Finding the Right Decision-Makers
IMPACT-oriented scientists identify the policies or systems that are not working well for our patients or our communities and then identify the decision-makers who hold the power or influence necessary to change those policies or systems.
What policy decisions can be informed about your science?
As an IMPACT-oriented scientist, you must understand who in your ecosystem controls the flow of resources (money, people, influence, etc.), who creates and revises relevant policies, and who determines the rules of the game.
Types of Policies
Governmental Policies
Governmental policies can be divided into two categories: Big P policy and small p policy.
Big P Policies
Big P policies are established by high-level decision-makers in three branches of US government: executive, legislative, and judicial. These types of policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, public budgets, and the law. They can be implemented at the local, state, or federal level.
People with decision-making capacity over big P policies on behalf of the San Francisco community include:
Small p policies
Small p policies are decisions made about how to implement big P policies. They are typically administrative and regulatory policies that are put into place by government agencies to carry out the big P policies created at the executive, legislative, and judicial levels.
Small p policies are small but mighty. They can be of immense importance for health because they define how broader policies are actually implemented on the ground.
Some examples of small p policies from different levels of government include:
| Executive Branch |
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| Legislative Branch |
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| Judicial Branch |
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