Target Policy Profile Completion Instructions

A tool to facilitate dialogue around evidence needed to effect a change in policy.

Created with Raphaël 2.1.2
Created with Raphaël 2.1.2

Engage your target audience early and often

When ready to create your TPoP, first identify the “target audience” for the information you want to communicate. Often policymakers are the target audience. An ideal approach is to engage specific members of your target audience as well as key opinion leaders (KOLs) in early dialog that is intended to draft a “case for change”. This case for change should:

  • Establish arguments based on robust evidence for why the proposed policy change will save and improve lives.
  • Summarize the existing approach.
  • Propose the evidence requirements to justify the proposed change in policy. This will come from research and other implementations, pilots and guidelines.
  • Highlight existing research and identify any gaps to be filled by further studies, serving as a tool to discuss and agree on approaches including the design of studies to address evidence gaps.

This can be done by including KOLs in a design workshop to draft the key points for your case for change and collaboratively fill in the TPoP template. The output of the initial workshop will often be required research and the planning of new studies to generate necessary evidence. The draft TPoP can be iteratively revised, based on the research and studies you complete and by working in concert with the relevant stakeholders along the way, to keep them involved in the dialog and integrate their feedback, when appropriate.

Created with Raphaël 2.1.2
Created with Raphaël 2.1.2

Filling out the TPoP template

The Target Policy Profile Template is a blank copy of the template for you to fill out. This template includes some questions in red (under the “Proposed Target Policy” column header) that you will need to answer to help you draft your Proposed Target Policy. These questions are for guidance only and should be removed before the template is circulated.

Once completed, the top section of the TPoP Template allows you to outline the specific “case for change story” for your proposed TPoP. If desired, this tabular structure can easily be used to draft a compelling and easy-to-read document to engage policymakers, the research community and/or other stakeholders. Such a document should include: (1) your case for change, including the list of challenges of the current policy that make the newly proposed policy attractive to public health; (2) the benefits of a new policy; (3) if it exists, an exemplar case of the how the proposed policy is performing well in current use somewhere, and (4) the proposed summary of evidence that will be presented to change the policy.

The bottom section of TPoP Template (Target Policy Profile “tool”), once completed, provides a side-by-side comparison of the new/proposed policy, the current policy and the pros/cons of the new policy. The completed table can be included in your TPoP document.

Please note: Implementors of studies should also always refer to relevant regulatory standards and guidelines (e.g. FDA, EMA) to assist with study/protocol design.