Developed by: Professor Michael Reich, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health

Objective: To improve the political feasibility of policy through analysis of the existing political context, including opportunities and obstacles. 

Output: A series of tables, maps and diagrams that organise essential information about the proposed policy, including a stakeholder political map.  

 Additional information: Politics affects all aspects of public policy - what gets on the agenda, who supports an issue, who opposes an issue, whether an issue receives official approval, and whether the official policy is implemented.

This software helps the user define and analyse:

• Policy content: major goals, mechanisms intended to achieve the goals and whether they are already on the agenda
• People: the most important players, their positions, power, and interests; their networks and coalitions.
• Opportunities and Obstacles: what factors might affect the feasibility of the policy, by analysing conditions within specific organisations and the broader political environment.
• Strategies: helps design, measure and monitor the impact of strategies to improve the feasibility of the policy, by using expert advice provided in the program.

Process and resources:

• In order to install and use PolicyMaker, the following are required:
  Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7
  Approximately 10 megabytes hard disk space
• This tool does not require external technical assistance.
• A free evaluation copy can be downloaded from www.polimap.books.officelive.com/download.aspx .
• A full version of the software at a cost of US$89 +shipping and tax costs is available from: www.polimap.books.officelive.com/BuyPolicyMaker.aspx.

Link to the tool: http://polimap.books.officelive.com/default.aspx

Country experience: PolicyMaker has been developed through the training of high-level decision-makers and through extensive field testing in policy environments around the world. Please see www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty/michael-reich/ for information on recent uses of PolicyMaker.