The aim of this unit is to increase students' understanding about the links between evidence and policy and planning and to build skills for making an evidence based case for change and implementing evidence based policy. The unit also advances conceptualisations of evidence for policy to include citizen, consumer and community experience as evidence. The teaching of this course will include: lectures, critical appraisal workshops, guest presentations from leading policy makers and student presentations of how evidence from research can assist them to address real world issues.. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Use evidence to identify areas that require policy change; Search for and critically appraise evidence for policy design and implementation; Understand key theories of the use of evidence in policy and practice; Critically analyse the role of evidence in policy and political processes; Understand citizen and community experience as evidence; Use evidence effectively in a case for policy change.

This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy as well as provide students with an understanding of the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics and political economy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks that shape decision making in health. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; Identify policy instruments and how they function; Understand the main frameworks used for analysing health policy, and different approaches and perspectives regarding setting priorities in health policy; Apply methods and principles of health economics e.g. resource scarcity, opportunity cost, efficiency and equity to practical real-life examples; Critically analyse the role of economic evidence in informing policy decisions in health decision-making in Australia.