Evidence-Based Decision Making

3 units

Policies can fail because of weak foundational support. Many times, there are no detailed strategic objectives and no clear and measurable success criteria, or these may not be aligned with strategic goals. This course is an introduction to developing policy. Using information about COVID-19 in St. Louis as a case study, this course highlights the intersection of culture; government; leadership; and social determinants such as sex, gender, and poverty. To develop the skills used to evaluate and solve problems, students will learn to critically examine the following: (1) the concept of health (broadly defined); and (2) how data are used to develop policies and programs for communities.