Policy Analysis Questionnaire

Heather R. Johnson

University of Phoenix

Public Policy Planning and Implementation MPA/583

Instructor Dr. Scharlene Ahmed

09/06/2021

1. List the name of your local or state government. Then list the name of the public policy you will analyze.

The state government is California. The public policy to be analyzed is suicide prevention.

2. Provide a brief description of the policy and the issue it addresses.

The suicide prevention policy is aimed at reducing the suicide rates which are increasing in the state of California. In the United States, suicide is ranked among the top 10 causes of death and it has been an evident problem in the United States. In 2016, suicide was responsible for over 40,000 deaths and there were a lot of people hospitalized as a result of suicide attempts. A lot of adults report suicide attempts. “Suicide and nonfatal self-directed violence result in an estimated $69 billion in combined medical and work loss costs” (CDC, 2018). It is important to note that this figure does not include societal effects of suicide, and this implies that the real cost and effects of suicide are even higher. The state of California suffers huge costs associated with suicide and its effects.

3. Were you familiar with this issue prior to beginning this assignment? If so, were you affected by this policy in any way? If not, is this issue something that could potentially affect you or someone you know in any way?

I am familiar with the issue of suicide since I have witnessed many cases of people committing suicide. There are a lot of youths in our neighborhood who have committed suicide in the past. Some of them were involved in drug and substance abuse, some were depressed and suffering anxiety, and many other problems. Youth suicide has been increasing consecutively in California. “In 2017, there were more than 6,200 suicide deaths among adolescents and young adults ages 15-24, making it the second-leading cause of death for that age group” (America's Health Rankings analysis). This has made it a serious public health problem especially among youths where it exacts a huge toll due to the many years of life lost.

4. List the various stakeholders involved in and affected by the public policy you selected.

· The prevention of suicide requires a multi-sectorial strategy which must include healthcare professionals and representatives from different sectors. The stakeholders include;

· Different government ministries such as the ministry of health, education, and social welfare. It is also good to include ministries such as agriculture and transport because there are people who commit suicide through pesticides or jumping off bridges and railway trucks.

· The general public health sector including statisticians, general health managers, nurses, pediatricians, emergency care staff, and physicians. This group provides healthcare to those affected.

· Mental health sector such as counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health nurses.

· He legal sector include policy makers, politicians, criminal services, police, and parliamentarians.

· NGOs, volunteers, community-based organizations, and the affected groups such as the youths.

5. List the steps you will take to evaluate the public policy you selected. Include a description of the data you will need to collect in this process and how you plan to collect it.

The steps I will take in the evaluation of the suicide prevention policy include;

1. Engaging the stakeholders – all the stakeholders must participate in the evaluation to understand the success of the policy.

2. Describing the policy- I will provide the overview of the policy, its goals and objectives, the team charged with the implementation of the policy, and the activities involved.

3. Gather credible evidence – I will collect a wide range of data on suicide rates in the state of California. The data will both be qualitative and quantitative. This will include studying and recording statistics on attempted and committed suicide cases. We will also talk to the people of California to understand the changes that have taken place since the implementation of the policy.

4. Make conclusions – from the data collected, we will be able to draw conclusions whether the policy was effective or not.

5. Utilize the lessons learned – from the results, we will maximize on the achievements and do more on the gaps that exist.

6. What factors might influence the evaluation process? Evaluate how these factors might influence each step in the evaluation process.

1. Lack of enough resources may hinder the collection of data and evidence.

2. Political scrutiny and other legal challenges may affect the general evaluation process.

3. Lack of familiarity with policy evaluation methods and the necessary steps to be taken during the evaluation.

4. Lack of enough data and strong evidence to support the evaluation process.

5. Lack of access to appropriate data such as the records of suicide statistics for the state of California.

6. Other factors such as poor economic conditions and lack of public awareness about the policy.

7. What factors might influence the policy termination decision? Evaluate those factors.

· The high cost of termination – the agency charged with the implementation of the policy may be undermined if the policy is terminated. Termination may lead to discontent and stakeholders may abandon any efforts to prevent suicide.

· An anti-termination group – an anti-termination group may work together with members of the public and the vulnerable groups to ensure the policy succeeds and termination does not take place.

· Psychological reluctance – stakeholder in the policy may not be willing to accept that the implementation of the policy was not effective, therefore, they may not accept termination. Rather, they will come up with other strategies to ensure the policy works.

References

America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death, Multiple Cause of Death files, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, Accessed 2021.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2018). Connectedness, I. PREVENTING SUICIDE IN RURAL AMERICA.

World Health Organization. (2012). Public health action for the prevention of suicide: a framework.

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