Advancing Policy Science for Advancing Science Policy Guswin de Wee, Nelson Mandela University, Guswind@mandela.ac.za

Steven E. Wallis, PhD. Foundation for the Advancement of Social Theory,

STRUCTURE AS INDICATOR FOR SUCCESS Background Results

Conclusions

References

Application to Science policy

For decades, we have heard calls that policy should

be supported by data. Yet, policies STILL fail.

WORSE, evidence are weaponized1 indicating that

more data is not the answer2.

This poster provides a systematic analyses of the

structural logic of A POLICY TO

DEINSTITUTIONALIZE MENTAL HEALTH

PATIENTS.

A new Path

A groundbreaking field, the science of conceptual

systems (SOCS), examines and measures the

structural logic of conceptual systems (e.g. Theories,

policy models etc.) as systems to evaluate its

usefulness.

Conceptual systems (e.g. Policies) with a higher

level of structure prove more useful in practical

application.

• COMPARISON – using IPA to evaluate structure of Ohms’ law in comparison to structure

of public health policy

• Structural analysis of the NMHPFSP 2013-2017 policy of South Africa for

deinstitutionalizing mental health patients causing over 140+ needless deaths

Ohm's law’ structural logic as a

practical map3

Structure: 100%

highly effective

or useful in

application

NMHPFSP 2013-2017 structural

logic as practical Map

Structure: 20%

limited usefulness

in practical

application/implem

entation.

Poorly structured policy models are associated with three

critical issues.

1) Poor understanding of the policy context/situation,

leading to poorly planned implementation.

2) Difficulty in communicating policy actions, leading to

poor implementation fidelity.

3) Exclusion of relevant stakeholder groups from the

planning and implementation process

• Policies with higher levels of structure (in concert

with better data and stakeholder inclusion) leads to

improved implementation success.

• IT IS IMPORTANT TO Use IPA to create more

systemic policies to reach goals

[1] Zahariadis, N., 2003. Ambiguity and choice in public policy: Political decision making in modern

democracies. Georgetown university press.

[2] Sanderson, I. 2002. Evaluation, policy learning and evidence-based policy making. Public

Administration 80(1):1–22

[3] Wright, B., and S. E. Wallis. 2019. Practical Mapping for Applied Research and Program

Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

METHODOLOGY

• The Integrative Propositional Analysis

(IPA) six-step methodology stream has

been used to measure the structure of

theories and policy models on a scale of 0-

100%.

F.A.S.T.

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to Lymique Ruiters for helping me with the design of the poster.