different studies with consistent results, packaging and disseminating evidence and getting approval for use by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW). It is influenced by contextual factors; Promoting factors include; epidemiological and intervention characteristics, country experiences of malaria treatment policy change, presentation and dissemination of evidence, coordination and harmonization of the process, use of international scientific evidence. Barriers factors includes; financial sustainability, competing health and other priorities, political will and bureaucratic procedures, costs related to the adoption and implementations of interventions, supply and distribution and professional compliance with anti-malarial drugs. The framework facilitates the synthesis of information in a coherent way, enabling a clearer understanding of the policy process, thereby speeding up the policy decision-making process and shortening the time for a malaria vaccine to become available.

China CO2 emission accounts 1997–2015

PubMed Central

Shan, Yuli; Guan, Dabo; Zheng, Heran; Ou, Jiamin; Li, Yuan; Meng, Jing; Mi, Zhifu; Liu, Zhu; Zhang, Qiang

2018-01-01

China is the world’s top energy consumer and CO2 emitter, accounting for 30% of global emissions. Compiling an accurate accounting of China’s CO2 emissions is the first step in implementing reduction policies. However, no annual, officially published emissions data exist for China. The current emissions estimated by academic institutes and scholars exhibit great discrepancies. The gap between the different emissions estimates is approximately equal to the total emissions of the Russian Federation (the 4th highest emitter globally) in 2011. In this study, we constructed the time-series of CO2 emission inventories for China and its 30 provinces. We followed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions accounting method with a territorial administrative scope. The inventories include energy-related emissions (17 fossil fuels in 47 sectors) and process-related emissions (cement production). The first version of our dataset presents emission inventories from 1997 to 2015. We will update the dataset annually. The uniformly formatted emission inventories provide data support for further emission-related research as well as emissions reduction policy-making in China. PMID:29337312

Public health ethics. Public justification and public trust.

PubMed

Childress, J F; Bernheim, R Gaare

2008-02-01

Viewing public health as a political and social undertaking as well as a goal of this activity, the authors develop some key elements in a framework for public health ethics, with particular attention to the formation of public health policies and to decisions by public health officials that are not fully determined by established public policies. They concentrate on ways to approach ethical conflicts about public health interventions. These conflicts arise because, in addition to the value of public health, societies have a wide range of other values that sometimes constrain the selection of means to achieve public health goals. The authors analyze three approaches for resolving these conflicts (absolutist, contextualist, and presumptivist), argue for the superiority of the presumptivist approach, and briefly explicate five conditions for rebutting presumptions in a process of public justification. In a liberal, pluralistic, democratic society, a presumptivist approach that engages the public in the context of a variety of relationships can provide a foundation for public trust, which is essential to public health as a political and social practice as well as to achieving public health goals.

China CO2 emission accounts 1997-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Yuli; Guan, Dabo; Zheng, Heran; Ou, Jiamin; Li, Yuan; Meng, Jing; Mi, Zhifu; Liu, Zhu; Zhang, Qiang

2018-01-01

China is the world's top energy consumer and CO2 emitter, accounting for 30% of global emissions. Compiling an accurate accounting of China's CO2 emissions is the first step in implementing reduction policies. However, no annual, officially published emissions data exist for China. The current emissions estimated by academic institutes and scholars exhibit great discrepancies. The gap between the different emissions estimates is approximately equal to the total emissions of the Russian Federation (the 4th highest emitter globally) in 2011. In this study, we constructed the time-series of CO2 emission inventories for China and its 30 provinces. We followed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions accounting method with a territorial administrative scope. The inventories include energy-related emissions (17 fossil fuels in 47 sectors) and process-related emissions (cement production). The first version of our dataset presents emission inventories from 1997 to 2015. We will update the dataset annually. The uniformly formatted emission inventories provide data support for further emission-related research as well as emissions reduction policy-making in China.

The political effects of ideas and markets on China's economic reforms: The case of electrical power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodge, Laura Washington

This study examines factors influencing contemporary economic policy-making and reform in China's electric power industry. Results of the study suggest that there is an ongoing paradigm change in China's policy-making. However, institutional resistance to changes in the policy process is strong. Policy outcomes in the case of electric power reforms reflect the interaction of both dynamics. In the early 1990s, the central government in Beijing began to consider restructuring the electric power industry to introduce competition and establish markets for electricity supply. Until then, economic policies had resulted from a process of deliberation within the upper echelons of the Communist Party. Although the Party considered the interests of dominant economic actors, particularly the large State-owned sector, its channels for participation in the policy process were closed to most economic actors. Central bureaucratic and provincial interests largely governed policy processes, leading observers to describe the Chinese State as bureaucratic authoritarian. Bureaucracy's heavy role in the economy led to what some called a corporatist State, whereby organs of government infiltrated most aspects of the economy. This institutional arrangement perpetuated bureaucracy's influence in policy-making. This study hypothesizes that transformation in domestic financial markets poses a threat to the entrenched institutions of the electric power industry. The integration of China's economy with foreign firms and markets enabled actors outside of the dominant State-owned economy to improve their positions vis-a-vis the state-owned sector, and eventually to play a role in the policy process. At the same time, Beijing's adaptation of foreign-designed restructuring policies threatened the deep-rooted institutions. The study analyzes the behavior, statements and channels utilized by those actors affected by power sector policies. Based on interviews conducted between 2000 through 2002, documents and reports from various power industry actors, and available academic literature analyzing current developments in the industry, I analyze the process of making deregulatory policies in electric power. Specifically, I ask whether or not the developments described above resulted in a shift in the relative power of contending actors in the industry, and consequently influenced policy outcomes.

Coordination of the health policy dialogue process in Guinea: pre- and post-Ebola.

PubMed

Ade, Nadege; Réne, Adzodo; Khalifa, Mara; Babila, Kevin Ousman; Monono, Martin Ekeke; Tarcisse, Elongo; Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet

2016-07-18

Policy dialogue can be defined as an iterative process that involves a broad range of stakeholders discussing a particular issue with a concrete purpose in mind. Policy dialogue in health is increasingly being recognised by health stakeholders in developing countries, as an important process or mechanism for improving collaboration and harmonization in health and for developing comprehensive and evidence-based health sector strategies and plans. It is with this perspective in mind that Guinea, in 2013, started a policy dialogue process, engaging a plethora of actors to revise the country's national health policy and develop a new national health development plan (2015-2024). This study examines the coordination of the policy dialogue process in developing these key strategic governance documents of the Guinean health sector from the actors' perspective. A qualitative case study approach was undertaken, comprising of interviews with key stakeholders who participated in the policy dialogue process. A review of the literature informed the development of a conceptual framework and the data collection survey questionnaire. The results were analysed both inductively and deductively. A total of 22 out of 32 individuals were interviewed. The results suggest both areas of strengths and weaknesses in the coordination of the policy dialogue process in Guinea. The aspects of good coordination observed were the iterative nature of the dialogue and the availability of neutral and well-experienced facilitators. Weak coordination was perceived through the unavailability of supporting documentation, time and financial constraints experienced during the dialogue process. The onset of the Ebola epidemic in Guinea impacted on coordination dynamics by causing a slowdown of its activities and then its virtual halt. The findings herein highlight the need for policy dialogue coordination structures to have the necessary administrative and institutional support to facilitate their effective functioning. The findings also point to the need for further research on the practical and operational aspects of national dialogue coordination structures to determine how to best strengthen their capacities.

Mobilizing Public Opinion for the Tobacco Industry: The Consumer Tax Alliance and Excise Taxes

PubMed Central

Campbell, Richard; Balbach, Edith D.

2009-01-01

Background Tobacco industry funding was instrumental in creating and financing the Consumer Tax Alliance in 1989 as an ostensibly organization that relied upon extensive media outreach to build opposition to excise taxes as a regressive form of taxation. By obscuring its own role in this effort, the tobacco industry undermined the public’s reasonable expectations for transparency in the policy making process. Aim To examine the formation and activities of the Consumer Tax Alliance as a “hybrid” form of interest group in order to provide tobacco control and public health advocates with a better understanding of unanticipated tobacco industry coalitions and facilitate appropriate counter measures. Methods Document searches through the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library and through Tobacco Documents Online and review of background literature. Results The Tobacco Institute actively sought liberal allies beginning in the mid-1980s in seeking to build public opposition to cigarette excise tax increases by promoting them as a regressive form of taxation. The creation of the Consumer Tax Alliance in 1989 was expressly intended to turn labor and middle class opinion against prospective excise tax increases in federal budget deficit negotiations, without divulging the tobacco industry’s role in its formation. Conclusion It is important to understand the dynamic by which trusted organizations can be induced to alter their agendas in response to funding sources. Advocates need to understand this form of interest group behavior so that they are better able to negotiate the policy arena by diagnosing and exposing this influence where it occurs and, by doing so, be better prepared to take appropriate counter measures. What this paper adds The tobacco industry’s political strategies for utilizing third party efforts to contest cigarette excise tax increases have not been extensively studied. While there has been some attention to industry sponsorship of third parties, the Consumer Tax Alliance represented a “hybrid” form of interest group alliance. Created in the 1990s with tobacco industry funding, the Consumer Tax Alliance included legitimate public interest groups as sponsors, but who did not appear to be actively involved in its operations. The formation and activities of the Consumer Tax Alliance provide an instructive lens for introducing a novel form of third party activity to the tobacco industry’s policy efforts. PMID:18687706

Analysis of a government policy to address nursing shortage and nursing education quality.

PubMed

Abhicharttibutra, K; Kunaviktikul, W; Turale, S; Wichaikhum, O-A; Srisuphan, W

2017-03-01

A well-educated, sufficient nursing workforce improves population health and standards of nursing care. Analysing workforce policies assists nurses to learn from the past and develop better future policies. Describe policy-making processes in the first Thai government plan to increase nursing capacity and improve nursing education quality. A qualitative study employing Longest's model to examine policy-making processes. Data were obtained from 28 in-depth interviews with key informants, who had been committee members and former deans of nursing involved with the policy processes in the 1990s. Both qualitative and quantitative data were extracted from relevant documents, and content analysis employed with all data. Three policy phases were identified. Policy formulation, where three streams of problems, politics and policy resulted in identification of nursing shortage, changes of government incumbents and needing to increase nurse production; Policy implementation included creating methods of implementation, appointing responsible people and committees, creating operational plans, producing more nurses and faculty development projects and Policy modification which incorporated implementing the first Thai international doctoral degree in English, a collaborative programme between universities. Not all key informants could be accessed due to the passage of time. Findings are unique to Thailand but inform internationally of nurses' abilities and need to be involved in policy. Nurses were involved in all policy phases. While the policy produced positive developments in growing nursing capacity and education in the past, nursing shortages remained and are now acute in Thailand. Lessons learned from this policy analysis help explain why the nursing education and nursing shortage policy was legislated through the government agenda, and the active involvement of Thai nurses in this process. Nurses globally need to be at the policy-making table to try to reduce nursing shortages, and enhance practice and education environments. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Setting performance-based financing in the health sector agenda: a case study in Cameroon.

PubMed

Sieleunou, Isidore; Turcotte-Tremblay, Anne-Marie; Fotso, Jean-Claude Taptué; Tamga, Denise Magne; Yumo, Habakkuk Azinyui; Kouokam, Estelle; Ridde, Valery

2017-08-01

More than 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have introduced performance-based financing (PBF) in their healthcare systems. Yet, there has been little research on the process by which PBF was put on the national policy agenda in Africa. This study examines the policy process behind the introduction of PBF program in Cameroon. The research is an explanatory case study using the Kingdon multiple streams framework. We conducted a document review and 25 interviews with various types of actors involved in the policy process. We conducted thematic analysis using a hybrid deductive-inductive approach for data analysis. By 2004, several reports and events had provided evidence on the state of the poor health outcomes and health financing in the country, thereby raising awareness of the situation. As a result, decision-makers identified the lack of a suitable health financing policy as an important issue that needed to be addressed. The change in the political discourse toward more accountability made room to test new mechanisms. A group of policy entrepreneurs from the World Bank, through numerous forms of influence (financial, ideational, network and knowledge-based) and building on several ongoing reforms, collaborated with senior government officials to place the PBF program on the agenda. The policy changes occurred as the result of two open policy windows (i.e. national and international), and in both instances, policy entrepreneurs were able to couple the policy streams to effect change. The policy agenda of PBF in Cameroon underlined the importance of a perceived crisis in the policy reform process and the advantage of building a team to carry forward the policy process. It also highlighted the role of other sources of information alongside scientific evidence (eg.: workshop and study tour), as well as the role of previous policies and experiences, in shaping or influencing respectively the way issues are framed and reformers' actions and choices.

The emerging mental health strategy of the European Union: a multi-level work-in-progress.

