Disss one to three

M4D2: Stakeholder Influence

By now in our course, one of the major themes you have probably picked up on is that for every health policy issue, there are many different points of view on what is the “right” thing to do. Health policy issues have people who support them, advocate against them, are affected by them, make or lose money as a result of them, and research them, among other things. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) provides a list of potential stakeholders including:

program managers and staff;

local, state, and regional coalitions;

advocacy partners;

state education agencies, schools, and other educational groups;

universities and educational institutions;

local government, state legislators, and state governors;

privately owned businesses and business associations;

health care systems and the medical community;

religious organizations;

community organizations; and

private citizens.

Clearly, with a list this long, there is going to be a lot of difference in opinion on issues. And of course, not everyone’s opinion carries the same weight. In addition, whose voice gets heard and who gets to sit at the table when making policy decisions is impacted by a number of factors. This is particularly important when considering the effects of policy because those with the loudest and most powerful voices are more likely to have their opinions taken into account. But, it leaves those without power, who often have the most to gain or lose from policies, without much leverage. What is good for the people and groups in power, who are often the most wealthy and privileged in our society, may very well be bad for the health of underrepresented groups. Health policy decisions (or even policies that are seemingly unrelated to health but actually end up affecting it) can serve to increase or reduce health disparities.

A very important piece of the policy analysis process is determining who the stakeholders are for a particular policy issue. As you begin to think through your policy brief and analysis assignments (which you will start next week in module 5), you will need to have a clear list of who the stakeholders are and how they affect or are affected by the policy issue you are examining. It is also critical to understand the power dynamics between the stakeholders for an issue and what effect policy decisions have on those who are most vulnerable. Sorting out which stakeholders should get priority is key.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Introduction to program evaluation for public health programs: a self-study guide

 (Links to an external site.)

. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/eval/guide/step1/

For this discussion, you will consider the concept of stakeholders in light of the policy issue you are focusing on during this course (this is the issue you selected for your assignment in module 3). Use the following questions to help guide your initial post:

What stakeholder groups affect or are affected by your chosen health policy issue? Specifically, who are some of the “hidden” stakeholders who might not be easily identified?

What stake do each of these groups have in this issue?

Which of these stakeholders plays the most important role in the analysis of this issue?

Which stakeholder groups are most vulnerable to being negatively impacted by the policy issue?

Which stakeholders have the most to gain potentially?

What conflicts might arise between stakeholder groups regarding this issue?

How does this policy issue have the potential to improve or exacerbate health disparities, particularly for underrepresented groups?

Your response does not need to specifically address each individual bullet separately. However, your response should touch on the theme of each bullet in your completed post.

Then, respond to your classmates. How did your thoughts differ from your classmate’s? What important points did your classmate raise that you could expand on? What examples could you share that would highlight the difference in thinking between you and your classmate? How does your lens (your personal experiences, background, learning, etc.) affect your thinking on this subject, and how does your lens differ from that of your classmate?

Consult the Discussion Posting Guide for information about writing your discussion posts. It is recommended that you write your post in a document first. Check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. When you are ready to make your initial post, click on "Reply." Then copy/paste the text into the message field, and click "Post Reply." 

To respond to a peer, click “Reply” beneath her or his post and continue as with an initial post.