Developing Competencies for Public Policy Advocacy: A Comparative Case Analysis
Abstract
While health care and social service students in Ontario are expected to graduate with competencies in policy advocacy, the lack of knowledge and skills negatively impacts their participation as licensed providers. This study used an exploratory, comparative case study methodology with a critical theory lens to identify the process of how community-based organizations engaged in public policy advocacy to create educational competencies for undergraduate curricula. Eight organizational leaders participated in semi-structured interviews that were transcribed and analyzed both inductively and deductively using major concepts from Kingdon’s multiple streams theory to distinguish the policy advocacy process and Bloom’s taxonomy to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes involved in public policy advocacy. Seven major educational competencies were formed by inductively analyzing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes and the activities outlined in the process model. This research provides professors with direction for program development to better prepare students for their role as advocate.