Program and Policy Development
RPI supports our clients in examining and understanding their business and program needs and in developing programs and policies to meet those needs. We work to understand a client’s unique environment to help them successfully develop and implement programs and policies.
We support the process using comprehensive research and data-gathering techniques, and detailed analysis and synthesis of findings. We have supported the development of policies and programs in:
- acute care
- long term care and home care
- health promotion
- community mobilization
- early childhood development
- workplace and school health
- chronic disease prevention and management
- primary health care
Sample Projects
Health Association Nova Scotia (HANS) hired us to support a working group studying ways to improve home care in Nova Scotia. We helped them identify options in five key theme areas: service delivery, governance, human resources, funding, and technology.
Their work was informed by a literature review and jurisdictional scan (conducted by HANS), data on Nova Scotia’s home care sector, and consultations we conducted with stakeholders from across the province (focus groups including frontline staff, managers, agency directors and board members, and clients and their families).
We also developed and facilitated their discussion and decision-making process, which included:
- developing an overall plan for the work (e.g., goals, timeline, and materials required for each meeting);
- creating facilitation plans, agendas, and meeting materials for each working group meeting;
- facilitating meetings (some of these taking place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic) including managing diverse opinions and difficult conversations and building consensus among stakeholders;
- developing and implementing decision-making, prioritization and consensus-building tools and strategies; and
- reporting on meeting outcomes and ensuring action items from each meeting were completed.
The working group, representing government, health authorities, home care and long-term care providers, and clients/family members, developed a final report with considerations for how home care could be improved. The report was submitted to government to review and identify next steps.
Early Intervention Nova Scotia contracted RPI to support the transition from 17 individual Early Intervention Programs (EIPs) to a single provincial non-profit organization with one board of directors.
We conducted in-person meetings with each of the 17 EIPs across the province to gather their questions, concerns, and ideas about the transition and information to help the new provincial board once it was established. We also gathered information about finances, programs, human resources, and the community context for each EIP.
We synthesized and compiled the information and feedback from the EIPs and provided this in a report and presentation to the Transition Team Core Working Group.
We also supported the transition by developing a detailed transition plan with tasks and timelines and meeting with the transition working groups (core team that met more frequently and larger group with more stakeholders) to provide updates and support. Support included developing communication materials and other resources for the EIPs and their clients and developing resources for the new board, such as a board orientation manual and job descriptions. We completed all of this work in less than three months.