The review process of the National Health Promotion Policy: simultaneous multiple movements

Abstract

Public policy can be understood as the translation of government proposals and the aspirations of society. Driven by the advances and challenges of social transformation, the need for the coordination of agendas and limited social participation in the drafting of the 2006 National Health Promotion Policy (PNPS), the Ministry of Health and the Thematic Group on Health Promotion/Abrasco proposed the PNPS review. This article describes the steps in that process. It involves policy analysis conducted by literature review and document analysis from the "internal triangulation" standpoint. The revision process adopted multiple approaches on data gathering (Regional Workshops and Health Councils, Intra/Intersectorial Delphi and Electronic Questionnaire). It also used heterogeneous sources of information, different local contexts (five regions of Brazil) and peer validation. The results were systematically ordered with the aid of an analytical matrix organized by objectives, principles, guidelines, themes and actions, resulting in a draft of the new PNPS. Lastly, a national seminar was organized in which the results of the process and a synthesis of the revised text were presented, making it possible to identify process gains and the next steps for the actors involved with the new PNPS.