title: A network approach to policy framing: A case study of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.
abstract: Aboriginal health policy in Australia represents a unique policy subsystem comprising a diverse network of Aboriginal-specific and "mainstream" organisations, often with competing interests. This paper describes the network structure of organisations attempting to influence national Aboriginal health policy and examines how the different subgroups within the network approached the policy discourse. Public submissions made as part of a policy development process for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan were analysed using a novel combination of network analysis and qualitative framing analysis. Other organisational actors in the network in each submission were identified, and relationships between them determined; these were used to generate a network map depicting the ties between actors. A qualitative framing analysis was undertaken, using inductive coding of the policy discourses in the submissions. The frames were overlaid with the network map to identify the relationship between the structure of the network and the way in which organisations framed Aboriginal health problems. Aboriginal organisations were central to the network and strongly connected with each other. The network consisted of several densely connected subgroups, whose central nodes were closely connected to one another. Each subgroup deployed a particular policy frame, with a frame of "system dysfunction" also adopted by all but one subgroup. Analysis of submissions revealed that many of the stakeholders in Aboriginal health policy actors are connected to one another. These connections help to drive the policy discourse. The combination of network and framing analysis illuminates competing interests within a network, and can assist advocacy organisations to identify which network members are most influential.
authors.affiliation: La Trobe University School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia. Electronic address: jsbrowne@students.latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE), University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia. Electronic address: e.deleeuw@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Leeuw
authors.affiliation: La Trobe University School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia. Electronic address: d.gleeson@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gleeson
authors.affiliation: Gukwonderuk Indigenous Engagement Unit, Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. Electronic address: karen.adams@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Gukwonderuk Indigenous Engagement Unit, Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. Electronic address: Petah.Atkinson@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Petah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: La Trobe University School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia. Electronic address: r.hayes@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D054521:Cultural Competency; D006285:Health Planning / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000592:standards; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
keywords: Aboriginal health; Australia; Frame analysis; Health policy; Indigenous health; Network analysis; Networks; Policy analysis