Policy Power & Politics in Health Care Provision 2015
Assessment 2: Critical Analysis
This document provides guidance about a structured approach to preparing your second and final assessment for this unit. It also provides a ‘tick-box’ approach to your assessment standards and criteria marking guide.
This assessment provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of how health care policies are constructed.
You are required to analyse the process of health care policy development with reference to ONE policy or one component of a policy within the Australian health care system. The policy could be one that has been developed for the Health Care System in general.
Alternately, you may choose a policy that has been developed specifically for your immediate work context. This policy may be one that has been developed to support the implementation of a government policy.
The required readings and learning activities in the Study Guides for Module 1 and Module 2 provide detailed information about the policy development process and make suggestion for how best to approach and conduct a policy analysis and critique.
Please Note: This is a highly structured assignment where you are encouraged to use headings throughout and source documents via the internet that may not be peer reviewed but must be able to be located from your reference web link. You can add a copy of your chosen policy to the end of your assignment.
The most common mistake made by previous students attempting this assignment is to choose a policy that cannot provide enough details for at least 14 out of the 24 areas within the framework assessment (see table directly below). Equally, it is a mistake to choose a policy that you have not fully read and comprehended – some understanding of the policy background will be required in order to respond to the framework assessment.
Tables 1 & 2
Frameworks and associated areas for policy analysis in Table 1: You’ll find these frameworks explained under the title The Analyst’s Toolkit in Althaus, Bridgman and Davis (2013, pp. 76-85). Select the ones that are most appropriate and relevant to your chosen policy.
Before choosing please have a look at Table 2 as you might also find the questions there useful. They will hopefully provide you with ideas for interrogating your chosen policy, and critiquing the way in which it has been developed.
Table 1
Economic
Cost-benefit
Cost-effectiveness
Opportunity costs
Market competitiveness
Regulatory impact
Social Community impact
Interest group impact
Community values
Social justice principle
Cultural heritage impact
Environmental Environmental impact analysis
Ecological sustainable development principles
Environmental quality
Habitat preservation
Biodiversity
Sound management of natural resource
Political Consistency with governing party principles and policies
Consultation with political advisers
Agreement among policy elites
Electoral impacts
Expected media reception
Legal Administrative and constitutional framework
Institutional structures and relationships
Accountability to whom and what, how is it measured
Table 2, Adapted from:
World Health Organization. (2005). Health service planning and policy: A toolkit for nurses and midwives. (Module 4). Retrieved from http://www.wpro.who.int/publications/PUB_9290611863/en/
The questions in Table 2 take account of Althaus et al’s. (2013) policy cycle so could be used to stimulate thought about, and analysis of your policy,
Whilst there is no pressure for you to use them as a springboard for discussion they might provide you with a systematic way of “understanding the nature, intent and impact” of your chosen policy (WHO, p. 28).
Also there are undoubtedly questions below that would be difficult to answer in the context of a policy that provides limited information about aspects of decision-making during the policy development process. Of itself this could be reason to comment.
What policy have you chosen to critique?
Policy Title?
Why have you chosen this policy for critique?
The significance of the policy for the health of the population?
Professional or personal interest?
How, when, and why did the policy come into being?
Is this a new policy? Did an existing policy need changing?
If existing how feasible was the change?
What influenced policy-makers to adopt a particular course of action, what are the objectives of the policy?
Who were the policy-makers?
Which, if any, interest groups did they represent?
What have been the stages and methods, including organisational arrangements and structures, used in the policy-making process?
Was the process orderly or chaotic in any way? Was any area of the policy a contested one? Why?
Was there a consultation process in place?
What interested groups, if any, were consulted and what kind of advice was obtained? Who decided on, and approved’ the composition of the groups? Were other sources of information used?
Did the consultation process and its outcomes have an impact on what was included in the policy?
Is there a process in place for ongoing consultation and review?
Was the adopted process of policy-making the best that it could have been? If yes, then why and if not, then how might it have been improved?
Was the policy development process a good process? Is the policy a good policy? How do you know?
Has the policy achieved required outcomes?
Would a different policy be likely to yield better results? For whom?
Has the policy been evaluated? With what results?
Is there a process in place for ongoing consultation and review?
Although there is a standards and criteria map in the Learning Guide (pp. 20-22) some students may find it easier to look at the following tick box approach.
Essay criteria Marks allocated
Introduction
Choice of policy or component chosen to critique is of an acceptable level for assignment (has depth and complexity and has significance to the health care system)
The policy or component chosen is at the level expected for the assignment and has sufficient depth and complexity and has significance for the health care system
5
Reason for policy selection is provided
The reason for the selection is provided with a highly relevant statement that substantiates its importance to the health care system in Australia
5
Clear concise summary of health policy being discussed
Includes a clear, concise summary of the health policy chosen that orientates the reader to the policy and reinforces its significance to health care policy in Australia.
5
Policy Analysis
Demonstrated understanding of policy issues
In-depth discussion that demonstrates strong understanding of the policy issues related to the topic chosen.
10
Evidence of critical discussion and analysis
Evidence of critical analysis of relevant literature is presented and comprehensively integrated to support the discussion and analysis of policy
15
Conclusion
Conclusions are logical and drawn from the policy analysis
Conclusions are based on policy and related literature and demonstrate their potential significance for the health services. Suggestions for changes to the policy or reasons for not doing this are critically explained.
10
Essay presentation (Note – 10 marks here for presentation!)
Writes in a clear and succinct academic style. Uses correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Correctly applies APA referencing style conventions both in-text and in the reference list.
10
Total
60