Kingdon's Theory Research Articles

Why Was the Policy Idea on the Health Benefits Package Advisory Panel Gazetted in Kenya? A Retrospective Policy Analysis.

In 2018, Kenya's Ministry of Health (MoH) gazetted the Health Benefits Package Advisory Panel (HBPAP) to develop a benefits package for its universal health coverage (UHC) programme. In this study, we examine the political process that led to the gazettement of the HBPAP. We conducted a case study based on semi-structured interviews with 20 national-level participants and, reviews of documents such as organizational and media reports. We analyzed data from the interviews and documents thematically using the Braun and Clarke's six step approach. We identified codes and themes deductively using Kingdon's Multiple Streams Theory which postulates that the successful emergence of a policy follows coupling of three streams: the problem, policy, and politics streams. We found that the problem stream was characterized by fragmented and implicit healthcare priority-setting processes that led to unaffordable, unsustainable, and wasteful benefits packages. A potential policy solution for these problems was the creation of an independent expert panel that would use an explicit and evidence-based healthcare priority-setting process to develop an affordable and sustainable benefits package. The political stream was characterized by the re-election of the government and the appointment of a new Cabinet Secretary for Health. Coupling of the problem, policy, and political streams occurred during a policy window that was created by the political prioritization of UHC by the newly re-elected government. Policy entrepreneurs who included health economists, health financing experts, health policy analysts, and health systems experts leveraged this policy window to push for the establishment of an independent expert panel as a solution for the issues identified in the problem stream. They employed strategies such as forming networks, framing, marshalling evidence, and utilizing political connections. Applying Kingdon's theory in this study was valuable in explaining why the HBPAP policy idea was gazetted. It demonstrated the crucial role of policy entrepreneurs and the strategies they employed to couple the three streams during a favourable policy window. This study contributes to the body of literature on healthcare priority-setting processes with an unusual analysis focused on a key procedural policy for such processes.

FAIR Versus Open Data: A Comparison of Objectives and Principles

Abstract This article assesses the difference between the concepts of ‘open data’ and ‘FAIR data’ in data management. FAIR data is understood as data that complies with the FAIR Guidelines—data that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable—while open data was born out of awareness of the need to democratise data by improving its accessibility, based on the idea that data should not have limitations that prevent people from using it. This study compared FAIR data with open data by analysing relevant documents using a coding analysis with conceptual labels based on Kingdon's theory of agenda setting. The study found that in relation to FAIR data the problem stream focuses on the complexity of data collected for research, while open data primarily emphasises giving the public access to non-confidential data. In the policy stream, the two concepts share common standpoints in terms of making data available and reusable, although different approaches are adopted in practice to accomplish these goals. In the politics stream, stakeholders with different objectives support FAIR data and from those who support open data.

Tapping Into Multiple Data "Springs" to Strengthen Policy Streams: A Guide to the Types of Data Needed to Formulate Local Retail Tobacco Control Policy.

In 2015, the tobacco industry spent $8.24 billion to market tobacco products in convenience stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, and other retail or point-of-sale settings. Community tobacco control partnerships have numerous evidence-based policies (eg, tobacco retailer licensing and compliance, tobacco-free–school buffer zones, eliminating price discounts) to counter point-of-sale tobacco marketing. However, deciding which point-of-sale policies to implement — and when and in what order to implement them — is challenging. The objective of this article was to describe tools and other resources that local-level tobacco use prevention and control leaders can use to assemble the data they need to formulate point-of-sale tobacco policies that fit the needs of their communities, have potential for public health impact, and are feasible in the local policy environment. We were guided by Kingdon’s theory of policy change, which contends that windows of policy opportunity open when 3 streams align: a clear problem, a solution to the problem, and the political will to work for change. Community partnerships can draw on 7 data “springs” to activate Kingdon’s streams: 1) epidemiologic and surveillance data, 2) macro retail environment data, 3) micro retail environment data, 4) the current policy context, 5) local legal feasibility of policy options, 6) the potential for public health impact, and 7) political will.

Implementation strategies to promote community-engaged efforts to counter tobacco marketing at the point of sale.

