Policies and Systems Change
Residents and other community stakeholders are working together to make changes to public/community policies and systems in order to transform the community into one that promotes health and well-being.
How can you get involved? Learn more about advocacy activities.
The videos above illustrate excellent examples of what happens when the systems are not functioning properly and how those affect members of the community.
It’s for this reason that systems and policies must have the ability to be changed and improved so that the public is best served.
We believe that our community is only as strong as the policies and systems that we use. Policies and Systems are intricately linked to how our community members live, work, age, play and grow. They affect the health of the community and due to this nature must be constantly updated and adapted to keep the community healthy, vibrant, and functioning well.
Systems
Systems have specific values, routines, relationships, resources, and power that produce some type of outcome.
Examples of Complex Systems:
Education
Transportation
Health
Parks
Examples of Less Complex Systems:
Child care centers
Community organizations
Churches
Farmers markets
Policies
Policies are the rules that determine how a system works.
Systems have both positive and negative impact on the community based on how they have been designed.
Systems have major influence on the quality of life of in our communities. If they don’t work well or are designed poorly, the community at large will suffer the consequences.
What is systems change?
Shifts in mindset, values, habits, resources, behaviors, decision-making at a county-wide, public systems level.
What is policy change?
Changes to rules/laws governing institutions, practices, and resource allocation.
What is community change?
Shifts in mindset, values, habits, resources, behaviors, and decision-making at a local level.
Examples of Policy & Systems Change
+ Establish healthcare policies to help undocumented children
+ Convert motels to temporary shelters for homeless families through policy
+ Implement policy to guarantee school lunches each year
Advocacy Activities
Take action!
The activities below can serve as a starting point.
Your voice will make a difference in the policies and systems that impact your community.
