Creating a Window of Opportunity for Policy Change

By Nancy Yinger,

The Population Reference Bureau

AMDD Conference

Kuala Lumpur, 2003

Workshop Objectives

• Goal: To provide overview of the role of information in policy process.  

• Topics:  The research-to-policy gap A model of the policy process  Policy-relevant findings, implications, and

recommendations The importance of evaluation

The Research-to-Policy Gap

• Large investments have been made in policy-relevant data collection and research.

• Yet, opportunities for increasing knowledge and putting data to use are often lost.

• Researchers and decision makers work in different spheres.

How is the gap manifested?

• Stereotypes

• Assumptions about how decisions are made

Researchers' Stereotypes of Policymakers

Uninterested or too busy to read

Reach hasty conclusions

Actions unsubstantiated by data

Distrust survey and research findings

Limited perspective

Should be responsible for drawing implications from the data

Policymakers’ Stereotypes of Researchers

Avoid policy implications of findingsProne to professional "faddism"Excessive use of technical jargonInconclusive generalities about broad

theoretical mattersLittle appreciation of real problems and

data needs

Assumptions about Decision-making

• Practice rational decision-making

• Prioritize goals and objectives

• Examine alternative solutions systematically

• Choose alternatives that maximize goals

Researchers may assume that policymakers:

Policymaking is Not Linear

PROBLEMSSOLUTIONS

POLITICS

A Window of Opportunity for Policy Change

Window of opportunity

POLITICS

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

Moving the Spheres Together

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

POLITICSCoaliti

on

Build

ing

Policy

Learning

Agenda Setting

The Goal of Agenda Setting

Help issues gain and keep the attention of:

The media

The public

Policymakers

Characteristics of Issues that Get on the Policy Agenda

• Clear, measurable indicators

• Policy champions

• Feasible policy or program alternatives

• Attention-focusing events

Agenda Setting Activities

• Press conferences and other kinds of support for journalists

• Public events, seminars and speeches

• One-on-one meetings with policymakers

Coalition Building

Links together individuals fromGovernmentThe academic communityThe mediaNGOs and advocacy groups Businesses

Coalition Building Activities

• Create and/or facilitate media or advocacy networks

• Provide information to existing networks

Policy Learning

• The ongoing stream of information to policymakers

• An understanding by all actors of complex power relations and changing institutional arrangements

Policy Learning Activities

• Policy analyses• Publications• Electronic communications

(websites, CD-roms, e-newsletters)

• Seminars and briefings

Crafting the Policy Message

Policy communication messages derive directly from the datahelp decision makers to

understand policy implications and to make grounded policy recommendations.

Research

KeyFindings

Recommendations

Implications

Research to Recommendations

Policy

Environment

Other Research

Implications are:

• Broad statements that express a direction, new information, or a need implied by the findings.

• Analyses derived from two or more findings.

• Guides to help the audience begin to interpret the findings.

Making the Link to Recommendations

Implications are a bridge from your key findings to policy recommendations.

Recommendations:

• Offer specific actions that you urge a policymaker or program planner to take.

• Should start with an action & be S.M.A.R.T.

A S.M.A.R.T. Recommendation Is:

• Specific• Measurable• Action-oriented• Realistic• Timebound

Skilled Attendance at Delivery, by Residence, India 1998-99

56

2318

11

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Urban Rural

Doctor Trained nurse/midwife

Source: OCR Macro, India National Family Health Survey, Demographic and Health Surveys.

Percent of live births

Implications

• Rural women may be at significantly higher risk of maternal death than urban women because of the low level of skill attendance at birth.

• A higher percentage of the urban women who have skilled care rely on doctors, which may result in higher medical costs.

Recommendations

• Within one year, conduct a behavior change campaign in rural areas to increase awareness of the importance of skilled care, and in urban areas to build support for using nurse/midwives.

• Within two years, expand the number of trained nurse/midwives by 50%, and include a community service requirement to increase the pool of skilled providers in rural areas.

Place of Delivery, by Education, Peru 2000

15

29

8184

69

18

0102030405060708090

No Education Primary Education Secondary +

Delivery at health facility Delivery at home

Source: OCR Peru Demographic and Health Survey.

Percent of live births

Implication

• Educational level is clearly related to whether women in Peru deliver their babies at home or in facilities, but only the most educated women rely on facilities. Since women with primary education are quite similar to those with no education, programs need to target both groups to address their needs for safe delivery.

Recommendations

• Within 6 months, conduct additional analysis on the constraints to facility-based delivery faced by the 2 lower-education groups.

• Within 1 year, start a community-based project to address those constraints, including materials for low-literate or illiterate populations about the danger signs of obstetric emergencies.

Evaluating Policy Communications

Have policy communications activities :

• Helped your issues gain the attention of policy makers;

• Enhanced coalition efforts to increase the saliency of your issues; or

• Supported policy learning?

And Ultimately…The Window of Opportunity

Is there evidence of change in

• Policies,

• Programs,

• Strategies, or

• Resource allocation?

Need for Benchmarks

Coalition building Policy Learning

Agenda Setting

“best”

“worst”

Initial Assessment

Coalition building

Agenda Setting

Policy Learning

Post-Intervention Assessment

Coalition Building:No change

Agenda Setting: Improved

Policy Learning:Improved

Window open

In Summary

• Policy change is a complex, dynamic process.

• Research can play a key role but the research-to-policy gap must be bridged.

• Agenda-setting, coalition building & policy learning are key elements in policy change.

• Effective policy communication depends on clear findings, implications & recommendations.

Saving Women’s Lives

Communicating your research findings to policymakers will help open the Window of Opportunity for improved maternal health policies.

Thank you!