Browsing by Author "Kleynhans, Emma"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemThe development of a policy analysis logic model to support public medicine availability initiatives in the context of VAN(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Kleynhans, Emma; Van Eeden, Joubert; De Kock, Imke; Bam, Louzanne; Llewellyn, Thomas Edward; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Industrial Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Visibility and Analytics Network (VAN) aims to improve public sector medicine availability from a supply chain perspective. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (with inputs from multiple global health organisations and funders) developed a VAN Blueprint, using proven private sector operating models that aim to guide sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to subsequently customise a VAN Operating Model specific to their context and country’s needs. People, processes, technology and policy must be organised and aligned from a national level to the facilities level in order to achieve the VAN defined goals and objectives. However, at an aggregated level, there is a lack of understanding of the enabling and limiting effect of country-specific policies on such an initiative; including how policy decisions and strategies can be better aligned to accommodate the VAN. This research study develops a policy analysis logic model (named PoliVAN) that aims to assist actors (i.e. government authorities, policymakers and VAN role players) with making insightful policy and legislation decisions to enable the implementation and operationalisation of their country’s VAN Operating Model. The proposed PoliVAN logic model underwent a complete evaluation strategy (verification and validation) with subject matter experts, over four progressive stages: (i) theoretical verification of the inherent theory; (ii) validation of the relevance and contextual appropriateness of the PoliVAN logic model through subject matter expert engagement; (iii) application of the PoliVAN logic model to two South African case studies; and (iv) a transferability validation, through engagement with SSA country VAN representatives. The application of the PoliVAN logic model—demonstrated through the outcomes of the case studies—yielded information, insights and decision support that contribute towards making informed policy reform decisions and strategies to successfully support the implementation and operationalisation of a VAN Operating Model. This study then further investigates the transferability of the PoliVAN logic model and the possibility for it to be utilised in an SSA country context. An amalgamation of the context-specific changes required to apply the PoliVAN logic model, gained through the application of the South African case studies, were discussed with SSA country VAN representatives. Through this engagement, insights were gained on the PoliVAN transferability and the context-specific notions. Furthermore, this study concluded with the necessary prerequisites to implement a PoliVAN logic model. In light of the aforementioned discussion, the PoliVAN has significantly contributed towards the gap highlighted in the VAN Blueprint regarding policy insights to assist countries with the implementation and operationalisation of their VAN Operating Model. The PoliVAN encompasses the necessary best-practices tools and guides the relevant actors on how to make informed policy decisions that consequently contribute towards the successful implementation and operationalisation of a country’s VAN Operating Model. The success of a VAN hinges on the enabling environment of policies and legislation and this study provides the necessary guidance, in the form of the PoliVAN logic model, on how to identify, analyse and develop policy-specific strategies that supports a country’s VAN, and subsequently support the medicine availability initiative for SSA countries in need of this approach.