Adj. A/ Prof Jennifer Campbell, Dr. Mark Petrich
1Chief Allied Health Office, WA Health, East Perth, Australia, 2Chief Allied Health Office, WA Health, East Perth, Australia
Biography:
Mark Petrich is Western Australia’s A/Chief Allied Health Officer, providing professional leadership for more than 30 allied health professions with priority areas including workforce, clinical practice, education and research. Mark is also responsible for WA Department of Health portfolios including assistive technology and homeless health. From a physiotherapy clinical background, Mark has worked in Director roles for the WA Department of Health in Community Services and System Clinical Support & Innovation. With a passion for innovations including community-based service models, Mark is a former lecturer in Health Policy and Management at Curtin University, and holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master’s in Public Health, and a Doctor of Philosophy.
Abstract:
This presentation discusses the application of Kingdon’s Multiple Streams to allied health workforce policymaking. In Kingdon’s model, a primeval soup of policy, ideas are evolved and adapted by actors to address the issue of workforce in a way and at a time acceptable to policymakers.
The WA Health Allied Health Implementation Plan 2024-2034 is outlined, including the national and local impetus for its creation, and the adaptation required for the solution to meet the problem as framed by bureaucracy. This provides a case study of achieving successful policy in allied health workforce planning and development, with the support of internal networks and stakeholders. The policy development includes considering the varied audiences of the workforce policy and its multiple roles including to promote identification of allied health and celebrate the workforce achievements, and what is required to maximise the value of the workforce to impact health outcomes at patient and system levels. Importantly, the Plan helps to align disparate pieces of work, providing a unified and coherent set of priorities and a common direction to support long term strategy.
Understanding the often messy experience of public policymaking and its timing can be explored through models such as multiple streams, garbage can and punctuated equilibrium. These models contrast with sequential rational models where problems are identified, analysed, and then the best solution selected. Use of these models can help people to ground and be selective in their efforts to influence policy.