The demand for policy analysis in health reform: the view from the Romanian partnership

Health reform initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) assume the existence of two kinds of infrastructure: 1) health care resources that can be mobilized to provide services in a market context and 2) intellectual resources that can be mobilized to plan, design, analyze, implement and evaluate new policy. Considerable attention has been devoted to the requirements for management in health sector reform in the CEE (JHAE, Fall 1994). Relatively little attention has been paid to the intellectual and workforce requirements for policy analysis and leadership in the health sector as well as related policy areas (Berman 1995). This paper begins with an overview of the broad contours and expectations for health reform in the CEE region. It then asks what analytic and public management capital is necessary to guide these policy changes within countries. A specific example of the need for analytic and management capacity is drawn out of the recent Romanian proposal to create health insurance houses (plans) in the 40 judets (districts) across the country. Finally, the paper examines the obstacles and issues involved in expanding the role and number of policy analysts in the CEE.