Themed issue in Policy and Society, Volume 42 Number 1 March 2023

“THE POLICY CAPACITY FRAMEWORK AND HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING”

Abstract - Introductory paper in the Issue
The policy capacity framework offers relevant analytical ideas that can be mobilized for health system strengthening. However, the employment of this framework in the health field constitutes a relevant interdisciplinary gap in knowledge. This themed issue explores the relationships between the policy capacity framework and health system strengthening, in a multidimensional and interdisciplinary way, in high-income and low–middle-income countries. This introduction unpacks the dynamic interrelationships between the policy capacity framework and health system strengthening, bringing together common and distinct elements from both fields and summarizing possible relationships between them. The analysis shows that both fields together can increase our knowledge on health policies and system’s critical themes and reforms. This challenge could be followed by exploring the convergences between them, as far as concepts/themes (types of capacities and other themes) and levels of analysis are concerned. Although in varied ways, papers in this issue (based on European countries, China, Canada, New Zealand, India, Australia, and Brazil) advance the use of the policy capacity framework for health policy or system strengthening. They give two main interdisciplinary contributions. Critical capacities can be incorporated into the policy capacity framework for the analysis of system strengthening—capacity to adapt, contexts of mixed and complex systems, dynamic view of policy capacity, and policy capacity as a relational power. Policy capacity is contextually interpreted (relative to the problem frame) and dynamic and adaptive (processual and relational), in relation to the properties of a health system, particularly with regard to the existing and developing mixed and complex systems.

Guest editors: Fabiana da Cunha Saddi, Stephen Peckham and Gerald Bloom

You cannot miss this issue if you are interested in applying or better understanding how policy capacity (diverse and mixed types of capacity) can be employed for or can influence/ impact health system/ policy strengthening.

Questions to consider:

Have you ever considered working with the Policy Capacity Framework (PCF), seeking to see diverse and inter-related types of capacity can contribute to health strengthening or capacity strengthening, and at distinct levels? Are you interested to know how studies developed in 4 Continents of the globe have employed the PFC for HEALTH system/policy strengthening? Check the papers in our issue and you will find different and exciting forms to use the PFC in health.

Why and how? + Countries/ cases covered and main results:

“This themed issue addresses a relevant interdisciplinary gap in knowledge involving both Public Policy and Health Policy and System Research: it explores the relationships between the Policy Capacity Framework and Health System Strengthening, in a multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary way, in high income and low-middle income countries… papers in this issue (based on European countries, China, Canada, New Zealand, India, Australia and Brazil), showing how they advance in the employment of the Policy Capacity Framework for health policy or system strengthening. [They highlight] critical capacities factors that can be incorporated to the Policy Capacity Framework in the analysis of system strengthening - capacity to adapt, contexts of a mixed and complex systems, dynamic view of policy capacity, policy capacity as relational power. [From this issue] We conclude that policy capacity is contextually interpreted (relative to the problem frame) and dynamic and adaptive (processual and relational), in relation to the properties of a health system, particularly in regard to existing and developing mixed and complex systems” (Extracts from the abstract of our Introductory paper)” (Saddi, FC; Peckham, S.; Bloom, G.; Turnbull, N., Schattan, V., Denis, JL., Policy and Society, vol 42, 1, 2023)

You can find the themed issue here.