NSW Health Impact Assessment Project Patrick Harris *, Ben Harris- Roxas *, Lynn Kemp *, Liz Harris * Centre for Health Equity Training, Research & Evaluation 7 th International HIA conference presentation, Wales 5 th April 2006 ‘Learning by doing’: HIA within a capacity building framework * Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE), School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia

chetre.med.unsw.edu.au Where We’re From / NSW Health System

WHY WE DID THE WORK HIA within EIA (Historically) NSW Health and Equity Statement (Recently) Recognised need to build capacity to undertake HIA Ultimately to embed in policy and planning

OUR APPROACH Capacity Building Framework chetre.med.unsw.edu.au Organisational Development Workforce Development Resource Allocation Partnerships Leadership Infrastructure Sustainability Problem Solving Build Capacity Source:NSW Health. A Framework fro Building Capacity to Improve health. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Health, CONTEXTCONTEXTCONTEXTCONTEXT

WHAT WE HAVE DONE ‘Learning by doing’ Phase 1 & 2 - Awareness raising, exploration, early adoption. Phase 3 – Embedding in the ‘health’ system 11 sites undertaken HIA’s, 8 more late 2006 Supported through: –Training –Helpdesk –Site Visits Communication and information dissemination –HIA E-News –HIA Connect Website Strategic engagement Photos: Ben Harris-Roxas The First Day of Training

The Sites to date Phase 2: (internal) –4 x Health proposals,1 x Planning proposal Phase 3: (internal and intersectoral) –4 x Planning 2 x Health proposals –8 next round ‘Learning by doing’ comments: –“Best way to learn - but time consuming” –“It’s productive, enjoyable and sustainable” A HIA is being undertaken on a Major Metropolitan plan for Sydney

HIA ‘Population Plan’ Bungendore Photo: Ben Harris-Roxas

FINDINGS TO DATE – specific to sites HIA as intersectoral tool –but ‘health’ a problem for some Takes time and can be resource intensive –is complex but less so with experience –requires institutional recognition and support Is highly context specific Screening and scoping SDOH / ‘Equity’ useful

IMPLICATIONS Strong on building from bottom up –e.g. Workforce devt Created a platform of experienced HIA teams Restructure (+ve and –ve) Questions around other levels to embed in system Action research

Table to embed in system Level Organisational Development Workforce Development Resource Allocation PartnershipsLeadership Macro e.g. Discuss Health Impacts (incl. HIA) in executive meetings with other agencies e.g. Offering developmental sites places to other agencies e.g. Providing resources for strategic HIAs e.g. Engaging and collaboration and alliances with other sectors e.g. Generate leadership and uptake of particular aspects of HIA Meso e.g. Develop organisational commitment to the adoption of HIA. e.g. Dissemination of results from HIA devt sites e.g. Support for sites to undertake HIAs e.g. Engaging and collaborating with other sectors e.g. Health Department statement of priorities for wider engagement Micro e.g. Developmental sites – building ability to implement HIA e.g. Masters level course developed e.g. Support provided for routine HIAs e.g. Using HIA to promote/deve lop local partnerships e.g. Showcasing and recognition of work on HIA

THE FUTURE FOR US Manual and MPH course Next round (community participation and policy proposals) Get away from CHETRE as HIA experts HIA practitioner network Collaboration –International research –2007 conference

THANK YOU Photo: Ben Harris-Roxas

More Information HIA Connect chetre.med.unsw.edu.au