Identify, Describe, & Analyze the Problem

This initial step in the policy change process involves gathering as much information about the situation as possible. As outlined in The Health Communication Unit (THCU) at the Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto (U of T) “Developing Health Promotion Policies” workbook, “most efforts to develop or modify policy begin with an idea that something is wrong or something needs to be changed.” In this step, there is a need to identify the problem, describe the problem in detail, and analyze the need for change. The objective of this step is:

• to gather information about current policy, cultural competency, and how it affects parent engagement and
• to analyze information about the issue of  cultural competency and parent engagement.

What information is useful?

Five key questions should be answered regarding the problem being investigated before proceeding in the Roadmap:

1. What is the extent of a problem? How big a problem is it?
2. What and who is involved?
3. What are the limits of the problem?
4. What are the origins of the problem? Is there a starting point to your problem? When did it first become apparent?
5. Are you looking at a real problem or a symptom of a larger problem or issue?

Why gather this information?

Ideally, at the end of this analysis the problem will be able to be stated in one sentence. The ability to do this increases the ability to communicate the nature of the problem to others, thereby building support for policy development or policy change.  The information also allows for setting benchmarks for change as it serves as a baseline for where things are currently at.  This information will be used several times in the policy process:

1. when developing policy goals and options – is the problem one that policy can, in part, address? (Step 3)
2. when building support for policy among decision-makers – what part of the problem will be addressed through the policy? (Step 5)
3. when writing the policy – the info gathered at this stage will be useful in shaping the “Whereas” or rationale section of the policy (Step 6).

Where to find the information about Cultural Competency and Effective Parent Engagement

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
When gathering information related to the problem of policy formation and implementation, cultural competency and effective parent engagement, the following sources are recommended:

Internationally
• The Health Communication Unit (THCU) at the Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto (U of T), is one of 22 members of the Ontario Health Promotion Resource System funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. THCU was developed to provide training and support in health communication. THCU’s mandate also includes health promotion planning, evaluation, policy change, and sustainability.     http://www.thcu.ca/index.htm

• Ontario Public Health Association is a voluntary, charitable association that provides leadership on issues affecting the public's health and strengthens the impact of people who are active in public and community health throughout Ontario. Equal Access Pilot Project is a report that

Nationally
• Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development: National Center for Cultural Competence. The mission of the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) is to increase the capacity of health and mental health programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems.
http://www11.georgetown.edu/
research/gucchd/nccc/index.html

Locally
Each community will have unique sources of data. However, there is some common ground – check into the availability of the following:

TIP
Aim for as much local data as possible in the information gathered.

Analyzing the Information
Once the information has been gathered, delve into what it means with respect to the specific problem(s) you are trying to describe.  Remember, bottom line is to succinctly describe what the REAL problem is.

You have identified the specific problem that needs to be addressed. Move on to Step 2 to determine if policy is one of the solutions you will work towards.

Sited Material:
Public Policy Analyst (PPA) http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ppa/intro.html

Source:
Adapted from the Physical Activity Resource Centre "Toolkit for Influencing Physical Activity"
http://www.ophea.net/parc/policy.cfm