1. College of Public Health and Human Sciences
Public Health Policy Institute
Selecting a Policy Option and Crafting a Policy Statement
Presenter: Jeff Luck & Jangho Yoon
Date: August 22, 2013

2. Review possible criteria for selecting among multiple policy options
Agenda
Review possible criteria for selecting among multiple policy options
Outline key elements of draft policy statement
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute

3. Evaluative criteria for comparing multiple policy options
Definition
Limitation
Effectiveness
How well will a policy work?
Likelihood of achieving policy goals and objectives
Estimates involve uncertain projection of future events.
Efficiency
What will we get for our money?
Benefits in relation to costs:
Least cost for given benefit or largest benefit for given cost.
Measuring all costs and benefits is not always possible.
Equity
Will a policy be fair?
Fairness in distribution of the policy’s costs, benefits, & risks across population subgroups.
Can be difficult to measure equity. Involves making qualitative judgment.
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute

4. Evaluative criteria for comparing multiple policy options (cont.)
Definition
Limitation
Feasibility
Political
Extent to which elected officials accept and support a policy proposal.
Depends on personalities and economic and political conditions.
Administrative
Likelihood that an agency can implement the policy effectively.
Requires estimate of available resources and leadership.
Technical
Availability or reliability of technology needed for policy implementation.
Difficult to anticipate technological change.
Social acceptability
Extent to which stakeholders will accept and support a proposed policy.
Depends on saliency of the issues and level of public awareness.
Liberty
Extent to which policy extends or restricts individual rights and choices.
May involve value judgments
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute

5. Policy Selection Methods
Matrix (scorecard) display method
Multiple criteria can be assessed at the same time.
Alternatives are listed along one axis of a matrix.
The criteria are listed along the other axis.
Cells can be filled with numeric scores or qualitative assessments
Criteria
Option A
Option B
Option C
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Equity
Feasibility
Political
Administrative
Technical
Social acceptability
Liberty
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute

6. Policy Selection Methods
Weighted checklist example
Criteria
Score (1 – 10)
Weight
Option A
Option B
Option C
Effectiveness 5 7 6 1
Efficiency 9 8 3
Equity 4 10
0.5
Feasibility
Political
Administrative
Technical
n/a
Social acceptability
1.5
Liberty
Sum 61 60 42
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute

7. Policy Selection Methods
Goeller scorecard example
Selected criteria
Option A
Option B
Option C
Effectiveness
XXXXX
Efficiency
Equity
Feasibility
Political
Administrative
Social acceptability
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute

8. Drafting a policy statement
A simple 1 page policy statement is very useful for sharing your ideas and moving toward planning
Format
1 or 2 paragraph description of you policy problem
1 paragraph description of each policy option
Indication of preferred option (at this time)
September 20, 2018
Public Health Policy Institute