What is policy surveillance? What are the methods? Why is it important? November 2015

Learning objectives Define policy surveillance Provide an overview of the policy surveillance process Explain the importance of policy surveillance Define legal mapping

What is policy surveillance? The systematic, scientific collection and analysis of laws and institutional policies of health significance Creates data necessary for evaluation Can capture law and policy at all levels (e.g., state, county, city, company, etc.), across many jurisdictions, over time

What is policy surveillance? It uses a systematic approach It emphasizes transparency The process is replicable There is a focus on delivering a highly accurate product through quality control What makes policy surveillance a scientific approach to collecting the law?

Overview of the policy surveillance process Defining the scope Conducting Research Developing Coding Questions Collecting the Law Coding Publication and Dissemination Tracking and updating the law Quality control

Why is policy surveillance important? Policy surveillance Creates legal data for evaluation Supports the diffusion of innovation Allows stakeholders to track progress Builds and supports workforce legal capacity

What is legal mapping? A process for assessing and capturing important features and variation across laws and policies. POLICY SURVEILLANCE LEGAL INVENTORYRAPID ASSESSMENT LEGAL MAPPING Answers legal questions about a topic across time, and in multiple jurisdictions, using rigorous scientific methods Compiles laws and policies in one jurisdiction Answers a focused legal question in multiple jurisdictions at a specific point in time

Legal Mapping Models Type of data produced Time and place studied Essential team resources Policy surveillance Produces robust data using a rigorous scientific process Tracks laws over time and across multiple jurisdictions Team of at least three is required Legal inventory Produces easy access to the state of the law in a specific jurisdiction in a question and answer format Tracks laws in one specific jurisdiction Team is suggested but not required Rapid assessment Produces a response to a focused legal question Tracks laws in multiple jurisdictions at one point in time Can be completed by one person

Summary Policy surveillance is the systematic, scientific collection and analysis of laws and institutional policies of health significance –Can capture law and policy at all levels (e.g., state, county, city, company, etc.), across many jurisdictions, over time Policy surveillance is important because it –Supports the diffusion of innovation –Allows stakeholders to track progress –Builds policy capacity in the health policy workforce Overview of the policy surveillance process Defining your scope and background research, Development of coding questions, Quality control, Collection of the law, Coding, Communication and dissemination, and Tracking and updating the law Legal mapping is a process for assessing and capturing important features and variation across laws and policies, legal mapping includes three different models for surveilling laws and policies on a topic –Policy surveillance –Inventory –Rapid assessment