The US tobacco industry spends $8.2 billion annually on marketing at the point of sale (POS), a practice known to increase tobacco use. Evidence-based policy interventions (EBPIs) are available to reduce exposure to POS marketing, and nationwide, states are funding community-based tobacco control partnerships to promote local enactment of these EBPIs. Little is known, however, about what implementation strategies best support community partnerships' success enacting EBPI. Guided by Kingdon's theory of policy change, Counter Tools provides tools, training, and other implementation strategies to support community partnerships' performance of five core policy change processes: document local problem, formulate policy solutions, engage partners, raise awareness of problems and solutions, and persuade decision makers to enact new policy. We assessed Counter Tools' impact at 1year on (1) partnership coordinators' self-efficacy, (2) partnerships' performance of core policy change processes, (3) community progress toward EBPI enactment, and (4) salient contextual factors. Counter Tools provided implementation strategies to 30 partnerships. Data on self-efficacy were collected using a pre-post survey. Structured interviews assessed performance of core policy change processes. Data also were collected on progress toward EBPI enactment and contextual factors. Analysis included descriptive and bivariate statistics and content analysis. Following 1-year exposure to implementation strategies, coordinators' self-efficacy increased significantly. Partnerships completed the greatest proportion of activities within the "engage partners" and "document local problem" core processes. Communities made only limited progress toward policy enactment. Findings can inform delivery of implementation strategies and tests of their effects on community-level efforts to enact EBPIs.

Roadblocks to responsible innovation: Exploring technology assessment and adoption in U.S. public highway construction

U.S. public highway construction industry professionals are responsible for assessing and adopting new technology that can improve the cost and quality of roadways. This paper investigates features of the technology assessment and adoption process in the U.S. public highway construction industry that both facilitate and hinder responsible innovation. Often technological innovations are incongruent with current specifications, i.e., regulatory construction standards, whereby specification reform serves as a precursor to implementation. We examine this aspect of technology assessment and adoption through a novel application of Kingdon's theory of policy agenda setting to a highly technical state bureaucratic institution using a case study on Intelligent Compaction. Specification reform relating to Intelligent Compaction is occurring in nearly a quarter of U.S. states. Analysis of interviews with industry professionals revealed that institutional incentives for supporting innovations were not the main drivers for adoption, and there exists a conservative culture that inhibits change. Individuals that go against this grain by championing change do so based on their personal character, ideological affiliations and a perceived sense of social obligation, which coincides with the principles set forth in the responsible research and innovation literature. These individuals, whom we identify as Kingdon's policy entrepreneurs, appear to present themselves in four roles in this industry: explorer, pioneer, gatekeeper, and leader. Our findings indicate that alignment of these roles creates an environment conducive to responsible technology assessment and adoption, and therefore greater societal benefit. Ultimately, we hope this study will benefit U.S. Highway Construction Industry regulatory environments by enhancing identification of specification processes, key roles, and personal/ethical ideologies that may be conducive to fostering a culture of responsible innovation.

Shaping the Health Policy Agenda: The Case of Safe Motherhood Policy in Vietnam.

Maternal health remains a central policy concern in Vietnam. With a commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 target of maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 70/100 000 by 2015, the Ministry of Health (MoH) issued the National Plan for Safe Motherhood (NPSM) 2003-2010. In 2008, reproductive health, including safe motherhood (SM) became a national health target program with annual government funding. A case study of how SM emerged as a political priority in Vietnam over the period 2001-2008, drawing on Kingdon's theory of agenda-setting was conducted. A mixed method was adopted for this study of the NPSM. Three related streams contributed to SM priority in Vietnam: (1) the problem of high MMR was officially recognized from high-quality research, (2) the strong roles of policy champion from MoH in advocating for the needs to reducing MMR as well as support from government and donors, and (3) the national and international events, providing favorable context for this issue to emerge on policy agenda. This paper draws on the theory of agenda-setting to analyze the Vietnam experience and to develop guidance for SM a political priority in other high maternal mortality communities.

Drug consumption rooms and the role of politics and governance in policy processes

BackgroundIn 2012 after more than 20 years of discussion Denmark introduced drug consumption facilities as part of its drug policy. This article investigates the processes that led to this new policy and its implementation in Copenhagen. The aim of the article is to analyze if the new policy and its implementation can be understood in terms of a shift from ‘government’ to ‘governance’ in drug policy. On this basis the aim is also to discuss the possibilities and limitations of ‘governance’ as an analytical perspective for understanding policy change in the field of drug policy. MethodsThrough the use of Kingdon's theory about policy change as following alignments of problem streams, policy streams and politics streams and deployment of Callon's concepts of ‘framing’ and ‘overflowing’ the article presents an analysis of recorded communication from the public debate and national and local policy processes. ResultsPolitics and the authority of government played a key role in the policy change that led to the introduction of drug consumption facilities in Denmark. It was only after a change of government and a change of legislation that a new policy came about. Drug consumption facilities did exist on a small scale before this through acts of civil disobedience committed by civil society stakeholders. ConclusionThe space for governance seems to be limited in a drug policy that is prohibitive, at least when it touches upon issues that concern law enforcement and the sovereign power of the state.

