Topic: Policy Evaluation ( Electronic-Health policy in kingdom of Saudi Arabia ) Homework Help

The topic is Policy Evaluation: Electronic-Health policy in K.A.S
( you will write just about Saudi health care system )

Please follow the guideline below:
Policy Evaluation:
1 – Assessing the Impact of (Electronic-Health policy) in KSA in the last ten years.

A- Policy Evaluation is learning about the consequences of (e-health policy)

B- Policy Impact: the impact of a policy is all its effects on real—_world conditions, including:
_impact on the target situation or group
_Impact on situations or groups other than the target
_Impact on future as well as immediate conditions
_Direct costs, in terms of resources devoted to the program
_Indirect costs, including loss of opportunity to do other things

C- Symbolic and Tangible Effects
_Measuring impact, Not Output
_Target Groups
_Nontarget Groups
_Short-term and Long-term Effects
_Indirect and Symbolic Costs and Benefits
_Calculating Net Benefits and Costs

D- The Symbolic Impact of Policy
_It deals with the perceptions of government action and the attitudes toward it
_The failure to try to do something would have even a worse attitude

2 – Program Evaluation:

A – What Governments Usually Do
_Hearings and Reports
_Site Visits
_Program Measures
_Comparison with Professional Standards
_Evaluation of Citizens’ Complaints

B – What Governments Can Do
_Before versus after Comparisons
_Projected Trend Line versus Post program Comparisons
_Comparisons between Jurisdictions with and without Programs
_Comparisons between Control and Experimental Groups before and after Program Implementation

C – Why It Fails So Often
_Determining what the goals of the program are
Many programs and policies have primarily symbolic value
Government agencies have a strong vested interest in “proving” that their programs have a positive impact
Substantial investment, therefore, they don’t want to prove that it doesn’t work!
Daily activities hinders evaluation attempts
Program evaluation cost!

How Bureaucrats Explain Negative Findings

The James Wilson Laws of Social Science Research on Policy Impact

Wilson’s First Law: All policy interventions in social problems produce the intended effect – if the research is carried out by those implementing the policy or by their friends.

Wilson’s Second Law: No policy intervention in social problems produces the intended effect – if the research is carried out by independent third parties, especially those skeptical of the policy.

Why Government Programs are Seldom Terminated

1- Concentrated Benefits, Dispersed Costs
A – The case of the Malt importers subsidy
2- Legislative and Bureaucratic Interests
A – The case of MoH blood banks systems
3- Incrementalism at Work
A – Small changes, positive or negative

Politics as a Substitute for Analysis
The Sports Authority Vs Youth Presidency Consultative Council one vote difference!

The Limits of Public Policy

Some societal problems are incapable of solution
Expectations may always outrace the capabilities of governments
Solving one group’s problems may create problems for other groups
_ Hikes in utilities bills?
The case of urban Vs nonurban settlements (small villages)
The case of creating undesired dependency on the government
The solution to some problems may require policies that are more costly than the problem
_ Freedom Vs security

Sometimes the system is irrational!