HIA e-News

Health Impact Assessment in New Zealand

HIA e-News Special Edition

A supplementary issue to the e-News newsletter: August 2009

In This Issue

Evaluation of the HIA Support Unit: Have your say and be in to win

You are invited to take part in a survey that will contribute to an evaluation of the Ministry of Health's HIA Support Unit (HIASU).

As a thank-you for participating, all surveys completed by 30th September will go into a draw to win an iPod Shuffle or $150 worth of Motor Trade Association (petrol) vouchers.

This survey is for anyone who has:

Been involved in undertaking HIAs; or
Has attended HIA training; or
Has had any contact with the HIASU.

Please complete the survey by 30th September. The survey should take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Click here to start the survey.

If you would rather complete the survey offline, a paper copy can be obtained by emailing gwade@hoi.co.nz.

Who is doing the evaluation?
Through an open tender process, the Ministry of Health contracted us, Health Outcomes International Pty Ltd (HOI), to conduct the evaluation.

Why is the evaluation being done?
The evaluation is looking at the activities and achievements of the HIASU to date, and the short-term impacts of the HIASU's work. The findings of the evaluation will help the Government make decisions about future work around embedding HIA in policy development processes in New Zealand.

Who else is involved in the evaluation?
As part of the evaluation, our team at HOI are also interviewing key stakeholders from selected central and local government agencies, public health units, universities, and private firms involved in HIA. Our team are also reviewing core literature, documentation and data relating to the goals and achievements of the HIA Support Unit.

How will the evaluation be reported?
The evaluation findings will be written up in a report for the Ministry of Health which is due in January 2010. After considering the report, the Ministry will develop a communications plan for the findings.

Can I be sure my response will be confidential?
All information collected for this evaluation will be confidential to the members of our evaluation team and held in a secure location. Only HOI evaluators will know the names of participants in the survey. Your name will not appear in any material written as a result of this evaluation.

Thank you for taking part in the evaluation, we appreciate your input.

If you have any other questions about this survey, please contact Julian King at HOI - julian@hoi.co.nz

Exciting HIA / Whānau Ora HIA Opportunity for Your Organisation with the Learning by Doing Investment

The Ministry of Health is pleased to call for proposals for the 2009/10 (Round Three) of the HIA Learning by Doing Investment formally known as the HIA Learning by Doing Fund. The HIA Learning by Doing Investment is available for HIA and Whānau Ora HIA activity between December 2009 and 30th June 2010.

Applications for the 2009/10 Round of the Learning by Doing Investment close on 5th October 2009.

Information about the Request for Proposals (RFP) can be found on:

What are the objectives of the Learning by Doing Investment?
The objective of the HIA Learning by Doing Investment is to:

build expertise in doing an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA
create an evidence base of HIA / Whānau Ora HIA.

What is the budget?
The budget for this year's Learning by Doing Investment is $250,000.

Who can apply?
The investment is available to a range of agencies including:

Māori health providers
Iwi/ Māori organisations
local authorities, including territorial and regional authorities
national and regional transport organisations
District Health Boards
Public Health Units (PHUs)
public health departments of tertiary institutions.

What are the activities and outputs funded through the Learning by Doing Investment?
The activities or outputs could include:

developments which would help embed HIA / Whānau Ora HIA into organisational processes
training in the use of HIA / Whānau Ora HIA with an emphasis on doing an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA
doing an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA
working in a partnership to do an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA
providing advice, information and support to agencies doing an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA
a process, impact or outcome evaluation of an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA

What are the likely costs of activities and outputs?
Some indication of likely costs of activities and outputs are:

training in the use of HIA / Whānau Ora HIA costs approximately $495 per individual
an HIA / Whānau Ora HIA (based on a rapid HIA model) often costs between $30,000 and $40,000
an impact evaluation of a HIA / Whānau Ora HIA can cost approximately $10,000.

How will the proposals be assessed?
Each proposal will be assessed against set criteria by a selection panel made up of people from across the Ministry of Health.

Please contact Christine Stewart or Matt Soeberg at the HIA Support Unit with any questions:

Christine_Stewart@moh.govt.nz (04) 816 2837
Matt_Soeberg@moh.govt.nz 04) 816 2672

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Page last updated: 21 August 2009