CDC Policy Process

About

CDC's Policy Process offers a structured approach to tackle public health issues in your community. It involves five domains, including stakeholder engagement/education and evaluation, leading to policy implementation.

POLARIS Policy Process

Introduction

CDC's Policy Process provides a systematic way to develop policies that can help you address public health problems in your community. The policy process is like a journey that takes you through five domains, including stakeholder engagement and evaluation. It ultimately results in implementing a policy.

Just like any trip, you have to decide where you want to go, weigh the pros and cons of different destinations and routes, plan your itinerary, and then travel to your destination.

Here's a peek at what that journey looks like at each domain of the policy process:

Diagram of CDC policy process
The CDC's Policy Process involves problem identification, policy analysis, strategy and policy development, and policy enactment. It also emphasizes stakeholder engagement/education and evaluation throughout the entire policy cycle.

Five Domains

Here's a peek at what that journey looks like at each domain of the policy process:

Problem Identification
Clarify and frame the public health problem to determine where to go in your policy journey.
Policy Analysis
Use quantitative and qualitative methods to identify effective and efficient policy solutions.
Strategy and Policy Development
Identify the strategy for getting the policy adopted and how the policy will operate.
Policy Enactment
Follow internal or external procedures for getting a policy enacted or passed.
Policy Implementation
Translate the enacted policy into action, monitor uptake, and ensure full implementation.
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Content Source:
POLARIS; About Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation; About CDC's 6|18 Initiative