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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 17, Issue 01 | September 30, 2020

Policy Memo: ​Inclusive Policymaking Tools: A COVID-19 Pandemic Case Study

Ans Irfan (1), Ankita Arora (2), Christopher Jackson (3), Celina Valencia (4)
  1. Environmental and Occupational Health Department, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
  3. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
  4. Cancer Prevention and Control Program, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170112
Keywords: diversity; equity; inclusion; DEI; inclusive public policy; COVID-19; social inequities; systems change; pandemic; community engagement; systems thinking; federal policy; public health
Executive Summary: World Health Organization (WHO) estimates indicate the United States of America has the highest novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) burden in the world, with over 5 million confirmed cases and nearly 165,000 associated deaths as of August 14th, 2020 (WHO 2020). As the COVID-19 mortality and morbidity has disproportionately impacted populations who experience vulnerabilities due to structural issues such as racism (Laurencin and McClinton 2020; Lin II and Money 2020; Martin 2020; Kim et al. 2020), it has become increasingly necessary to take this opportunity and intentionally codify diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in the policymaking process. To encourage and facilitate this, we synthesize existing literature to identify best practices that can not only be used to inform COVID-19-related public policy activities but will also continue to inform inclusive policymaking processes in the future. We identify specific tools for policymakers at all levels of government to better operationalize the DEI framework and enact inclusive, equitable public policies as a result.

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Ans Irfan MD, MPH is a public health practitioner, researcher, and a faculty member at George Washington University with extensive expertise in equity, diversity, and inclusion. He is also a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar. Some of his recent projects include: farmworkers health equity; the intersection of theology and public health; traffic wardens and climate adaptation in Pakistan; evaluation of physicians’ training on climate change and health; global and occupational health equity. He can be contacted at ansirfan@gwu.edu.
 
Ankita Arora PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado- Anschutz Medical Campus. She studies the role and mechanism of RNA localization in neuronal cell lines. As an international scholar, she extensively advocates for promoting diversity and inclusion, especially in STEM.
 
Christopher Jackson is a PhD Candidate in Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, where his research focuses on developing nanomaterials tools for sensing and gene delivery in biological environments.
 
Celina Valencia, DrPH, is a National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in Cancer Disparities at the University of Arizona. Dr. Valencia’s research focuses on cancer mortality disparities in rural populations.
 
Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful for the National Science Policy Network’s DEI Committee for their leadership and creating the space to explore this idea.
 
Disclaimer
Authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. This tertiary literature synthesis study not did not receive any funding from any sources.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

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