Transcript Using Public Policy Tools for Making Change

Using Public Policy Tools to
Create Public Support for
Harm Reduction Initiatives
International Center for Policy
Studies
Istanbul - 2004
Active role of the public health
projects
IRF and OSI-NY have spent more than
$1 mln. on public health projects since
1999:
– Educational programs
– Legal help
– Needle exchange programs
– Primary medical help
– Counseling
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Institutional development
Moreover, Harm reduction projects
gained support for institutional
development:
– Network of the Harm reduction projects
– Training for project’s staff
– Creation of the Ukrainian Harm Reduction
Association
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Successful projects, but the
situation is worsening
• Rate of the infection spread is growing
• The number of people LWHA is growing
geometrically, the situation can become
uncontrollable
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Lack of the policy
The main cause of this situation is lack
of the clear common policy, supported
(or not resisted) by all involved
stakeholders
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
What does the lack of the
policy mean?
• The large number of existing programs
of the government, non-governmental
and international organizations are not
coordinated among themselves, and are
aimed at different goals.
• This leads to inefficient use of resources
and lack of real change
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Policy change is not planned
Existing measures are important for
dealing with negative consequences of
the problem, but they are not planned
as pressure on main stakeholders that
want to keep the status-quo
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Main types of opposition to
change
We can differentiate two groups of
stakeholders resisting to changes:
– Those who treat drug use as a crime
– Those who are not interested in reducing
the consumption of illegal drugs
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
The interaction with the
government is missing
• There is no traditions and institutions
for the dialogue between the
government and civil society in the
post-soviet countries.
• It is impossible to change the situation
without this kind of dialogue,
• because mostly government officials are
those who treat drug use as a crime
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
A need to attract public
attention
• To make changes it is necessary to
focus on clear goals and to work
together with the government
• We need to attract public attention in
order to create public pressure and to
make government want to talk to civil
society
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
What is attracting public’s
attention?
• We need to attract the attention of major
stakeholders to the problem, to make them
understand the importance of the problem,
and that the problem can not be ignored
• We need to promote the idea that the
opposition to substitutional therapy is equal
to the support of illegal drugs
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Using the public policy tools
• In order to create public pressure, ICPS
proposes to use the tools of public policy as
an instrument to make significant social
changes. ICPS has successful experience in
cooperating with nonprofits and government
in developing policies
• The tool that we propose to use is policy
campaign
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
What is policy campaign?
The policy campaign is aimed at policy
change:
– Involvement of all stakeholders into the
dialogue about the policy
– Informational campaign for public in
general
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Policy cycle
Public policy is a technology that allows
to develop and implement policies in
“politically sensitive” areas, that have
significant impact on citizens. This
technology helps:
– to develop the policy which is acceptable to
main stakeholders
– to explain government’s actions and create
wide public support to it
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Policy Campaign for Harm
Reduction project
• Public policy cycle is a core structure
the project is built around.
• The project is aimed at changing
existing policies.
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
About the project
• The project is implemented by the
Ukrainian Harm Reduction Association
with the methodological and
organizational support from the
International Centre for Policy Studies
• Project budget is $86,000.00
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Project goal
Supporting the concentration of efforts
and gaining public support to the
implementation of Harm Reduction
Strategy. Achieving sustainable changes
in the areas of HIV spread prevention
and drug circulation control in the
interests of PLWHA, IDUs and society in
general
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Idea of the project
To shift the focus from declarations
about the need for policy to the
practical use of public policy procedures
in order to achieve policy change
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Anticipated changes
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Project’s results
• Mobilization of the civil society organizations
in order to create public pressure on the
government
• Policy analysis in order to develop
recommendations on implementation of the
Harm Reduction strategy, involving all
stakeholders into the discussion
• Development of the NGO’s capacity to
influence public policies in this area
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Project’s structure
• Drafting policy documents: problem analysis,
development of alternatives, making policy
recommendations (green & white papers)
• Involving all stakeholders into the discussion,
organizing discussions in 10 regions
• Informational campaign
• Study component for regional NGO partners
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Project’s structure
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Additional resources
• Parliament’s Special Ad-Hoc Committee on
HIV/AIDS
• Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS – an
international organization that works directly
with top-level politicians
• Ukrainian Harm Reduction Association, which
is represented in every region in Ukraine
• Projects of the IRF, that have accumulated
huge experience in implementing Harm
Reduction initiatives
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
Possible ways to transfer the
ICPS experience in using
public policy procedures
• Through international networks, for
example, the OSI network of policy
centres
• Through local networks, such as UHRA
• Through Twinning – the technology of
institution’s learning from institution,
used by the EU to build the institutions
of democracy in new member states
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua
How to share the ICPS
experience in using public
policy procedures?
• It is not possible to transfer the technology
through one-time events (seminar or
conference)
• In order to do this, network projects are
needed with participation of the policy
centres
• ICPS is ready to take part in the learning
projects to transfer the technology of
organizing policy campaign
Міжнародний центр перспективних досліджень
Tel. +380 44 236-4477
International Centre for Policy Studies
Web: www.icps.kiev.ua