‘Learning by doing’: HIA
within a capacity building
framework
NSW Health Impact Assessment Project
7th International HIA conference presentation, Wales
5th April 2006
Patrick Harris*, Ben HarrisRoxas*, Lynn Kemp*, Liz Harris*
*Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation
Centre for Health Equity
Training, Research & Evaluation
(CHETRE), School of Public Health and Community Medicine,
University of New South Wales, Australia
Where We’re From / NSW
Health System
chetre.med.unsw.edu.au
WHY WE DID THE WORK
• HIA within EIA (Historically)
• NSW Health and Equity
Statement (Recently)
• Recognised need to build
capacity to undertake HIA
• Ultimately to embed in
policy and planning
OUR APPROACH
Capacity Building Framework
Organisational
Development
Workforce
Development
Resource Allocation
Partnerships
C
O
N
T
E
X
T
Build Capacity
• Infrastructure
• Sustainability
• Problem
Solving
Leadership
Source:
chetre.med.unsw.edu.au
NSW Health. A Framework fro Building Capacity to Improve health.
Sydney: New South Wales Department of Health, 2001.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE
‘Learning by doing’
• Phase 1 & 2 - Awareness raising, exploration,
early adoption.
• Phase 3 – Embedding in the ‘health’ system
• 11 sites undertaken HIA’s,
8 more late 2006
• Supported through:
– Training
– Helpdesk
– Site Visits
The First Day of Training
• Communication and information dissemination
– HIA E-News
– HIA Connect Website
• Strategic engagement
Photos: Ben Harris-Roxas
The Sites to date
• Phase 2: (internal)
– 4 x Health proposals,1 x Planning proposal
• Phase 3: (internal and intersectoral)
– 4 x Planning 2 x Health proposals
– 8 next round
• ‘Learning by doing’ comments:
A HIA is being
undertaken on a Major
Metropolitan plan for
Sydney
– “Best way to learn - but time
consuming”
– “It’s productive, enjoyable and
sustainable”
HIA ‘Population Plan’ Bungendore
Photo: Ben Harris-Roxas
FINDINGS TO DATE – specific to
sites
• HIA as intersectoral tool
– but ‘health’ a problem for some
• Takes time and can be resource
intensive
– is complex but less so with experience
– requires institutional recognition and
support
• Is highly context specific
• Screening and scoping
• SDOH / ‘Equity’ useful
IMPLICATIONS
• Strong on building from bottom up
– e.g. Workforce devt
• Created a platform of experienced HIA
teams
• Restructure (+ve and –ve)
• Questions around other levels to
embed in system
• Action research
Table to embed in system
Level
Organisational
Development
Workforce
Development
Resource
Allocation
Partnerships
Leadership
Macro
e.g. Discuss
Health Impacts
(incl. HIA) in
executive
meetings with
other agencies
e.g. Offering
developmental
sites places to
other agencies
e.g.
Providing
resources
for strategic
HIAs
e.g. Engaging
and
collaboration
and alliances
with other
e.g. Generate
leadership
and uptake of
particular
aspects of
HIA
e.g. Develop
organisational
commitment to
the adoption of
HIA.
e.g.
Dissemination
of results from
HIA devt sites
Meso
sectors
e.g.
Support for
sites to
undertake
HIAs
e.g. Engaging
and
collaborating
with other
sectors
e.g. Health
Department
statement of
priorities for
wider
engagement
Micro
e.g.
Developmental
sites – building
ability to
implement HIA
e.g. Masters
level course
developed
e.g.
Support
provided
for routine
HIAs
e.g. Using
HIA to
promote/deve
lop local
partnerships
e.g.
Showcasing
and
recognition of
work on HIA
THE FUTURE FOR US
• Manual and MPH course
• Next round (community participation
and policy proposals)
• Get away from CHETRE as HIA
experts
• HIA practitioner network
• Collaboration
– International research
– 2007 conference
THANK YOU
Photo: Ben Harris-Roxas
More Information
HIA Connect
http://chetre.med.unsw.edu.au/hia
chetre.med.unsw.edu.au