Health Impact Assessment in New Zealand

Taking a Learning by Doing Approach to Health Impact Assessment

Learning by Doing Approach

The Health Impact Assessment Support Unit has identified two priorities for achieving its aims and objectives. These are:

Creating capacity on HIA
Building the evidence base on HIA

By ‘creating capacity’ we mean working in the following areas:

Leadership
Organisational change
Workforce
Resource allocation
Partnership

(New South Wales Health ‘Building capacity to improve health’ 2001)

We think the best way of achieving these priorities for HIA, is to do HIAs; that is taking a learning by doing approach.

Learning by Doing Fund

The Learning by Doing Fund was established in 2007. It was set up to support the delivery of the Unit’s priorities creating capacity and developing the evidence base on HIA. Initially it has been targeted at DHBs, but the work must be in partnership with other organisations and should deliver the following outcomes:

DHBs/PHUs are aware of and understand the value and benefits of using HIA
Increase the number of HIAs completed and written up
Increase the number of HIAs evaluated
Identification of where capacity needs to be developed
Capacity building programme on HIA produced as part of the workforce planning process
Public health staff in all PHUs trained to ensure HIA sustainability
HIA is applied to those public policies that require it.

The activities or outputs could include the following:

information, tips, case studies for inclusion on the HIASU database
guidelines for undertaking HIAs or screening tools i.e. Developing the organisational processes for embedding HIA
training in the use of HIA with an emphasis on undertaking an HIA
advice, information & support to agencies using HIA
conducting HIAs
assessment of HIA processes
evaluation reports on completed HIAs to add to the evidence base.

The average cost of an HIA is between $30,000 - $40,000.

The number of HIAs being undertaken has doubled over the past year from a baseline of 7 completed HIAs in July 2007. This has significantly improved the capacity and evidence base on HIAs in New Zealand.

Links to the HIA reports and case studies will be made in the tables and list below, as they become available.

Round 3 - 2009/10: Learning by Doing fund
The Ministry of Health is very pleased to call for proposals for the 2009/10 (Round Three) of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Learning by Doing Investment. The budget for this year’s Learning by Doing Investment is $250,000. The investment is available for HIA, and Whānau Ora HIA activity between December 2009 and 30 June 2010.

The request for proposals closes on 5 October 2009.

If you would like to submit a proposal, please consider the Request for Proposal (RFP), complete the RFP form, and return to the Ministry of Health by 5 October 2009. We have provided an example completed proposal form to assist you in preparing your proposal.

You can also submit a proposal through the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) website (www.gets.govt.nz).

The investment is available to a range of agencies including:

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

The activities funded through the HIA Learning by Doing Investment could include:

development of organisational processes for embedding HIA/Whānau Ora HIA
training in the use of HIA/Whānau Ora HIA with an emphasis on conducting an HIA/Whānau Ora HIA
conducting an HIA/Whānau Ora HIA
working in a partnership to conduct on HIA/ Whānau Ora HIA
providing advice, information and support to agencies conducting an HIA/Whānau Ora HIA
a process, impact or outcome evaluation of an HIA/Whānau Ora HIA.

Some indication of likely costs of activities and outputs are:

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

Each proposal is assessed against set criteria by a selection panel made up of people across the Ministry of Health. The criteria are given in the RFP document.

Download RFP Documents
RFP document (Word, 151 KB)
RFP Form (Word, 38 KB)
Example of completed RFP form (Word, 197 KB)
Indicative contract between Ministry of Health and Provider (PDF, 1 MB)

Round 2 – 2008/09: Learning by Doing fund
Seven HIA activities funded to a total cost of $277,014

Southland & Otago DHB	6. Proposed Liquor Restriction Extensions in North Dunedin HIA
Wairarapa DHB	7. Re-organisation of secondary schools HIA
Wairarapa DHB	8. Non fluoridation of water HIA
Tairawhiti DHB	9. WOHIA Training & Gisborne UDS HIA
Hawke’s Bay DHB	10. Draft Hastings District Council Graffiti Vandalism Strategy HIA
Hawke’s Bay DHB	11. Wairoa Waste Management Plan HIA
Bay of Plenty DHB	12. An Age-Friendly Community: Shaping the future for Waihi Beach HIA
Waikato DHB	13. HIA Development Project

Round 1 – 2007/08: Learning by Doing fund
Five HIA activities funded to a total cost of $186,002

Southland & Otago DHB	1. HIA Training and screening Health Impact Assessment two-day training in Queenstown (May 2009) report (Word, 254 KB) Otago and Southland DHBs ‘Learning by Doing’ Health Impact Assessment Funding (November 2008) report (Word, 142 KB)
Canterbury DHB	2. Impact Evaluation on Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy HIA
Hawke’s Bay DHB	3. Flaxmere Urban Design Framework HIA
Hawke’s Bay DHB	4. Implementation of Phase 1 of the Oral Health Strategy HIA
Hawke’s Bay DHB	5. HIA Training

Other HIAs funded using a Learning by Doing approach

Central Plains Water Scheme HIA
Manukau Spatial Planning 2008/09 HIA
Led by Manukau City Council. Work due for completion in June 2009.
Christchurch Transport Interchange 2007/08 and 2008/09 HIA
Joint HIA between Canterbury DHB and Christchurch City Council
Remaining work to be completed early 2009.

Website feedback
We welcome your feedback on this webpage.

Page last updated: 1 September 2009