PubMed

Kelly, Brendan D

2008-01-01

Policy-making in the European Union (EU) is a complex process that can appear impenetrable and opaque. This paper examines the ongoing process of mental health policy-making in the EU. In 2005, the Health and Consumer Protectorate Director-General of the European Commission published a Green Paper and launched a consultation process aimed at mental health service-users, advocates, providers, business, social services and governments. While there were varying levels of participation between member states, a range of trans-national, national and infra-national actors made contributions. Based on these consultations, a 'Consultative Platform' was created and made 10 recommendations centered on the principles of partnership; establishing policy competencies; integrating mental health into national policies; involving stakeholders; and protecting human rights. This ongoing process illustrates many features of EU policy-making: (a) the European Commission generates an initiative; (b) policy focuses on EU standardization, with member states remaining central actors in service-delivery; (c) policy focuses on social inclusion; (d) the European Commission coordinates diverse networks of actors; and (e) there is 'multi-level' involvement, with direct interaction between trans-national, national and infra-national actors. An enhanced focus on epidemiological data and 'evidence-based policy' would increase rigor and focus further attention on this relatively neglected policy area.

Implementing participatory decision making in forest planning.

PubMed

Ananda, Jayanath

2007-04-01

Forest policy decisions are often a source of debate, conflict, and tension in many countries. The debate over forest land-use decisions often hinges on disagreements about societal values related to forest resource use. Disagreements on social value positions are fought out repeatedly at local, regional, national, and international levels at an enormous social cost. Forest policy problems have some inherent characteristics that make them more difficult to deal with. On the one hand, forest policy decisions involve uncertainty, long time scales, and complex natural systems and processes. On the other hand, such decisions encompass social, political, and cultural systems that are evolving in response to forces such as globalization. Until recently, forest policy was heavily influenced by the scientific community and various economic models of optimal resource use. However, growing environmental awareness and acceptance of participatory democracy models in policy formulation have forced the public authorities to introduce new participatory mechanisms to manage forest resources. Most often, the efforts to include the public in policy formulation can be described using the lower rungs of Arnstein's public participation typology. This paper presents an approach that incorporates stakeholder preferences into forest land-use policy using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). An illustrative case of regional forest-policy formulation in Australia is used to demonstrate the approach. It is contended that applying the AHP in the policy process could considerably enhance the transparency of participatory process and public acceptance of policy decisions.

Towards a Policy Social Psychology: Teacher Engagement with Policy Enactment and the Core Concept of Affective Disruption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheikh, Irfan; Bagley, Carl

2018-01-01

The article uncovers the complex process of educational policy enactment and the impact this process has on teachers as policy actors as they undertake the task of introducing a new mathematics curriculum in a Canadian secondary school. The three year study based on in-depth qualitative interviews adopts a classic grounded theory approach of…

Developing Software Requirements for a Knowledge Management System That Coordinates Training Programs with Business Processes and Policies in Large Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiper, J. Richard

2013-01-01

For large organizations, updating instructional programs presents a challenge to keep abreast of constantly changing business processes and policies. Each time a process or policy changes, significant resources are required to locate and modify the training materials that convey the new content. Moreover, without the ability to track learning…

Role of Evidence in Maternal Health Policy Processes in Vietnam, India and China: Findings from the HEPVIC Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirzoev, Tolib; Green, Andrew; Gerein, Nancy; Pearson, Stephen; Bird, Philippa; Ha, Bui Thi Thu; Ramani, Karaikurichi; Qian, Xu; Yang, Xiaoguang; Mukhopadhyay, Maitrayee; Soors, Werner

2013-01-01

This paper explores the role of evidence in maternal health policy processes in Vietnam, India and China. Both formal and informal types of evidence were used; and differences were found between the stages of policy processes. Evidence used mostly covered easily quantifiable issues and clearly identifiable technical solutions. Different policy…

U.S. Racial Ideology and Immigrant/Refugee Policy: Effects on Asian-American Identity, Community Formation and Refugee Education Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comeau, Mary T.

Two papers explore racial ideology and policy toward immigrants and refugees in the United States. The first paper, "Race Theory Paradigms and Immigrant/Refugee Identity and Incorporation," asserts that the United States is a race-based society in which newcomers to the country have a racial identity imposed upon them. A review of the…

The Market Phenomenon in Taiwanese Junior High Level Education: Behind the Battles between Streaming and Mixed-Ability Grouping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Ling-Ying

2012-01-01

In this article, the author explores the market phenomenon revealed in the practice of a mixed-ability grouping policy in Taiwan, and traces the influence of the wider educational contexts on the formation of the market phenomenon. Although there have been no major policies introduced with the intention of creating a market mechanism in Taiwanese…

Discursive Mechanisms and Human Agency in Language Policy Formation: Negotiating Bilingualism and Parallel Language Use at a Swedish University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Källkvist, Marie; Hult, Francis M.

2016-01-01

In the wake of the enactment of Sweden's Language Act in 2009 and in the face of the growing presence of English, Swedish universities have been called upon by the Swedish Higher Education Authority to craft their own language policy documents. This study focuses on the discursive negotiation of institutional bilingualism by a language policy…

The Impact of Space Commercialization on Space Agencies: the Case of NASA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zervos, Vasilis

2002-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the hypothesis that commercialisation of space results in inefficient contracting policies by the space agencies, using the US NASA as a case study. Though commercialisation is seen by many as a way to reduce costs in space programmes, as the space industry is seen as a decreasing costs industry, this is not a problem-free process. Commercialisation of space has affected the US and European space industries and policies in two major ways. The first is that the public sector actively encourages mergers and acquisitions of major contractors, confined, however, within the geographical borders of the US and Europe. This follows largely from the perceived benefits of economies of size when competing in global commercial markets. The second is the formation of an increasing number of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in space programmes and a more `cosy' relationship between the two within a public-assistance strategic trade theoretic framework. As ESA's contracting policy of `juste retour' is marked by limited competition, the paper focuses on the case of NASA, which is expected to be more pro- competitive, to examine the impact of commercialisation. With the use of quantitative methods based on time series econometric analysis, the paper shows that NASA's contracting policy, results in increasingly less competition and more rent-favouring contracting. This is attributed to the decreasing number of major contractors in conjunction with the preferential treatment of the domestic space industry (`Buy American'). The results of the paper verify that the support of the domestic space industry in commercial and public space markets results in inefficient contracting policies, with NASA facing the conflicting tasks of a stated policy of enhancing competition and efficiency in contracting, as well as, supporting the competitiveness of the domestic space industry. The paper concludes with an analysis and assessment of solutions to this dilemma. 1 meeting.

The Structural Underpinnings of Policy Learning: A Classroom Policy Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bird, Stephen

This paper investigates the relationship between the centrality of individual actors in a social network structure and their policy learning performance. In a dynamic comparable to real-world policy networks, results from a classroom simulation demonstrate a strong relationship between centrality in social learning networks and grade performance. Previous research indicates that social network centrality should have a positive effect on learning in other contexts and this link is tested in a policy learning context. Second, the distinction between collaborative learning versus information diffusion processes in policy learning is examined. Third, frequency of interaction is analyzed to determine whether consistent, frequent tics have a greater impact on the learning process. Finally, the data arc analyzed to determine if the benefits of centrality have limitations or thresholds when benefits no longer accrue. These results demonstrate the importance of network structure, and support a collaborative conceptualization of the policy learning process.

Meeting the challenge of policy-relevant science: lessons from a water resource project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lamb, B.L.

Water resources scientists face complex tasks in evaluating aspects of water projects, but relatively few assessment procedures have been applied and accepted as standards applications. Decision-makers often rely on environmental assessments to evaluate the value and operation of projects. There is often confusion about scientists' role in policy decisions. The scientist can affect policy-making as an expert witness, an advocate or a surrogate. By understanding the policy process, scientists can make their work more policy relevant. Using the Terror Lake hydro project in Alaska as a guide, three lessons are discussed: (1) not all problems are able to be solvedmore » with technology; (2) policy-relevant technology is rarely imposed on a problem; and (3) the scientist need not just to react to the policy process, but can have an impact on how that process unfolds.« less

Improved harmonisation from policy dialogue? Realist perspectives from Guinea and Chad.

PubMed

Kwamie, Aku; Nabyonga-Orem, Juliet

2016-07-18

Harmonisation is a key principle of the Paris Declaration. The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnership, an initiative of the European Union, the Government of Luxembourg and the World Health Organization, supported health policy dialogues between 2012 and 2015 in identified countries in the WHO African Region. The UHC Partnership has amongst its key objectives to strengthen national health policy development. In Guinea and Chad, policy dialogue focused on elaborating the national health plan and other key documents. This study is an analytical reflection inspired by realist evaluative approaches to understand whether policy dialogue led to improved harmonisation amongst health actors in Guinea and Chad, and if so, how and why. Interviews were conducted in Guinea and Chad with key informants at the national and sub-national government levels, civil society, and development partners. A review of relevant policy documents and reports was added to data collection to construct a full picture of the policy dialogue process. Context-mechanism-outcome configurations were used as the realist framework to guide the analysis on how participants' understanding of what policy dialogue was and the way the policy dialogue process unfolded led to improved harmonisation. Improved harmonisation as a result of policy dialogue was perceived to be stronger in Guinea than in Chad. While in both countries the participants held a shared view of what policy dialogue was and what it could achieve, and both policy dialogue processes were considered to be well implemented (i.e., well-facilitated, evidence-based, participatory, and consisted of recurring meetings and activities), certain contextual factors in Chad tempered the view of harmonisation as having improved. These were the pre-existence of dialogic policy processes that had exposed the actors to the potential that policy dialogue could have; a focus on elaborating provincial level strategies, which gave the sense that the process was more bottom-up; and the perception that there were acute resource constraints, which conditioned partners' interactions. Policy dialogue improves harmonisation in terms of fostering information exchange amongst partners; however, it does not appear to influence the operational procedures of the actors. This has implications for aid effectiveness.

Developing the national community health assistant strategy in Zambia: a policy analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In 2010, the Ministry of Health in Zambia developed the National Community Health Assistant strategy, aiming to integrate community health workers (CHWs) into national health plans by creating a new group of workers, called community health assistants (CHAs). The aim of the paper is to analyse the CHA policy development process and the factors that influenced its evolution and content. A policy analysis approach was used to analyse the policy reform process. Methodology Data were gathered through review of documents, participant observation and key informant interviews with CHA strategic team members in Lusaka district, and senior officials at the district level in Kapiri Mposhi district where some CHAs have been deployed. Results The strategy was developed in order to address the human resources for health shortage and the challenges facing the community-based health workforce in Zambia. However, some actors within the strategic team were more influential than others in informing the policy agenda, determining the process, and shaping the content. These actors negotiated with professional/statutory bodies and health unions on the need to develop the new cadre which resulted in compromises that enabled the policy process to move forward. International agencies also indirectly influenced the course as well as the content of the strategy. Some actors classified the process as both insufficiently consultative and rushed. Due to limited consultation, it was suggested that the policy content did not adequately address key policy content issues such as management of staff attrition, general professional development, and progression matters. Analysis of the process also showed that the strategy might create a new group of workers whose mandate is unclear to the existing group of health workers. Conclusions This paper highlights the complex nature of policy-making processes for integrating CHWs into the health system. It reiterates the need for recognising the fact that actors’ power or position in the political hierarchy may, more than their knowledge and understanding of the issue, play a disproportionate role in shaping the process as well as content of health policy reform. PMID:23870454

Developing the national community health assistant strategy in Zambia: a policy analysis.

PubMed

Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Kinsman, John; Michelo, Charles; Hurtig, Anna-Karin

2013-07-20

In 2010, the Ministry of Health in Zambia developed the National Community Health Assistant strategy, aiming to integrate community health workers (CHWs) into national health plans by creating a new group of workers, called community health assistants (CHAs). The aim of the paper is to analyse the CHA policy development process and the factors that influenced its evolution and content. A policy analysis approach was used to analyse the policy reform process. Data were gathered through review of documents, participant observation and key informant interviews with CHA strategic team members in Lusaka district, and senior officials at the district level in Kapiri Mposhi district where some CHAs have been deployed. The strategy was developed in order to address the human resources for health shortage and the challenges facing the community-based health workforce in Zambia. However, some actors within the strategic team were more influential than others in informing the policy agenda, determining the process, and shaping the content. These actors negotiated with professional/statutory bodies and health unions on the need to develop the new cadre which resulted in compromises that enabled the policy process to move forward. International agencies also indirectly influenced the course as well as the content of the strategy. Some actors classified the process as both insufficiently consultative and rushed. Due to limited consultation, it was suggested that the policy content did not adequately address key policy content issues such as management of staff attrition, general professional development, and progression matters. Analysis of the process also showed that the strategy might create a new group of workers whose mandate is unclear to the existing group of health workers. This paper highlights the complex nature of policy-making processes for integrating CHWs into the health system. It reiterates the need for recognising the fact that actors' power or position in the political hierarchy may, more than their knowledge and understanding of the issue, play a disproportionate role in shaping the process as well as content of health policy reform.