Agenda‐setting on the environment: the development of climate change adaptation as an issue in European states

ABSTRACTAdaptation to climate change is increasingly recognized as a necessary complement to mitigation, resulting in a growing number of adaptation policies and actions across the globe. This study applies John Kingdon's theory of agenda setting through a multi‐level approach to explain the ways in which the climate change adaptation issue has recently developed in four European countries: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Italy. The study illustrates that a multi‐level adaptation policy window has been opened in the context of the UK, whereas adaptation has mainly developed on the national and in specific local cases in Finland and Sweden, while in Italy the issue remains off the agenda. The study thus shows that policy windows may be supported through the interaction of streams at both national and sub‐national levels, particularly buttressed by focusing climate events and media reporting. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Understanding policy change: Multiple streams and emissions trading in Germany

This paper employs John Kingdon's [1984. Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies. Little Brown, Boston] “multiple streams” framework to analyse the sudden move from overgenerous grandfathering to tight caps and auctioning within the German emissions trading regime in the first half of 2007. By bringing together empirical evidence from interviews and official documents the following question is addressed: how completely does Kingdon's framework explain this political turn? The opening of a “policy window” can be demonstrated and Kingdon's theory concisely captures important aspects of this process. At the same time, however, the findings imply that a number of relevant factors are not sufficiently considered by the theory, most notably the influence of multi-level governance structures, learning processes, and networks. This demonstrates that the multiple streams approach on its own is not sufficient to fully understand the case study example. Hence, for a better understanding of policy change it is suggested that scholars need to evaluate the potential for amending and combining Kingdon's model with other explanatory approaches.

The Rise and Stall of Prison Privatization: An Integration of Policy Analysis Perspectives

This article examines prison privatization policy in the United States from 1984 to the turn of the century by integrating several policy analysis perspectives. Kingdon's theory of multiple streams provides an overarching context, and elements of the advocacy coalition framework, the subgovernment perspective, and disjointed incrementalism explain steps along the way. The private prison industry expanded in the midst of rapidly increasing inmate populations and widespread federal court oversight of public prisons. Serious incidents in private prisons prompted the development of an extensive regulatory framework that essentially molded private prisons into mirror images of their public sector counterparts. By the turn of the 21st century, the incentive for privatization began to fade as prison population growth leveled off and federal court oversight of prisons declined. Concurrently, antiprivatization advocacy efforts gained strength, particularly within the faith-based community, limiting the prospect of broader expansion of prison privatization policy.

Federal Class Size Reduction Policy: A Case Study Testing John W. Kingdon's Theory on Agenda Setting

According to policy theorist John W. Kingdon's theory on agenda setting, three streams of problems, politics, and policy alternatives converge to create a window of opportunity that allows an issue to move onto the policy-setting agenda. In 1999 the policy-setting agenda included former President Bill Clinton's class size reduction policy despite many decades of conflict over the policy and inaction at the federal level. It appears that a change in the political stream created a window of opportunity that allowed class size reduction to arrive on the agenda. By examining enrollment data, average class size and teacher-pupil ratio trends, national perceptions, developments in policy approaches, and political factors, this study concludes that class size reduction is an example of Kingdon's theory.

Predictable and Unpredictable Policy Windows: Institutional and Exogenous Correlates of Canadian Federal Agenda-Setting

AbstractThis article addresses the question of the applicability of John Kingdon's theory of agenda-setting to Canadian political life. It examines the extent to which agenda-setting in Canadian governments is routine or discretionary, predictable or unpredictable, and the extent to which it is influenced by events and activities external to itself. The study uses time series data collected on issue mentions related to Native affairs, the constitution, drug abuse, acid rain, the nuclear industry and capital punishment in parliamentary debates and committees between 1977 and 1992. It compares these series to other time series developed from media mentions, violent crime rates, unemployment rates, budget speeches and speeches from the throne, elections and first ministers' conferences over the same period in order to assess the impact of such events on public policy agenda-setting.