Background. Inspired by current drug policy developments in North America, the current study examined stakeholders’ experiences and perceptions of power and value in a drug policymaking process in a North American city.
Methods. We conducted semi-structured interviews and administered social network questionnaires (n=17) to people involved in the development of a new drug policy in a North American city. Participants included people with lived experience, policy advocates, researchers, law enforcement, and government officials. Data were analyzed using social network analysis and qualitative thematic analysis.
Results. The policymaking network showed that connections could be found across groups of participants, with government officials being the most central. Qualitative data showed that inclusion in the network and diversity of connections did not necessarily translate into feeling powerful or valued. Many participants were dissatisfied with their roles in the process despite having structurally advantageous positions or self-reporting moderately high quantitative value scores. Participants who viewed themselves as more valued saw the process as more balanced or fair than those who felt undervalued.
Implications and Conclusion. While participation aims to make stakeholders and communities feel valued and empowered, our findings highlight that relative importance in a drug policymaking network doesn't, in and of itself, guarantee these outcomes. The lines that divide the powerless and undervalued from the powerful and valued are complex. Our study demonstrates the utility of combining social network, questionnaire, and qualitative data to better understand and identify the ways in which experiences of participation are perceived and how they can be improved.