21 CFR 1311.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... server or hard drive. Certificate Policy means a named set of rules that sets forth the applicability of..., prescribe specific performance requirements, practices, formats, communications protocols, etc., for...

The application of theories of the policy process to obesity prevention: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.

PubMed

Clarke, Brydie; Swinburn, Boyd; Sacks, Gary

2016-10-13

Theories of the policy process are recommended as tools to help explain both policy stasis and change. A systematic review of the application of such theoretical frameworks within the field of obesity prevention policy was conducted. A meta-synthesis was also undertaken to identify the key influences on policy decision-making. The review identified 17 studies of obesity prevention policy underpinned by political science theories. The majority of included studies were conducted in the United States (US), with significant heterogeneity in terms of policy level (e.g., national, state) studied, areas of focus, and methodologies used. Many of the included studies were methodologically limited, in regard to rigour and trustworthiness. Prominent themes identified included the role of groups and networks, political institutions, and political system characteristics, issue framing, the use of evidence, personal values and beliefs, prevailing political ideology, and timing. The limited application of political science theories indicates a need for future theoretically based research into the complexity of policy-making and multiple influences on obesity prevention policy processes.

Digitizing dissertations for an institutional repository: a process and cost analysis.

PubMed

Piorun, Mary; Palmer, Lisa A

2008-07-01

This paper describes the Lamar Soutter Library's process and costs associated with digitizing 300 doctoral dissertations for a newly implemented institutional repository at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Project tasks included identifying metadata elements, obtaining and tracking permissions, converting the dissertations to an electronic format, and coordinating workflow between library departments. Each dissertation was scanned, reviewed for quality control, enhanced with a table of contents, processed through an optical character recognition function, and added to the institutional repository. Three hundred and twenty dissertations were digitized and added to the repository for a cost of $23,562, or $0.28 per page. Seventy-four percent of the authors who were contacted (n = 282) granted permission to digitize their dissertations. Processing time per title was 170 minutes, for a total processing time of 906 hours. In the first 17 months, full-text dissertations in the collection were downloaded 17,555 times. Locally digitizing dissertations or other scholarly works for inclusion in institutional repositories can be cost effective, especially if small, defined projects are chosen. A successful project serves as an excellent recruitment strategy for the institutional repository and helps libraries build new relationships. Challenges include workflow, cost, policy development, and copyright permissions.

The Measurement and modeling of the contribution of ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In North America, ammonia (NH3) is increasingly being recognized not only for its role in atmospheric aerosol formation but also as an important component of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. This has been driven by the evolution of policies to protect ecosystems from nitrogen over-enrichment, an expansion of research underpinning these policy efforts, and technological advances in measurement and modeling tools applied to these research needs. Ammonia measurements from satellites, nitrogen focused field campaigns, and the National Atmospheric Deposition Program’s Ammonia Monitoring Network (AMoN) have advanced understanding of the processes controlling NH3 air-surface exchange and the spatio-temporal behavior of NH3 in the atmosphere. These datasets have subsequently lead to improvements in NH3 air-surface exchange models and therefore more accurate estimates of NH3 deposition. From a process standpoint, NH3 differs from other nitrogen compounds such as nitric acid in that NH3 is exchanged bi-directionally between the surface and atmosphere as regulated by a “compensation point”. Because natural surfaces may be sources or sinks of atmospheric NH3, and may alternate between emission and deposition on a timescale as short as hours, the deposition velocity concept does not accurately describe NH3 air surface exchange. Instead, a more mechanistic treatment of the nitrogen status and acidity of the surface must be employed, typically as a bi-directional fr

American Board of Surgery

MedlinePlus

... Admissibility Policy Leave Policy Specialty Definition Hospice & Palliative Medicine Certifying Exam About the Exam How to Apply Related Policies Exam Admissibility Policy Leave Policy FAQs Application Process Computer Exams General Surgery QE General Surgery CE Certification ...

Knowledge exchange in the Pacific: The TROPIC (Translational Research into Obesity Prevention Policies for Communities) project

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Policies targeting obesogenic environments and behaviours are critical to counter rising obesity rates and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Policies are likely to be most effective and enduring when they are based on the best available evidence. Evidence-informed policy making is especially challenging in countries with limited resources. The Pacific TROPIC (Translational Research for Obesity Prevention in Communities) project aims to implement and evaluate a tailored knowledge-brokering approach to evidence-informed policy making to address obesity in Fiji, a Pacific nation challenged by increasingly high rates of obesity and concomitant NCDs. Methods The TROPIC project draws on the concept of ‘knowledge exchange’ between policy developers (individuals; organisations) and researchers to deliver a knowledge broking programme that maps policy environments, conducts workshops on evidence-informed policy making, supports the development of evidence-informed policy briefs, and embeds evidence-informed policy making into organisational culture. Recruitment of government and nongovernment organisational representatives will be based on potential to: develop policies relevant to obesity, reach broad audiences, and commit to resourcing staff and building a culture that supports evidence-informed policy development. Workshops will increase awareness of both obesity and policy cycles, as well as develop participants’ skills in accessing, assessing and applying relevant evidence to policy briefs. The knowledge-broking team will then support participants to: 1) develop evidence-informed policy briefs that are both commensurate with national and organisational plans and also informed by evidence from the Pacific Obesity Prevention in Communities project and elsewhere; and 2) collaborate with participating organisations to embed evidence-informed policy making structures and processes. This knowledge broking initiative will be evaluated via data from semi-structured interviews, a validated self-assessment tool, process diaries and outputs. Discussion Public health interventions have rarely targeted evidence-informed policy making structures and processes to reduce obesity and NCDs. This study will empirically advance understanding of knowledge broking processes to extend evidence-informed policy making skills and develop a suite of national obesity-related policies that can potentially improve population health outcomes. PMID:22830984

Examining Data Driven Decision Making via Formative Assessment: A Confluence of Technology, Data Interpretation Heuristics and Curricular Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swan, Gerry; Mazur, Joan

2011-01-01

Although the term data-driven decision making (DDDM) is relatively new (Moss, 2007), the underlying concept of DDDM is not. For example, the practices of formative assessment and computer-managed instruction have historically involved the use of student performance data to guide what happens next in the instructional sequence (Morrison, Kemp, &…

Using public policy to improve outcomes for asthmatic children in schools.

PubMed

Lynn, Jewlya; Oppenheimer, Sophie; Zimmer, Lorena

2014-12-01

School-based services to improve asthma management need to be accompanied by public policies that can help sustain services, scale effective interventions, create greater equity across schools, and improve outcomes for children. Several national organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have recommended specific public policies the adoption of which in school settings can improve asthma outcomes for children. Although many states and school districts have adopted some of these policies, adoption is not universal, and implementation is not always successful, leaving inequities in children's access to asthma services and supports. These issues can be addressed by changing public policy. Policy change is a complex process, but it is one that will benefit from greater involvement by asthma experts, including the researchers who generate the knowledge base on what services, supports, and policies have the best outcomes for children. Asthma experts can participate in the policy process by helping to build awareness of the need for school-based asthma policy, estimating the costs associated with policy options and with inaction, advocating for the selection of specific policies, assisting in implementation (including providing feedback), conducting the research that can evaluate the effectiveness of implementation, and ultimately providing information back into the policy process to allow for improvements to the policies. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementing Health in All Policies - Time and Ideas Matter Too! Comment on "Understanding the Role of Public Administration in Implementing Action on the Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities".

PubMed

Clavier, Carole

2016-06-20

Carey and Friel suggest that we turn to knowledge developed in the field of public administration, especially new public governance, to better understand the process of implementing health in all policies (HiAP). In this commentary, I claim that theories from the policy studies bring a broader view of the policy process, complementary to that of new public governance. Drawing on the policy studies, I argue that time and ideas matter to HiAP implementation, alongside with interests and institutions. Implementing HiAP is a complex process considering that it requires the involvement and coordination of several policy sectors, each with their own interests, institutions and ideas about the policy. Understanding who are the actors involved from the various policy sectors concerned, what context they evolve in, but also how they own and frame the policy problem (ideas), and how this has changed over time, is crucial for those involved in HiAP implementation so that they can relate to and work together with actors from other policy sectors. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Resolving the tug-of-war between Medicare's national and local coverage.

PubMed

Foote, Susan Bartlett; Wholey, Douglas; Rockwood, Todd; Halpern, Rachel

2004-01-01

Medicare's decentralized local coverage policy process leads to policy variation, raising serious equity and quality issues. The policy debate resembles a tug-of-war, with advocates favoring nationalization of all local policies or arguing for the status quo. We extensively analyzed thousands of local policies and surveyed Medicare's contractors. We found that all local policies are not the same. We classified them based on where they fall on the diffusion curve. The classification by type allows for reallocation to the national or local process to improve the decisions and satisfy Medicare's equity and quality goals.

Making SAR Data Accessible - ASF's ALOS PALSAR Radiometric Terrain Correction Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, F. J.; Arko, S. A.; Gens, R.

2015-12-01

While SAR data have proven valuable for a wide range of geophysical research questions, so far, largely only the SAR-educated science communities have been able to fully exploit the information content of internationally available SAR archives. The main issues that have been preventing a more widespread utilization of SAR are related to (1) the diversity and complexity of SAR data formats, (2) the complexity of the processing flows needed to extract geophysical information from SAR, (3) the lack of standardization and automation of these processing flows, and (4) the often ignored geocoding procedures, leaving the data in image coordinate space. In order to improve upon this situation, ASF's radiometric terrain-correction (RTC) project is generating uniformly formatted and easily accessible value-added products from the ASF Distributed Active Archive Center's (DAAC) five-year archive of JAXA's ALOS PALSAR sensor. Specifically, the project applies geometric and radiometric corrections to SAR data to allow for an easy and direct combination of obliquely acquired SAR data with remote sensing imagery acquired in nadir observation geometries. Finally, the value-added data is provided to the user in the broadly accepted Geotiff format, in order to support the easy integration of SAR data into GIS environments. The goal of ASF's RTC project is to make SAR data more accessible and more attractive to the broader SAR applications community, especially to those users that currently have limited SAR expertise. Production of RTC products commenced October 2014 and will conclude late in 2015. As of July 2015, processing of 71% of ASF's ALOS PALSAR archive was completed. Adding to the utility of this dataset are recent changes to the data access policy that allow the full-resolution RTC products to be provided to the public, without restriction. In this paper we will introduce the processing flow that was developed for the RTC project and summarize the calibration and validation procedures that were implemented to determine and monitor system performance. The paper will also show the current progress of RTC processing, provide examples of generated data sets, and demonstrate the benefit of the RTC archives for applications such as land-use classification and change detection.

A Mixed Methods Approach for Identifying Influence on Public Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver-Hightower, Marcus B.

2014-01-01

Fields from political science to critical education policy studies have long explored power relations in policy processes, showing who influences policy agendas, policy creation, and policy implementation. Yet showing particular actors' influence on specific points in a policy text remains a methodological challenge. This article presents a…

Energy Models and the Policy Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Man, Reinier

1983-01-01

Describes the function of econometric and technological models in the policy process, and shows how different positions in the Dutch energy discussion are reflected by the application of different model methodologies. Discussion includes the energy policy context, a conceptual framework for using energy models, and energy scenarios in policy…

Indicators of Effective Policy Development & Implementation. Issue Brief #8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stonemeier, Jenny; Trader, Barb; Kaloi, Laura; Williams, Gabrielle

2016-01-01

Within the SWIFT framework, the Inclusive Policy Structure and Practice domain addresses the need for a supportive, reciprocal partnership between the school and its district or local educational agency. Therefore, intentional and effective policy decision-making processes are integral to SWIFT implementation. Such processes create opportunities…

The levels of edit, second edition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanburen, R.; Buehler, M. F.

1980-01-01

The editorial process is analyzed, and five levels of edit are identified. These levels represent cumulative combinations of nine types of edit: Coordination, Policy, Integrity, Screening, Copy Clarification, Format, Mechanical Style, Language, and Substantive. The levels and types of edit, although developed for specific use with external reports at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, cover the general range of technical editing, especially as it applies to an in-house technical publications organization. Each type of edit is set forth in terms of groups of actions to be performed by editor. The edit-level concept has enhanced understanding and communication among editors, authors, and publications managers concerning the specific editorial work to be done on each manuscript. It has also proved useful as a management tool for estimating and monitoring cost.

