This eight-step checklist is intended as a planning tool for a variety of policy development or service-planning projects. It can also be used to review a project towards (or after) completion.
1. What population issues are relevant?
What population issues may be relevant to this (actual or proposed) policy or service? (An issue may be, for example, the changing age structure of the population, internal and external migration, increasing population diversity).
For example, the relative requirement for places in schools and demand for services for older persons will change over time, as the age structure of the population changes. These changes will have both medium and long-term implications.
- What demographic, and non-demographic, processes may be influencing recent trends and projected changes in the relevant outcomes?
2. Who will be affected?
Who are the people or groups likely to be affected either directly or indirectly by this policy or service?
- In what ways might they be affected?
- To what extent might they be affected?
- Do the chosen sub-groups form coherent logical units for analysis, or are the groups internally diverse in significant ways?
3. Sub-groups
Why are the sub-groups we have selected for analysis the relevant groups, and how do these sub-groups fit within the population as a whole?
- How do outcomes vary within these groups, compared to variation between groups?
- Can useful comparisons be drawn between sub-groups and the total population, or with other times and places? Are we comparing like with like?
- How might different groups respond to the policy or service changes being considered?
- What are the possible impacts over the medium to long-term, which might effect ways in which the outcomes of the change should be monitored and evaluated?
- What are the possible broader and unintended effects of the policy or service change on other sectors or other service recipients?
4. Available information
What relevant population information is available?
- How can we access this information?
5. Any quality or relevance issues?
Do the available population statistics present any quality or relevance issues?
- Is the sample size or quality of the source data sufficient to support conclusions with respect to key sub-groups?
- How have the statistics been compiled?
- Are definitions used consistently across different statistical collections, and within individual time-series?
- Have there been any recent changes in how the statistics have been collected or compiled?
Tip: Assessing the policy implications of population issues can be difficult and complex. Seek input when necessary from a demographer on the interpretation of population statistics, or the methods of analysing them. For detailed analysis consult a population agency, or an expert on the particular statistics being used.
- Do we have this expertise within our own agency, or do we need to consult externally? Some specific issues with data are to be found here. [link to Don Rowland's table below]
6. Any policy or service delivery issues?
Do the population issues and related statistics highlight any aspects of the policy or the service delivery which might otherwise be overlooked?
- Are projected short-term population trends likely to obscure longer-term population trends?
7. Making a decision
What information actually matters for making a decision?
8. Presentation
What are the best ways to present the demographic data and analysis to decision-makers?
- How can we present information so it does not unintentionally mislead our audience, or fail to connect the demographic data with a wider context?