Evaluating a traditional medicine policy in South Africa: phase 1 development of a policy assessment tool

Figures & data

Table 1. PEI evaluation of SA's ATM policy

	Questions	Standards (scores)	ATM PEI score (range)	Comments/ References
1	How many policy-affected constituents are informed and concerned with the problem being addressed?	<10% (1), 10–50% (2), 50–75% (3), 75–90% (4), 90–100% (5) of constituents	4 (3–5)	Over 80% of S. Africans use ATM 18 19 21 22 30 40–42
2	How was the policy agenda set?	It was set by: experts: centrally (1), multi-level or peripherally (2), or mixed (experts and lay representatives): centrally (3), multi-level (4), peripherally (5)	1	International agenda setting 10 17 20
3	How was the policy planned?	It was designed by: experts: centrally (1), multi-level or peripherally (2), or mixed (experts and lay representatives): centrally (3), multi-level (4), peripherally (5)	1	Expert committee 31–33
4	What proportion of the policy measures are delegated peripherally for implementation?	<10% (1), 10–50% (2), 50–75% (3), 75–90% (4), 90–100% (5)	1	Central implementation 19
5	Does the policy call for education/training of constituents affected?	<10% (1), 10–50% (2), 50–75% (3), 75–90% (4), 90–100% (5) of constituents	2 (1–3)	For a significant minority 19
6	Are peripheral employment opportunities and entrepreneurship being enhanced?	Employment/entrepreneurship for <1% (1), limited employment for 1–10% (2), wide employment for >10% (3), some entrepreneurship and self-employment for 1–10% (4), broad entrepreneurship and self-employment for >10% (5) of constituents	4 (3–5)	ATM employs locally 21 22 34
7	Does the policy promote constituent participation in networks?	Any for <1% (1), indirectly for 1–10% (2) or for >10% (3), explicitly/directly for 1–10% (4), or for >10% (5) of constituents	2 (1–3)	Indirectly for THP, other health workers, patients? 32 33. (See footnote 1).
8	Are hard to reach, vulnerable or disadvantaged populations being considered and affirmatively protected and empowered (including vulnerable gender and age groups, socially/physically/economically disadvantaged individuals, groups and communities)?	Yes, any for <1% (1), indirectly for 1–10% (2) or for >10% (3), explicitly/directly for 1–10% (4), or for >10% (5) of vulnerable constituents (including women, the elderly, children, people with disabilities, displaced/immigrants)	2 (1–3)	ATM enhances access to health 21 22 10 17 18
9	Does the policy provide for adequate financial, human and other resources?	Inadequate: central (1), mixed or peripheral (2) or adequate: central (3), mixed (4), peripheral (5)	2 (1–3)	Central financing, ATM is a peripheral resource 18 22
10	Will the policy be evaluated formatively?	No (1) or evaluated by: central: quantitative methods (2), quantitative/qualitative (3) or peripheral: quantitative (4), quantitative/qualitative/participatory (5)	2 (1–3)	Through academic, quantitative research 19
11	Is the policy adaptable?	Inflexibly: centrally (1), mixed or peripherally (2), or flexibly: centrally (3), peripherally (4), mixed (5)	2 (1–3)	Not predicted, dependable. 32 33 35
12	How empowering are associated policies?	The policy is mainly related with dictative (1), directive (2), supportive (3), enabling (4), empowering (5) policies	2 (1–3)	Directive policy environment. 19 36–39. (See footnote 2)
	Result	Non-applicable or negative	0	Supportive (directive-supportive)
		PEI score	42%
		Range	27–57

Notes: Policy types according to PEI: 0–20%: ‘dictative’, 21–40%: ‘directive’, 41–60%: ‘supportive’, 61–80%: ‘enabling’, 81–100%: ‘empowering’.

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