Implementing Participatory Decision Making in Forest Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ananda, Jayanath

2007-04-01

Forest policy decisions are often a source of debate, conflict, and tension in many countries. The debate over forest land-use decisions often hinges on disagreements about societal values related to forest resource use. Disagreements on social value positions are fought out repeatedly at local, regional, national, and international levels at an enormous social cost. Forest policy problems have some inherent characteristics that make them more difficult to deal with. On the one hand, forest policy decisions involve uncertainty, long time scales, and complex natural systems and processes. On the other hand, such decisions encompass social, political, and cultural systems that are evolving in response to forces such as globalization. Until recently, forest policy was heavily influenced by the scientific community and various economic models of optimal resource use. However, growing environmental awareness and acceptance of participatory democracy models in policy formulation have forced the public authorities to introduce new participatory mechanisms to manage forest resources. Most often, the efforts to include the public in policy formulation can be described using the lower rungs of Arnstein’s public participation typology. This paper presents an approach that incorporates stakeholder preferences into forest land-use policy using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). An illustrative case of regional forest-policy formulation in Australia is used to demonstrate the approach. It is contended that applying the AHP in the policy process could considerably enhance the transparency of participatory process and public acceptance of policy decisions.

Willingness to pay for improved respiratory and cardiovascular health: a multiple-format, stated-preference approach.

PubMed

Johnson, F R; Banzhaf, M R; Desvousges, W H

2000-06-01

This study uses stated-preference (SP) analysis to measure willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce acute episodes of respiratory and cardiovascular ill health. The SP survey employs a modified version of the health state descriptions used in the Quality of Well Being (QWB) Index. The four health state attributes are symptom, episode duration, activity restrictions and cost. Preferences are elicited using two different SP formats: graded-pair and discrete-choice. The different formats cause subjects to focus on different evaluation strategies. Combining two elicitation formats yields more valid and robust estimates than using only one approach. Estimates of indirect utility function parameters are obtained using advanced panel econometrics for each format separately and jointly. Socio-economic differences in health preferences are modelled by allowing the marginal utility of money relative to health attributes to vary across respondents. Because the joint model captures the combined preference information provided by both elicitation formats, these model estimates are used to calculate WTP. The results demonstrate the feasibility of estimating meaningful WTP values for policy-relevant respiratory and cardiac symptoms, even from subjects who never have personally experienced these conditions. Furthermore, because WTP estimates are for individual components of health improvements, estimates can be aggregated in various ways depending upon policy needs. Thus, using generic health attributes facilitates transferring WTP estimates for benefit-cost analysis of a variety of potential health interventions. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Policy enabled information sharing system

DOEpatents

Jorgensen, Craig R.; Nelson, Brian D.; Ratheal, Steve W.

2014-09-02

A technique for dynamically sharing information includes executing a sharing policy indicating when to share a data object responsive to the occurrence of an event. The data object is created by formatting a data file to be shared with a receiving entity. The data object includes a file data portion and a sharing metadata portion. The data object is encrypted and then automatically transmitted to the receiving entity upon occurrence of the event. The sharing metadata portion includes metadata characterizing the data file and referenced in connection with the sharing policy to determine when to automatically transmit the data object to the receiving entity.

Origins and Outcomes: An Essay on the History of Student Aid in California. The Eureka Project: A Review of Student Financial Aid in California.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eureka Project, Sacramento, CA.

The history of student aid policies in California is reviewed by the Eureka Project to help guide policy formation and review developments that have accounted for past consensus about the state's role in providing student aid. Attention is directed to: the demographic facts that have made student aid important to California; the evolution of…

Scientists, Engineers and the Society of Free Choice: Enrollment as Policy and Practice in Swedish Science and Technology Education 1960-1990

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lövheim, Daniel

2014-01-01

This article portrays the formation of a new problem area within Swedish educational policy in the 1960s, namely the need of scientific manpower and the demands to entice more individuals into studies in science and technology. As a consequence school science was given the mission to be interesting, fun and to change young people's attitudes…

A Study of the Gender-Specific Mortality Rates in Korea and Japan for the Formation of Health Promotion Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nam, Eun-Woo; Song, Yea-Li-A

2007-01-01

Objective: This study attempts to provide fundamental information to help with the development of health policy and health services by looking at the trends of the gender-specific mortality rates in Korea and Japan. Design: The death statistics of Korea and Japan over the 21-year period from 1983 to 2003 are analyzed. Setting: We used the death…

How Does Education in My State Compare? What Every Governor, Chief, Legislator, or Other Elected Official Needs to Know?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Judy

2014-01-01

This report serves as a quick reference guide for elected officials to compare key education policies and data in their states to the rest of the nation. The first section highlights major state policies for all 50 states in both table and chart formats (see Summary Charts ). The second section provides key state data, such as per-student spending…

"Finding What Doesn't Fit": Adjusting the Focus on Education in Country Towns as a Limiting Case for the "Learning or Earning" Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funnell, Robert

2008-01-01

Limiting, or nonconforming cases are good tests in research for extending a concept's reach and broadening generalisations, but the method is under utilised in the formation and assessment of educational policy. In this paper a rural town is described as a case, among others, not fitting policy regulations for "learning or earning" in…

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Science & Technology Policy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-07

fully reflect the end results of scientific and technical progress. The formation of the unified fund for the development of science and technology ...209058 JPRS-UST-87-009 7 JULY 1987 /ffifr FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE JPRS Repor Science & Technology USSR: Science... Technology Policy 19980715 121 REPRODUCED BY U.S. DEPARTMENTOF COMMERCE NATIONAL TECHNICAL •^ INFORMATIONSERVICE A rf *r*lQ ürjA T Tw» SPRINGFIELD, VA

Policy Level Information on Logistics-Oriented Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

Logistics Planann and System Long-Range Management Technology Planning Evaluation of Rold Miasion of Support Organizacion Effective Cross-Service Policies...guidelines, solution procedures, etc. The documentation format (technical report, user’s manual , briefing slides, etc.) also falls into this category...CHECK AT LEAST ONE) PhD Dissertation SMaster’s Thesis 7 Memorandum L Briefing Q Technical Report 7 Software Product O Hardware Product Q7 User’s Manual

Mobilising public opinion for the tobacco industry: the Consumer Tax Alliance and excise taxes.

PubMed

Campbell, R; Balbach, E D

2008-10-01

Tobacco industry funding was instrumental in creating and financing the Consumer Tax Alliance in 1989 as an organisation that relied upon extensive media outreach to build opposition to excise taxes as a regressive form of taxation. By obscuring its own role in this effort, the tobacco industry undermined the public's reasonable expectations for transparency in the policy-making process. To examine the formation and activities of the Consumer Tax Alliance as a "hybrid" form of interest group in order to provide tobacco control and public health advocates with a better understanding of unanticipated tobacco industry coalitions and facilitate appropriate countermeasures. Document searches through the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library and through Tobacco Documents Online and review of background literature. The Tobacco Institute actively sought liberal allies beginning in the mid-1980s in seeking to build public opposition to cigarette excise tax increases by promoting them as a regressive form of taxation. The creation of the Consumer Tax Alliance in 1989 was expressly intended to turn labour and middle-class opinion against prospective excise tax increases in federal budget deficit negotiations, without divulging the tobacco industry's role in its formation. It is important to understand the dynamic by which trusted organisations can be induced to alter their agendas in response to funding sources. Advocates need to understand this form of interest group behaviour so that they are better able to negotiate the policy arena by diagnosing and exposing this influence where it occurs and, by doing so, be better prepared to take appropriate countermeasures.

[OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN WORKERS IN IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL POLICY IN OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE AND SAFETY].

PubMed

Shur, P Z; Zaĭtseva, N V; Alekseev, V B; Shliapnikov, D M

2015-01-01

In accordance with the international documents in the field of occupational safety and hygiene, the assessment and minimization of occupational risks is a key instrument for the health maintenance of workers. One of the main ways to achieve it is the minimization of occupational risks. Correspondingly, the instrument for the implementation of this method is the methodology of analysis of occupational risks. In Russian Federation there were the preconditions for the formation of the system for the assessment and management of occupational risks. As the target of the national (state) policy in the field of occupational safety in accordance with ILO Conventions it can be offered the prevention of accidents and injuries to health arising from work or related with it, minimizing the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment, as far as it is reasonably and practically feasible. Global trend ofusing the methodology of the assessment and management of occupational risks to life and health of citizens requires the improvement of national policies in the field of occupational hygiene and safety. Achieving an acceptable level of occupational risk in the formation of national policy in the field of occupational hygiene and safety can be considered as one of the main tasks.

Health policy evolution in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: context, processes and agency

PubMed Central

Jönsson, Kristina; Phoummalaysith, Bounfeng; Wahlström, Rolf; Tomson, Göran

2015-01-01

During the last 20 years Lao People’s Democratic Republic has successfully developed and adopted some 30 health policies, strategies, decrees and laws in the field of health. Still, the implementation process remains arduous. This article aims at discussing challenges of health policy development and effective implementation by contextualizing the policy evolution over time and by focusing particularly on the National Drug Policy and the Health Care Law. Special attention is given to the role of research in policymaking. The analysis was guided by the conceptual framework of policy context, process, content and actors, combined with an institutional perspective, and showed that effective implementation of a health policy is highly dependent on both structures and agency of those involved in the policy process. The National Drug Policy was formulated and adopted in a short period of time in a resource-scarce setting, but with dedicated policy entrepreneurs and support of concerned international collaborators. Timely introduction of operational health systems research played a crucial role to support the implementation, as well as the subsequent revision of the policy. The development of the Health Care Law took several years and once adopted, the implementation was delayed by institutional legacies and issues concerning the choice of institutional design and financing, despite strong support of the law among the policymakers. Among many factors, timing of the implementation appeared to be of crucial importance, in combination with strong leadership. These two examples show that more research, that problematizes the complex policy environment in combination with improved communication between researchers and policymakers, is necessary to inform about measures for effective implementation. A way forward can be to strengthen the domestic research capacity and the international research collaboration regionally as well as globally. PMID:24740710

Improvements of the Penalty Avoiding Rational Policy Making Algorithm and an Application to the Othello Game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Kazuteru; Tsuboi, Sougo; Kobayashi, Shigenobu

The purpose of reinforcement learning is to learn an optimal policy in general. However, in 2-players games such as the othello game, it is important to acquire a penalty avoiding policy. In this paper, we focus on formation of a penalty avoiding policy based on the Penalty Avoiding Rational Policy Making algorithm [Miyazaki 01]. In applying it to large-scale problems, we are confronted with the curse of dimensionality. We introduce several ideas and heuristics to overcome the combinational explosion in large-scale problems. First, we propose an algorithm to save the memory by calculation of state transition. Second, we describe how to restrict exploration by two type knowledge; KIFU database and evaluation funcion. We show that our learning player can always defeat against the well-known othello game program KITTY.

The use of a policy dialogue to facilitate evidence-informed policy development for improved access to care: the case of the Winnipeg Central Intake Service (WCIS).

PubMed

Damani, Zaheed; MacKean, Gail; Bohm, Eric; DeMone, Brie; Wright, Brock; Noseworthy, Tom; Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna; Marshall, Deborah A

2016-10-18

Policy dialogues are critical for developing responsive, effective, sustainable, evidence-informed policy. Our multidisciplinary team, including researchers, physicians and senior decision-makers, comprehensively evaluated The Winnipeg Central Intake Service, a single-entry model in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to improve patient access to hip/knee replacement surgery. We used the evaluation findings to develop five evidence-informed policy directions to help improve access to scheduled clinical services across Manitoba. Using guiding principles of public participation processes, we hosted a policy roundtable meeting to engage stakeholders and use their input to refine the policy directions. Here, we report on the use and input of a policy roundtable meeting and its role in contributing to the development of evidence-informed policy. Our evidence-informed policy directions focused on formal measurement/monitoring of quality, central intake as a preferred model for service delivery, provincial scope, transparent processes/performance indicators, and patient choice of provider. We held a policy roundtable meeting and used outcomes of facilitated discussions to refine these directions. Individuals from our team and six stakeholder groups across Manitoba participated (n = 44), including patients, family physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, surgical office assistants, Winnipeg Central Intake team, and administrators/managers. We developed evaluation forms to assess the meeting process, and collected decision-maker partners' perspectives on the value of the policy roundtable meeting and use of policy directions to improve access to scheduled clinical services after the meeting, and again 15 months later. We analyzed roundtable and evaluation data using thematic analysis to identify key themes. Four key findings emerged. First, participants supported all policy directions, with revisions and key implementation considerations identified. Second, participants felt the policy roundtable meeting achieved its purpose (to engage stakeholders, elicit feedback, refine policy directions). Third, our decision-maker partners' expectations of the policy roundtable meeting were exceeded; they re-affirmed its value and described the refined policy directions as foundational to establishing the vocabulary, vision and framework for improving access to scheduled clinical services in Manitoba. Finally, our adaptation of key design elements was conducive to discussion of issues surrounding access to care. Our policy roundtable process was an effective tool for acquiring broad input from stakeholders, refining policy directions and forming the necessary consensus starting points to move towards evidence-informed policy.

Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Judith L.; And Others

1995-01-01

This theme issue is devoted to discussions of early childhood policy issues. "Creating a Shared Vision: How Policy Affects Early Childhood Care and Development" (Judith L. Evans) defines policy, discusses the motivation for changing or creating national policy and the process for changing such policies, and provides a sample design for…

Incorporating Community Engagement Language into Promotion and Tenure Policies: One University's Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelco, Lynn E.; Howard, Catherine

2016-01-01

This case study describes the campus context and process for successfully including community engagement language into promotion and tenure policies at Virginia Commonwealth University, a high research, urban public university. The paper also describes barriers our campus faced during the promotion and tenure policy revision process, especially…

Undeclared Imports: Silent Borrowing in Educational Policy-Making and Research in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldow, Florian

2009-01-01

Research on educational policy borrowing has mostly focused on explicit transfer processes, often highlighting how explicit reference to the international has served legitimatory purposes in the borrowing country. In contrast, this paper focuses on "silent" borrowing, i.e. non-acknowledged processes of policy transfer. The paper argues…

Policy and Advocacy Concepts and Processes: Innovative Content in Early Childhood Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Heidi L.; Knight-McKenna, Mary; Bryan, Ren

2016-01-01

Knowledge and skills regarding policy and advocacy are important expectations for today's early childhood workforce, yet policy and advocacy content and processes have not traditionally been emphasized in teacher preparation programmes. This article describes an innovative undergraduate course that goes beyond traditional foci on developmental…

76 FR 63330 - Policy Regarding Submittal of Amendments for Processing of Equivalent Feed at Licensed Uranium...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0217] Policy Regarding Submittal of Amendments for... NRC's policy regarding receipt and processing, without a license amendment, of equivalent feed at an... and Management System (ADAMS) and in the NRC Library, and update the date voluntary responses should...

75 FR 78198 - Proposed Final Policy on Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-15

... promote consistency in, and coordination of, the consultation process; and establish a management... found in Executive Order 13175. The Policy reflects the principles expressed in the 1984 EPA Policy for.... Definitions IV. Guiding Principles V. Consultation A. The Consultation Process B. What Activities May Involve...

Modeling of materials supply, demand and prices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The societal, economic, and policy tradeoffs associated with materials processing and utilization, are discussed. The materials system provides the materials engineer with the system analysis required for formulate sound materials processing, utilization, and resource development policies and strategies. Materials system simulation and modeling research program including assessments of materials substitution dynamics, public policy implications, and materials process economics was expanded. This effort includes several collaborative programs with materials engineers, economists, and policy analysts. The technical and socioeconomic issues of materials recycling, input-output analysis, and technological change and productivity are examined. The major thrust areas in materials systems research are outlined.

Science-policy processes for transboundary water governance.

PubMed

Armitage, Derek; de Loë, Rob C; Morris, Michelle; Edwards, Tom W D; Gerlak, Andrea K; Hall, Roland I; Huitema, Dave; Ison, Ray; Livingstone, David; MacDonald, Glen; Mirumachi, Naho; Plummer, Ryan; Wolfe, Brent B

2015-09-01

In this policy perspective, we outline several conditions to support effective science-policy interaction, with a particular emphasis on improving water governance in transboundary basins. Key conditions include (1) recognizing that science is a crucial but bounded input into water resource decision-making processes; (2) establishing conditions for collaboration and shared commitment among actors; (3) understanding that social or group-learning processes linked to science-policy interaction are enhanced through greater collaboration; (4) accepting that the collaborative production of knowledge about hydrological issues and associated socioeconomic change and institutional responses is essential to build legitimate decision-making processes; and (5) engaging boundary organizations and informal networks of scientists, policy makers, and civil society. We elaborate on these conditions with a diverse set of international examples drawn from a synthesis of our collective experiences in assessing the opportunities and constraints (including the role of power relations) related to governance for water in transboundary settings.

A retrospective analysis of the change in anti-malarial treatment policy: Peru.

PubMed

Williams, Holly Ann; Vincent-Mark, Arlene; Herrera, Yenni; Chang, O Jaime

2009-04-28

National malaria control programmes must deal with the complex process of changing national malaria treatment guidelines, often without guidance on the process of change. Selecting a replacement drug is only one issue in this process. There is a paucity of literature describing successful malaria treatment policy changes to help guide control programs through this process. To understand the wider context in which national malaria treatment guidelines were formulated in a specific country (Peru). Using qualitative methods (individual and focus group interviews, stakeholder analysis and a review of documents), a retrospective analysis of the process of change in Peru's anti-malarial treatment policy from the early 1990's to 2003 was completed. The decision to change Peru's policies resulted from increasing levels of anti-malarial drug resistance, as well as complaints from providers that the drugs were no longer working. The context of the change occurred in a time in which Peru was changing national governments, which created extreme challenges in moving the change process forward. Peru utilized a number of key strategies successfully to ensure that policy change would occur. This included a) having the process directed by a group who shared a common interest in malaria and who had long-established social and professional networks among themselves, b) engaging in collaborative teamwork among nationals and between nationals and international collaborators, c) respect for and inclusion of district-level staff in all phases of the process, d) reliance on high levels of technical and scientific knowledge, e) use of standardized protocols to collect data, and f) transparency. Although not perfectly or fully implemented by 2003, the change in malaria treatment policy in Peru occurred very quickly, as compared to other countries. They identified a problem, collected the data necessary to justify the change, utilized political will to their favor, approved the policy, and moved to improve malaria control in their country. As such, they offer an excellent example for other countries as they contemplate or embark on policy changes.

Using deliberative techniques to engage the community in policy development.

PubMed

Gregory, Judy; Hartz-Karp, Janette; Watson, Rebecca

2008-07-16

This paper examines work in deliberative approaches to community engagement used in Western Australia by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and other planning and infrastructure agencies between 2001 and 2005, and considers whether the techniques could be applied to the development of health policy in Australia. Deliberative processes were used in WA to address specific planning and infrastructure problems. Using deliberative techniques, community participants contributed to joint decision making and policy development. Outcomes from deliberative processes were seriously considered by the Minister and used to influence policy decisions. In many cases, the recommendations generated through deliberative processes were fully adopted by the Minister. The experiences in WA demonstrate that deliberative engagement processes can be successfully implemented by government and can be used to guide policy. The techniques can be adapted to suit the context and issues experienced by a portfolio, and the skills required to conduct deliberative processes can be fostered amongst the portfolio's staff. Health policy makers may be able to learn from the experiences in WA, and adopt approaches to community engagement that allow for informed deliberation and debate in the community about the future of Australia's health system.

Overcoming obstacles to implementation: addressing political, institutional and behavioral problems in earthquake hazard mitigation policies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alesch, Daniel J.; Petak, William J.

2002-06-01

This project is aimed at bridging the three planes, from basic research, through enabling processes, to engineered systems. At the basic research plane, we have been working to improve our collective understanding about obstacles to implementing mitigation practices, owner decision processes (in connection with other MCEER projects), and public policy processes. At the level of enabling processes, we have been seeking to develop an understanding of how obstacles to greater mitigation can be overcome by improved policy design and processes. At the engineered systems plane, our work is intended to result in practical guidelines for devising policies and programs with appropriate motivation and incentives for implementing policies and programs once adopted. This phase of the research has been aimed, first, at a thorough, multidisciplinary review of the literature concerning obstacles to implementation. Second, the research has focused on advancing the state of the art by developing means for integrating the insights offered by diverse perspectives on the implementation process from the several social, behavioral, and decision sciences. The research establishes a basis for testing our understanding of these processes in the case of hospital retrofit decisions.

The rhetoric and realities of integrating air quality into the local transport planning process in English local authorities.

PubMed

Olowoporoku, Dotun; Hayes, Enda; Longhurst, James; Parkhurst, Graham

2012-06-30

Regardless of its intent and purposes, the first decade of the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) framework had little or no effect in reducing traffic-related air pollution in the UK. Apart from the impact of increased traffic volumes, the major factor attributed to this failure is that of policy disconnect between the process of diagnosing air pollution and its management, thereby limiting the capability of local authorities to control traffic-related sources of air pollution. Integrating air quality management into the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process therefore presents opportunities for enabling political will, funding and joined-up policy approach to reduce this limitation. However, despite the increased access to resources for air quality measures within the LTP process, there are local institutional, political and funding constraints which reduce the impact of these policy interventions on air quality management. This paper illustrate the policy implementation gaps between central government policy intentions and the local government process by providing evidence of the deprioritisation of air quality management compared to the other shared priorities in the LTP process. We draw conclusions on the policy and practice of integrating air quality management into transport planning. The evidence thereby indicate the need for a policy shift from a solely localised hotspot management approach, in which the LAQM framework operates, to a more holistic management of vehicular emissions within wider spatial administrative areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the influence of knowledge translation platforms on health system policy processes to achieve the health millennium development goals in Cameroon and Uganda: a comparative case study.

PubMed

Ongolo-Zogo, Pierre; Lavis, John N; Tomson, Goran; Sewankambo, Nelson K

2018-05-01

There is a scarcity of empirical data on the influence of initiatives supporting evidence-informed health system policy-making (EIHSP), such as the knowledge translation platforms (KTPs) operating in Africa. To assess whether and how two KTPs housed in government-affiliated institutions in Cameroon and Uganda have influenced: (1) health system policy-making processes and decisions aiming at supporting achievement of the health millennium development goals (MDGs); and (2) the general climate for EIHSP. We conducted an embedded comparative case study of four policy processes in which Evidence Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Cameroon and Regional East African Community Health Policy Initiative (REACH-PI) Uganda were involved between 2009 and 2011. We combined a documentary review and semi structured interviews of 54 stakeholders. A framework-guided thematic analysis, inspired by scholarship in health policy analysis and knowledge utilization was used. EVIPNet Cameroon and REACH-PI Uganda have had direct influence on health system policy decisions. The coproduction of evidence briefs combined with tacit knowledge gathered during inclusive evidence-informed stakeholder dialogues helped to reframe health system problems, unveil sources of conflicts, open grounds for consensus and align viable and affordable options for achieving the health MDGs thus leading to decisions. New policy issue networks have emerged. The KTPs indirectly influenced health policy processes by changing how interests interact with one another and by introducing safe-harbour deliberations and intersected with contextual ideational factors by improving access to policy-relevant evidence. KTPs were perceived as change agents with positive impact on the understanding, acceptance and adoption of EIHSP because of their complementary work in relation to capacity building, rapid evidence syntheses and clearinghouse of policy-relevant evidence. This embedded case study illustrates how two KTPs influenced policy decisions through pathways involving policy issue networks, interest groups interaction and evidence-supported ideas and how they influenced the general climate for EIHSP.

Assessing the influence of knowledge translation platforms on health system policy processes to achieve the health millennium development goals in Cameroon and Uganda: a comparative case study

PubMed Central

Lavis, John N; Tomson, Goran; Sewankambo, Nelson K

2018-01-01

Abstract There is a scarcity of empirical data on the influence of initiatives supporting evidence-informed health system policy-making (EIHSP), such as the knowledge translation platforms (KTPs) operating in Africa. To assess whether and how two KTPs housed in government-affiliated institutions in Cameroon and Uganda have influenced: (1) health system policy-making processes and decisions aiming at supporting achievement of the health millennium development goals (MDGs); and (2) the general climate for EIHSP. We conducted an embedded comparative case study of four policy processes in which Evidence Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Cameroon and Regional East African Community Health Policy Initiative (REACH-PI) Uganda were involved between 2009 and 2011. We combined a documentary review and semi structured interviews of 54 stakeholders. A framework-guided thematic analysis, inspired by scholarship in health policy analysis and knowledge utilization was used. EVIPNet Cameroon and REACH-PI Uganda have had direct influence on health system policy decisions. The coproduction of evidence briefs combined with tacit knowledge gathered during inclusive evidence-informed stakeholder dialogues helped to reframe health system problems, unveil sources of conflicts, open grounds for consensus and align viable and affordable options for achieving the health MDGs thus leading to decisions. New policy issue networks have emerged. The KTPs indirectly influenced health policy processes by changing how interests interact with one another and by introducing safe-harbour deliberations and intersected with contextual ideational factors by improving access to policy-relevant evidence. KTPs were perceived as change agents with positive impact on the understanding, acceptance and adoption of EIHSP because of their complementary work in relation to capacity building, rapid evidence syntheses and clearinghouse of policy-relevant evidence. This embedded case study illustrates how two KTPs influenced policy decisions through pathways involving policy issue networks, interest groups interaction and evidence-supported ideas and how they influenced the general climate for EIHSP. PMID:29506146

Politics, policies and processes: a multidisciplinary and multimethods research programme on policies on the social determinants of health inequity in Australia

PubMed Central

Baum, Fran; Friel, Sharon

2017-01-01

Introduction The development and implementation of multisectoral policy to improve health and reduce health inequities has been slow and uneven. Evidence is largely focused on the facts of health inequities rather than understanding the political and policy processes. This 5-year funded programme of research investigates how these processes could function more effectively to improve equitable population health. Methods and analysis The programme of work is organised in four work packages using four themes (macroeconomics and infrastructure, land use and urban environments, health systems and racism) related to the structural drivers shaping the distribution of power, money and resources and daily living conditions. Policy case studies will use publicly available documents (policy documents, published evaluations, media coverage) and interviews with informants (policy-makers, former politicians, civil society, private sector) (~25 per case). NVIVO software will be used to analyse the documents to see how ‘social and health equity’ is included and conceptualised. The interview data will include qualitative descriptive and theory-driven critical discourse analysis. Our quantitative methodological work assessing the impact of public policy on health equity is experimental that is in its infancy but promises to provide the type of evidence demanded by policy-makers. Ethics and dissemination Our programme is recognising the inherently political nature of the uptake, formulation and implementation of policy. The early stages of our work indicate its feasibility. Our work is aided by a Critical Policy Reference Group. Multiple ethics approvals have been obtained with the foundation approval from the Social and Behavioural Ethics Committee, Flinders University (Project No: 6786). The theoretical, methodological and policy engagement processes established will provide improved evidence for policy-makers who wish to reduce health inequities and inform a new generation of policy savvy knowledge on social determinants. PMID:29273655

Politics, policies and processes: a multidisciplinary and multimethods research programme on policies on the social determinants of health inequity in Australia.

PubMed

Baum, Fran; Friel, Sharon

2017-12-21

The development and implementation of multisectoral policy to improve health and reduce health inequities has been slow and uneven. Evidence is largely focused on the facts of health inequities rather than understanding the political and policy processes. This 5-year funded programme of research investigates how these processes could function more effectively to improve equitable population health. The programme of work is organised in four work packages using four themes (macroeconomics and infrastructure, land use and urban environments, health systems and racism) related to the structural drivers shaping the distribution of power, money and resources and daily living conditions. Policy case studies will use publicly available documents (policy documents, published evaluations, media coverage) and interviews with informants (policy-makers, former politicians, civil society, private sector) (~25 per case). NVIVO software will be used to analyse the documents to see how 'social and health equity' is included and conceptualised. The interview data will include qualitative descriptive and theory-driven critical discourse analysis. Our quantitative methodological work assessing the impact of public policy on health equity is experimental that is in its infancy but promises to provide the type of evidence demanded by policy-makers. Our programme is recognising the inherently political nature of the uptake, formulation and implementation of policy. The early stages of our work indicate its feasibility. Our work is aided by a Critical Policy Reference Group. Multiple ethics approvals have been obtained with the foundation approval from the Social and Behavioural Ethics Committee, Flinders University (Project No: 6786).The theoretical, methodological and policy engagement processes established will provide improved evidence for policy-makers who wish to reduce health inequities and inform a new generation of policy savvy knowledge on social determinants. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The G3 Experience with Electronic Publishing: An Editor's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, W. M.

2003-12-01

G3 (Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems) is an all-electronic journal published jointly by the AGU, the Geochemical Society, and the European Association of Geochemistry. G3 publishes original scientific contributions pertaining to understanding the Earth as a system, including relevant observational, experimental, and theoretical investigations of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. The journal was initiated as a result of a grass roots effort with the following goals in mind: a copyright policy designed to enhance, rather than inhibit, the dissemination of scientific information (for example, allowing authors to post electronic reprints on their web sites), provide a means of publishing, in immediately useable formats, large data sets, provide a means for ready dissemination of computer modeling and analysis tools, and provide a forum where authors could use novel ways of illustrating both data and models (e.g., formats such as movies, virtual reality images, sound, mathematical models, etc.), and finally to reduce costs and speed publication. In most respects, G3 has been enormously successful and has met most of its goals. G3 began publishing in December of 1999; in the subsequent 3 1/2 years 625 papers have been submitted to it and 325 have been published. It currently has over 600 institutional and personal subscribers. Papers are submitted through the web (a variety of formats are accepted, however, Microsoft Word is most common) and are converted to Adobe pdf format for peer review. Except that it is fully electronic using the web and e-mail, the peer review process is traditional, which insures the quality of the papers published. Accepted papers are copyedited and converted to SGML for archival purposes. HTML and Acrobat pdf versions are then generated from the SGML and published as they are ready on the G3 web site (www.g-cubed.org). Large data sets are routinely published in digital formats that can be readily downloaded by readers and immediately imported into programs such as Excel. Numerous animations and movies have been published in animated GIF, Apple Quicktime, Macromedia Flash, and Wolfram Research Mathreader formats. Computer models and tools have been published as Excel Macros and MATLAB Scripts. Full color, high resolution images allow superior publication of detailed maps and photographs. While G3 is a success by most measures, the process of pioneering electronic publication has at times been painful and frustrating. Early on, there were problems and delays in converting files, particularly graphics, to pdf format for both review and final publication. Costs have been higher than anticipated - primarily due to the cost of file conversion and formatting. The time from acceptance to publication (currently 10 weeks), although improving, it still longer than the goal, again because of the time required for copy-editing and formatting. Automation of this process in the future is the primary opportunity to both reduce cost and further speed publication. Authors have been slow to take advantage of the new illustration formats, with most relying on tradition figures instead. This will likely change slowly in the future, as these new formats, and the software tools to create them, become more familiar.

National medicines policies – a review of the evolution and development processes

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives Continuous provision of appropriate medicines of assured quality, in adequate quantities, and at reasonable prices is a concern for all national governments. A national medicines policy (NMP) developed in a collaborative fashion identifies strategies needed to meet these objectives and provides a comprehensive framework to develop all components of a national pharmaceutical sector. To meet the health needs of the population, there is a general need for medicine policies based on universal principles, but nevertheless adapted to the national situation. This review aims to provide a quantitative and qualitative (describing the historical development) study of the development process and evolution of NMPs. Methods The number of NMPs and their current status has been obtained from the results of the assessment of WHO Level I indicators. The policy formulation process is examined in more detail with case studies from four countries: Sri Lanka, Australia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and South Africa. Results The number of NMPs worldwide has increased in the last 25 years with the highest proportional increase in the last 5–10 years in high-income countries. Higher income countries seem to have more NMP implementation plans available and have updated their NMP more recently. The four case studies show that the development of a NMP is a complex process that is country specific. In addition, it demonstrates that an appropriate political window is needed for the policy to be passed (for South Africa and the FYR Macedonia, a major political event acted as a trigger for initiating the policy development). Policy-making does not stop with the official adoption of a policy but should create mechanisms for implementation and monitoring. The NMPs of the FYR Macedonia and Australia provide indicators for monitoring. Conclusions To date, not all countries have a NMP since political pressure by national experts or non-governmental organizations is generally needed to establish a NMP. Case studies in four countries showed that the policy process is just as important as the policy document since the process must create a mechanism by which all stakeholders are brought together and a sense of collective ownership of the final policy may be achieved. PMID:24764540

Energy availabilities for state and local development: projected energy patterns for 1980 and 1985

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vogt, D. P.; Rice, P. L.; Pai, V. P.

1978-06-01

This report presents projections of the supply, demand, and net imports of seven fuel types and four final consuming sectors for BEAs, states, census regions, and the nation for 1980 and 1985. The data are formatted to present regional energy availability from primary extraction, as well as from regional transformation processes. As constructed, the tables depict energy balances between availability and use for each of the specific fuels. The objective of the program is to provide a consistent base of historic and projected energy information within a standard format. Such a framework should aid regional policymakers in their consideration ofmore » regional growth issues that may be influenced by the regional energy system. This basic data must be supplemented by region-specific information which only the local policy analyst can bring to bear in his assessment of the energy conditions which characterize each region. The energy data, coupled with specific knowledge of projected economic growth and employment patterns, can assist EDA in developing its grant-in-aid investment strategy.« less

Formative research methods for designing culturally appropriate, integrated child nutrition and development interventions: An overview

PubMed Central

Bentley, Margaret E.; Johnson, Susan L.; Wasser, Heather; Creed-Kanashiro, Hilary; Shroff, Monal; Fernandez-Rao, Sylvia; Cunningham, Melissa

2014-01-01

Nutritional and developmental insults in the first few years of life have profound public health implications, including substantial contributions to neonatal, infant, and early childhood morbidity and mortality, as well as longer term impacts on cognitive development, school achievement, and worker productivity. Optimal development that can lead to the attainment of the individual's fullest potential therefore requires a combination of genetic capacity, adequate nutrition, psychosocial stimulation, and safe, clean physical environments. Researchers and policymakers have called for integrated child nutrition and development interventions for more than twenty years, yet there are only a handful of efficacy trials and even fewer examples of integrated interventions that have been taken to scale. While a critical component to the design of such interventions is formative research, there is a dearth of information in both the literature and policy arenas to guide this phase of the process. To move the field forward, this paper first provides an overview of formative research methods with a focus on qualitative inquiry, a description of the critical domains to be assessed (infant and young child feeding, responsive feeding, and child development), and currently available resources. Application of these methods is provided through a real-world case study—the design of an integrated nutrition and child development efficacy trial in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recommendations for next steps are discussed, the most important of which is the need for a comprehensive set of formative guidelines for designing locally tailored, culturally appropriate integrated interventions. PMID:24673167

The international dimension of drug policy reform in Uruguay.

PubMed

von Hoffmann, Jonas

2016-08-01

In 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legally regulate cannabis from seed to smoke. A growing body of research addresses drug policy reform in Uruguay. However, existing studies have almost completely elided its international dimension, treating the process as exclusively domestic phenomenon. To consider the international dimension of drug policy reform in Uruguay, the paper draws on primary and secondary sources such as existing studies, media reports, official documents, parliamentary debates and interviews with stakeholders and policy analysts from Uruguay and elsewhere. The paper shows that, when, and, how international factors and actors contributed to Uruguay's drug policy reform process. Two ways in which the international dimension manifested itself are identified. First, as drug policy debate around the world changed, the context for reforms in Uruguay evolved. This resulted in a rather mixed international reaction to Uruguay's reform proposal. Second, international actors became directly involved in the process. Drug policy experts informed and legitimated cannabis reform and transnational advocates supported campaigning and mobilisation in Uruguay. By unearthing the international dimension of Uruguay's drug policy reform, the paper adds a novel perspective to the study of drug policy reform in the Uruguay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citizens' Jury and Elder Care: Public Participation and Deliberation in Long-Term Care Policy in Thailand.

PubMed

Chuengsatiansup, Komatra; Tengrang, Kanisorn; Posayanonda, Tipicha; Sihapark, Siranee

2018-02-16

Health care policies for the elderly are complex, multidimensional, and contextually circumscribed. While engagement of health experts, economists, health care administrators, and political leaders is generally viewed as instrumental to the success and sustainability of eldercare programs, the elders themselves are often viewed as passive recipients of care and not included in the policy processes. Experiences and expectations from users' perspectives can be invaluable information for policy formulation and systems design. This paper examines a participatory policy process using a "citizens' jury" to promote public engagement in eldercare policy. The process was initiated by the National Health Commission Office in Thailand to explore how a citizens' jury as a model for civic deliberation can be utilized to provide sophisticated policy recommendations on long-term care policies for the elderly. The objectives of this paper are to (1) examine how public participation in health policy can be actualized through the citizens' jury as an operational model, (2) understand the strengths and weaknesses of the ways the idea was implemented, and (3) provide recommendations for further use of the model. Details of how a citizens' jury was deployed are discussed, with recommendations for further use provided at the end.

Penetrated system' or normal' state An exploration of INF arms control policy, East-West economic relations, and inter-German policy in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1979-1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fisher, C.S.

1991-01-01

The thesis explores policy-making processes in the Federal Republic from 1979-1987 in three areas: INF arms control policy, East-West economic relations, and inter-German policy. Each case study assesses the degree of complexity and domestic accountability in policy-making processes and evaluates the relative influence of domestic and external factors on policy choices. It argues that the trends in West German foreign policy toward greater assertiveness reflected the evolution of the FRG as a state, society, and polity. The maturation' of the Federal Republic has introduced greater complexity into foreign policy-making processes, and more frequent societal intervention into what heretofore were elitemore » deliberations. Domestic actors have begun to demand greater accountability, while West German leaders, in turn, have become more assertive and confident in defending German national interests. As the FRG has gained respect and self-respect, it has begun to assume the international role that might be expected of a state of its size, population, geo-political importance, and level of political and economic development. The FRG has become a normal' state.« less

A Review of the Literature on Rural and Remote Pre-Service Teacher Preparation with a Focus on Blended and E-Learning Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Sarah Elaine; Dressler, Roswita; Gereluk, Dianne; Becker, Sandra

2015-01-01

The purpose of this literature review was to review literature related to pre-service teacher education offered in an online or blended format. Scholarly articles, policy papers and other works were consulted. The results are organized into seven (7) themes, using an annotated bibliography format, with an executive summary for each theme. [This…

"Good Practice" School Advisors in Greek Education: The Difficulty in Linking Collaborative Networks, Communities of Practice and Quality Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamelos, Georgios; Bartzakli, Marianna

2013-01-01

Quality in education is considered to be a central aim as far as the formation and the implementation of educational policy worldwide is concerned. The basic prerequisite for it, though, is quality culture. Collaborative networks between school advisors and primary school teachers are examined to reveal how they can affect the formation of…

Human Capital Formation and Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries. OECD Development Centre Working Paper No. 211 (Formerly Technical Paper No. 211)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyamoto, Koji

2003-01-01

This paper synthesises the existing literature on human capital formation and foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries. The aim is to take a bird's eye view of the complex linkages between the activities of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and policies of host developing countries. In doing so, general trends, best practices and…

Do Babies Matter? The Effect of Family Formation on the Lifelong Careers of Academic Men and Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Mary Ann; Goulden, Marc

2002-01-01

Examines family formation and its effects on the career lives of both women and men academics from the time they receive their doctorates until 20 years later. Finds that there is a consistent and large gap in achieving tenure between women who have early babies and men who have early babies. Discusses policy implications. (EV)

Evidence-informed policy formulation and implementation: a comparative case study of two national policies for improving health and social care in Sweden.

PubMed

Strehlenert, H; Richter-Sundberg, L; Nyström, M E; Hasson, H

2015-12-08

Evidence has come to play a central role in health policymaking. However, policymakers tend to use other types of information besides research evidence. Most prior studies on evidence-informed policy have focused on the policy formulation phase without a systematic analysis of its implementation. It has been suggested that in order to fully understand the policy process, the analysis should include both policy formulation and implementation. The purpose of the study was to explore and compare two policies aiming to improve health and social care in Sweden and to empirically test a new conceptual model for evidence-informed policy formulation and implementation. Two concurrent national policies were studied during the entire policy process using a longitudinal, comparative case study approach. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and documents. A Conceptual Model for Evidence-Informed Policy Formulation and Implementation was developed based on prior frameworks for evidence-informed policymaking and policy dissemination and implementation. The conceptual model was used to organize and analyze the data. The policies differed regarding the use of evidence in the policy formulation and the extent to which the policy formulation and implementation phases overlapped. Similarities between the cases were an emphasis on capacity assessment, modified activities based on the assessment, and a highly active implementation approach relying on networks of stakeholders. The Conceptual Model for Evidence-Informed Policy Formulation and Implementation was empirically useful to organize the data. The policy actors' roles and functions were found to have a great influence on the choices of strategies and collaborators in all policy phases. The Conceptual Model for Evidence-Informed Policy Formulation and Implementation was found to be useful. However, it provided insufficient guidance for analyzing actors involved in the policy process, capacity-building strategies, and overlapping policy phases. A revised version of the model that includes these aspects is suggested.

The Emerging Legislative Role in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal, Alan

1977-01-01

Changes in the capacity, internal distribution of power, habits of work, and composition of state legislators have increased their involvement and assertiveness in educational policy formation, oversight, and control. (Author/MLF)

Policy initiation and political levers in health policy: lessons from Ghana’s health insurance

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Understanding the health policy formulation process over the years has focused on the content of policy to the neglect of context. This had led to several policy initiatives having a still birth or ineffective policy choices with sub-optimal outcomes when implemented. Sometimes, the difficulty has been finding congruence between different values and interests of the various stakeholders. How can policy initiators leverage the various subtle mechanisms that various players draw on to leverage their interests during policy formulation. This paper attempts to conceptualise these levers of policy formulation to enhance an understanding of this field of work based on lived experience. Methodology This is a qualitative participant observation case study based on retrospective recollection of the policy process and political levers involved in developing the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme. The study uses a four-concept framework which is agenda setting, symbols manipulation, constituency preservation and coalition building to capture the various issues, negotiations and nuanced approaches used in arriving at desired outcomes. Results Technical experts, civil society, academicians and politicians all had significant influence on setting the health insurance agenda. Each of these various stakeholders carefully engaged in ways that preserved their constituency interests through explicit manoeuvres and subtle engagements. Where proposals lend themselves to various interpretations, stakeholders were quick to latch on the contentious issues to preserve their constituency and will manipulate the symbols that arise from the proposals to their advantage. Where interests are contested and the price of losing out will leave government worse off which will favour its political opponent, it will push for divergent interests outside parliamentary politics through intense negotiations to build coalitions so a particular policy may pass. Conclusions This paper has examined the policy environment and the political leverages in retrospect at arriving at Ghana’s health insurance policy and design. New perspectives have been brought to the dynamics of the interactions of the 3 streams of problem, policy and politics. It provides lessons which suggest that in understanding the policy process, it is important that actors engage with the content as well as the context to understand viewpoints that may be expressed by interest groups. This will empower policy proponents to achieve easier results and limit the frustrations associated with the policy process. There are no straight and determined pathways for achieving outcomes so appreciating the evidence and basis for design, negotiation process and building coalitions along the way are skills to be mastered. PMID:22992292

Policy entrepreneurship in the development of public sector strategy: the case of London health reform.

PubMed

Oborn, Eivor; Barrett, Michael; Exworthy, Mark

2011-01-01

The development of health policy is recognized as complex; however, there has been little development of the role of agency in this process. Kingdon developed the concept of policy entrepreneur (PE) within his ‘windows’ model. He argued inter-related ‘policy streams' must coincide for important issues to become addressed. The conjoining of these streams may be aided by a policy entrepreneur. We contribute by clarifying the role of the policy entrepreneur and highlighting the translational processes of key actors in creating and aligning policy windows. We analyse the work in London of Professor Sir Ara Darzi as a policy entrepreneur. An important aspect of Darzi's approach was to align a number of important institutional networks to conjoin related problems. Our findings highlight how a policy entrepreneur not only opens policy windows but also yokes together a network to make policy agendas happen. Our contribution reveals the role of clinical leadership in health reform.

A Statewide School Tobacco Policy Review: Process, Results, and Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Yvonne D.; English, Gary

2002-01-01

Reviewed all district tobacco policies in New York state, developing a policy rubric to assess five policy components (policy development/oversight/communication, purpose and goals, tobacco-free environment, tobacco use prevention education, and assistance to overcome addiction). School policies were evaluated for compliance with state and federal…

EGSIEM: Combination of GRACE monthly gravity models on normal equation level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Ulrich; Jean, Yoomin; Jäggi, Adrian; Mayer-Gürr, Torsten; Neumayer, Hans; Lemoine, Jean-Michel

2016-04-01

One of the three geodetic services to be realized in the frame of the EGSIEM project is a scientific combination service. Each associated processing center (AC) will follow a set of common processing standards but will apply its own, independent analysis method. Therefore the quality, robustness and reliability of the combined monthly gravity fields is expected to improve significantly compared to the individual solutions. The Monthly GRACE gravity fields of all ACs are combined on normal equation level. The individual normal equations are weighted depending on pairwise comparisons of the individual gravity field solutions. To derive these weights and for quality control of the individual contributions first a combination of the monthly gravity fields on solution level is performed. The concept of weighting and of the combination on normal equation level is introduced and the formats used for normal equation exchange and gravity field solutions is described. First results of the combination on normal equation level are presented and compared to the corresponding combinations on solution level. EGSIEM has an open data policy and all processing centers of GRACE gravity fields are invited to participate in the combination.

Language Policing: Micro-Level Language Policy-in-Process in the Foreign Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amir, Alia; Musk, Nigel

2013-01-01

This article examines what we call "micro-level language policy-in-process"--that is, how a target--language-only policy emerges "in situ" in the foreign language classroom. More precisely, we investigate the role of "language policing", the mechanism deployed by the teacher and/or pupils to (re-)establish the…

Parental Ethnotheories and Family Language Policy in Transnational Adoptive Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogle, Lyn Wright

2013-01-01

Family language policy refers to explicit and overt decisions parents make about language use and language learning as well as implicit processes that legitimize certain language and literacy practices over others in the home. Studies in family language policy have emphasized the ways in which family-internal processes are shaped by and shape…

Education Policies and Policy Making in Arizona: Report on a Survey of Education Policy Actors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawton, Stephen B.

2011-01-01

This study provides an objective look at the education policies adopted by the State of Arizona since 2000, describes participants in the policy-making process, and identifies policy options for the future. The framework of the study uses a typology of educational policies with seven categories: school building and facilities, curriculum…

The ethics of policy writing: how should hospitals deal with moral disagreement about controversial medical practices?

PubMed Central

Winkler, E

2005-01-01

Every healthcare organisation (HCO) enacts a multitude of policies, but there has been no discussion as to what procedural and substantive requirements a policy writing process should meet in order to achieve good outcomes and to possess sufficient authority for those who are asked to follow it. Using, as an example, the controversy about patient's refusal of blood transfusions, I argue that a hospital wide policy is preferable to individual decision making, because it ensures autonomy, quality, fairness, and efficiency. Policy writing for morally controversial medical practices needs additional justification compared to policies on standard medical practices and secures legitimate authority for HCO members by meeting five requirements: all parties directed by the policy are represented; the deliberative process encompasses all of the HCO's obligations; the rationales for the policy are made available; there is a mechanism for criticising, and for evaluating the policy. PMID:16199594

NDSC Lidar Intercomparisons and Validation: OPAL and MLO3 Campaigns in 1995

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDermid, Stuart; McGee, Thomas J.; Stuart, Daan P. J.

1996-01-01

The Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC) has developed and adopted a Validation Policy in order to ensure that the results submitted and stored in its archives are of a known, high quality. As a part of this validation policy, blind instrument intercomparisons are considered an essential element in the certification of NDSC instruments and a specific format for these campaigns has been recommended by the NDSC-Steering Committee.

UPM: unified policy-based network management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, Eddie; Saxena, Achint

2001-07-01

Besides providing network management to the Internet, it has become essential to offer different Quality of Service (QoS) to users. Policy-based management provides control on network routers to achieve this goal. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has proposed a two-tier architecture whose implementation is based on the Common Open Policy Service (COPS) protocol and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). However, there are several limitations to this design such as scalability and cross-vendor hardware compatibility. To address these issues, we present a functionally enhanced multi-tier policy management architecture design in this paper. Several extensions are introduced thereby adding flexibility and scalability. In particular, an intermediate entity between the policy server and policy rule database called the Policy Enforcement Agent (PEA) is introduced. By keeping internal data in a common format, using a standard protocol, and by interpreting and translating request and decision messages from multi-vendor hardware, this agent allows a dynamic Unified Information Model throughout the architecture. We have tailor-made this unique information system to save policy rules in the directory server and allow executions of policy rules with dynamic addition of new equipment during run-time.

[Goals in the discussion of old age insurance - a sketch].

PubMed

Schmähl, W

1980-01-01

In the Federal Republic of Germany often the discussion on social policy deals with instruments, yet seldom with goals to be realised. Scientific work on goals for old-age security policy is just starting. In this article the importance of distinctly defined goals is shown for rational economic and social policy, for an assessment of the existing situation, for a goal oriented selection and formation of measures and for success control. With reference to distributive goals in old-age security policy it is exemplified in which way scientific work can be helpful in defining goals in an operationalised form. For this it is important to deal with several distributive aspects, which are often mixed in discussions. As measures in one area of economic and social policy cannot be taken isolated, in order to avoid unwanted consequences, it is necessary for old-age security policies too, to take into consideration a general system of economic and social policy goals. As an example, it must be stated that e.g. aspects of business cycle and growth policy have to be considered while constructing a system of old-age security. Finally, some other criteria for old-age security policies, such as transparence, political feasibility and practicability are mentioned.

Determinants of the Rigor of State Protection Policies for Persons With Dementia in Assisted Living.

PubMed

Nattinger, Matthew C; Kaskie, Brian

2017-01-01

Continued growth in the number of individuals with dementia residing in assisted living (AL) facilities raises concerns about their safety and protection. However, unlike federally regulated nursing facilities, AL facilities are state-regulated and there is a high degree of variation among policies designed to protect persons with dementia. Despite the important role these protection policies have in shaping the quality of life of persons with dementia residing in AL facilities, little is known about their formation. In this research, we examined the adoption of AL protection policies pertaining to staffing, the physical environment, and the use of chemical restraints. For each protection policy type, we modeled policy rigor using an innovative point-in-time approach, incorporating variables associated with state contextual, institutional, political, and external factors. We found that the rate of state AL protection policy adoptions remained steady over the study period, with staffing policies becoming less rigorous over time. Variables reflecting institutional policy making, including legislative professionalism and bureaucratic oversight, were associated with the rigor of state AL dementia protection policies. As we continue to evaluate the mechanisms contributing to the rigor of AL protection policies, it seems that organized advocacy efforts might expand their role in educating state policy makers about the importance of protecting persons with dementia residing in AL facilities and moving to advance appropriate policies.

Commissions of audit in Australia: health system privatisation directives and civil conscription protections.

PubMed

Colton, Caroline; Faunce, Thomas

2014-03-01

The use of commissions of audit as vehicles to drive privatisation policy agendas in areas such as health service delivery has become popular with conservative federal and State governments. Such commissions have characteristically been established early in the terms of such governments with carefully planned terms of reference and membership. The policy directions they advocate, unlike election policies, have not come under the intense scrutiny, wide public debate or the opportunities for (dis)endorsement afforded by the electoral process. Governments do, however, anticipate and often accept recommendations from these reviews, and use them as justification to implement policy based on their findings. This highlights the power entrusted to review bodies and the risks to the public interest arising from limited public consultation. An example can be seen in the proposed privatisation of important aspects of Australia's public sector, particularly including those related to health systems delivery, currently entering a new iteration through the work of the National Commission of Audit appointed in October 2013. The NCA follows on from various State audit commissions which in recent years have directed the divestment of government responsibilities to the private and not-for-profit sectors. Through a discussion on the formation of policy frameworks by the NCA and the Queensland Commission of Audit, this column examines the ideological thrust of the commissions and how they synergise to produce a national directive on the future of public sector health services. The practical impacts on health service procurement and delivery in critical areas are examined, using the case of the federally contracted out medical service for asylum seekers and two hospitals in Western Australia, a State which is well advanced in the privatisation of public hospitals. The column then examines the release to the media early in the NCA's process of the submission to introduce a $6 general practitioner co-payment as a means of testing the response of the medical profession and public. The column also examines how the civil conscription clause in s 51 (xxiiiA) of the Australian Constitution may serve to protect practitioner and patient rights should some of these privatisation changes to Australia's health system be challenged in the High Court of Australia.

Dynamics of evidence-informed health policy making in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Haq, Zaeem; Hafeez, Assad; Zafar, Shamsa; Ghaffar, Abdul

2017-01-01

Abstract Incorporating evidence is fundamental to maintaining the general acceptance and efficiency in public policies. In Pakistan, different actors—local and global—strive to facilitate the development of evidence-informed health policies. Effective involvement however, requires knowledge of the country-context, i.e. knowing the intricacies of how policies are formulated in Pakistan. Obtaining this knowledge is one of the key steps to making interventions impactful.  We carried out a qualitative study to explore the environment of evidence-informed health policy in Pakistan. The study involved 89 participants and comprised three phases including: (1) literature review followed by a consultative meeting with key informants to explore the broad contours of policy formulation, (2) in-depth interviews with participants belonging to various levels of health system to discuss these contours and (3) a roundtable with experts to share and solidify the findings.  Policy development is a slow, non-linear process with variable room for incorporation of evidence. Political actors dominate decisions that impact all aspects of policy, i.e. context, process and content. Research contributions are mostly influenced by the priorities of donor agencies—the usual proponents and sponsors of the generation of evidence. Since the devolution of health system in 2012, Pakistan’s provinces continue to follow the same processes as before 2012, with little capacity to generate evidence and incorporate it into health policy.  This study highlights the non-systematic, nearly ad hoc way of developing health policy in the country, overly dominated by political actors. Health advocates need to understand the policy process and the actors involved if they are to identify points of impact where their interaction with policy brings the maximum leverage. Moreover, an environment is needed where generation of data gains the importance it deserves and where capacities are enhanced for communicating and understanding evidence, as well as its incorporation into policy. PMID:29045672

Extreme Environments Development of Decision Processes and Training Programs for Medical Policy Formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stough, Roger

2004-01-01

The purpose of this workshop was to survey existing health and safety policies as well as processes and practices for various extreme environments; to identify strengths and shortcomings of these processes; and to recommend parameters for inclusion in a generic approach to policy formulation, applicable to the broadest categories of extreme environments. It was anticipated that two additional workshops would follow. The November 7, 2003 workshop would be devoted to the evaluation of different model(s) and a concluding expert evaluation of the usefulness of the model using a policy formulation example. The final workshop was planned for March 2004.

Policy processes underpinning universal health insurance in Vietnam.

PubMed

Ha, Bui T T; Frizen, Scott; Thi, Le M; Duong, Doan T T; Duc, Duong M

2014-01-01

In almost 30 years since economic reforms or 'renovation' (Doimoi) were launched, Vietnam has achieved remarkably good health results, in many cases matching those in much higher income countries. This study explores the contribution made by Universal Health Insurance (UHI) policies, focusing on the past 15 years. We conducted a mixed method study to describe and assess the policy process relating to health insurance, from agenda setting through implementation and evaluation. The qualitative research methods implemented in this study were 30 in-depth interviews, 4 focus group discussions, expert consultancy, and 420 secondary data review. The data were analyzed by NVivo 7.0. Health insurance in Vietnam was introduced in 1992 and has been elaborated over a 20-year time frame. These processes relate to moving from a contingent to a gradually expanded target population, expanding the scope of the benefit package, and reducing the financial contribution from the insured. The target groups expanded to include 66.8% of the population by 2012. We characterized the policy process relating to UHI as incremental with a learning-by-doing approach, with an emphasis on increasing coverage rather than ensuring a basic service package and financial protection. There was limited involvement of civil society organizations and users in all policy processes. Intertwined political economy factors influenced the policy processes. Incremental policy processes, characterized by a learning-by-doing approach, is appropriate for countries attempting to introduce new health institutions, such as health insurance in Vietnam. Vietnam should continue to mobilize resources in sustainable and viable ways to support the target groups. The country should also adopt a multi-pronged approach to achieving universal access to health services, beyond health insurance.

Policy processes underpinning universal health insurance in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Ha, Bui T. T.; Frizen, Scott; Thi, Le M.; Duong, Doan T. T.; Duc, Duong M.

2014-01-01

Background In almost 30 years since economic reforms or ‘renovation’ (Doimoi) were launched, Vietnam has achieved remarkably good health results, in many cases matching those in much higher income countries. This study explores the contribution made by Universal Health Insurance (UHI) policies, focusing on the past 15 years. We conducted a mixed method study to describe and assess the policy process relating to health insurance, from agenda setting through implementation and evaluation. Design The qualitative research methods implemented in this study were 30 in-depth interviews, 4 focus group discussions, expert consultancy, and 420 secondary data review. The data were analyzed by NVivo 7.0. Results Health insurance in Vietnam was introduced in 1992 and has been elaborated over a 20-year time frame. These processes relate to moving from a contingent to a gradually expanded target population, expanding the scope of the benefit package, and reducing the financial contribution from the insured. The target groups expanded to include 66.8% of the population by 2012. We characterized the policy process relating to UHI as incremental with a learning-by-doing approach, with an emphasis on increasing coverage rather than ensuring a basic service package and financial protection. There was limited involvement of civil society organizations and users in all policy processes. Intertwined political economy factors influenced the policy processes. Conclusions Incremental policy processes, characterized by a learning-by-doing approach, is appropriate for countries attempting to introduce new health institutions, such as health insurance in Vietnam. Vietnam should continue to mobilize resources in sustainable and viable ways to support the target groups. The country should also adopt a multi-pronged approach to achieving universal access to health services, beyond health insurance. PMID:25262793

Knowledge brokering on emissions modelling in Strategic Environmental Assessment of Estonian energy policy with special reference to the LEAP model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuldna, Piret, E-mail: piret.kuldna@seit.ee; Peterson, Kaja; Kuhi-Thalfeldt, Reeli

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) serves as a platform for bringing together researchers, policy developers and other stakeholders to evaluate and communicate significant environmental and socio-economic effects of policies, plans and programmes. Quantitative computer models can facilitate knowledge exchange between various parties that strive to use scientific findings to guide policy-making decisions. The process of facilitating knowledge generation and exchange, i.e. knowledge brokerage, has been increasingly explored, but there is not much evidence in the literature on how knowledge brokerage activities are used in full cycles of SEAs which employ quantitative models. We report on the SEA process of the nationalmore » energy plan with reflections on where and how the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) model was used for knowledge brokerage on emissions modelling between researchers and policy developers. Our main suggestion is that applying a quantitative model not only in ex ante, but also ex post scenario modelling and associated impact assessment can facilitate systematic and inspiring knowledge exchange process on a policy problem and capacity building of participating actors. - Highlights: • We examine the knowledge brokering on emissions modelling between researchers and policy developers in a full cycle of SEA. • Knowledge exchange process can evolve at any modelling stage within SEA. • Ex post scenario modelling enables systematic knowledge exchange and learning on a policy problem.« less

Medical revalidation as professional regulatory reform: Challenging the power of enforceable trust in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Spendlove, Zoey

2018-05-01

For more than two decades, international healthcare crises and ensuing political debates have led to increasing professional governance and regulatory policy reform. Governance and policy reforms, commonly representing a shift from embodied trust in professionals to state enforceable trust, have challenged professional power and self-regulatory privileges. However, controversy remains as to whether such policies do actually shift the balance of power and what the resulting effects of policy introduction would be. This paper explores the roll-out and operationalisation of revalidation as medical regulatory reform within a United Kingdom National Health Service hospital from 2012 to 2013, and its impact upon professional power. Revalidation policy was subject to the existing governance and management structures of the organisation, resulting in the formal policy process being shaped at the local level. This paper explores how the disorganised nature of the organisation hindered rather than facilitated robust processes of professional governance and regulation, fostering formalistic rather than genuine professional engagement with the policy process. Formalistic engagement seemingly assisted the medical profession in retaining self-regulatory privileges whilst maintaining professional power over the policy process. The paper concludes by challenging the concept of state enforceable trust and the theorisation that professional groups are effectively regulated and controlled by means of national and organisational objectives, such as revalidation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Control of polymer network topology in semi-batch systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rui; Olsen, Bradley; Johnson, Jeremiah

Polymer networks invariably possess topological defects: loops of different orders. Since small loops (primary loops and secondary loops) both lower the modulus of network and lead to stress concentration that causes material failure at low deformation, it is desirable to greatly reduce the loop fraction. We have shown that achieving loop fraction close to zero is extremely difficult in the batch process due to the slow decay of loop fraction with the polymer concentration and chain length. Here, we develop a modified kinetic graph theory that can model network formation reactions in semi-batch systems. We demonstrate that the loop fraction is not sensitive to the feeding policy if the reaction volume maintains constant during the network formation. However, if we initially put concentrated solution of small junction molecules in the reactor and continuously adding polymer solutions, the fractions of both primary loop and higher-order loops will be significantly reduced. There is a limiting value (nonzero) of loop fraction that can be achieved in the semi-batch system in condition of extremely slow feeding rate. This minimum loop fraction only depends on a single dimensionless variable, the product of concentration and with single chain pervaded volume, and defines an operating zone in which the loop fraction of polymer networks can be controlled through adjusting the feeding rate of the semi-batch process.

National policy-makers speak out: are researchers giving them what they need?

PubMed Central

Hyder, Adnan A; Corluka, Adrijana; Winch, Peter J; El-Shinnawy, Azza; Ghassany, Harith; Malekafzali, Hossein; Lim, Meng-Kin; Mfutso-Bengo, Joseph; Segura, Elsa; Ghaffar, Abdul

2011-01-01

The objective of this empirical study was to understand the perspectives and attitudes of policy-makers towards the use and impact of research in the health sector in low- and middle-income countries. The study used data from 83 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with purposively selected policy-makers at the national level in Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Malawi, Oman and Singapore. The interviews were structured around an interview guide developed based on existing literature and in consultation with all six country investigators. Transcripts were processed using a thematic-analysis approach. Policy-makers interviewed for this study were unequivocal in their support for health research and the high value they attribute to it. However, they stated that there were structural and informal barriers to research contributing to policy processes, to the contribution research makes to knowledge generally, and to the use of research in health decision-making specifically. Major findings regarding barriers to evidence-based policy-making included poor communication and dissemination, lack of technical capacity in policy processes, as well as the influence of the political context. Policy-makers had a variable understanding of economic analysis, equity and burden of disease measures, and were vague in terms of their use in national decisions. Policy-maker recommendations regarding strategies for facilitating the uptake of research into policy included improving the technical capacity of policy-makers, better packaging of research results, use of social networks, and establishment of fora and clearinghouse functions to help assist in evidence-based policy-making. PMID:20547652

Theories of State Analyzing the Policy Process,

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-11-01

values and goals - which is the heart of the rational process-- in reality cannot be separated from the actor’s empirical analysis of the situation...rigorous and objective in analysis . How different would our foreign policy actually be? Would it necessarily be better? In fact, would one even need...State, but the fact is that much of the outside research and analysis of policy process is pointed at the 6 As Robert Rothstein says in his valuable