Table 2.

Modified criteria for analyzing COVID-19 waste management policies.

1. Accessibility

1. A soft copy of the policy document is readily available and easily accessible online   2. A hard copy of the policy document is readily available and easily accessible, or at the very least its physical location is made known to the public

2. Policy background

1. The scientific grounds of the policy are established   2. The legal grounds, i.e., Republic Acts and/or Executive Orders, are established   3. The policy and its goals are drawn from a rigorous and conclusive review of literature, such as international best practices and relevant local statistics   4. The source of the policy is explicit

a. Authority (experts and/or primary literature such as books and journals)   b. Qualitative or quantitative analysis   c. Deduction, where premises that have been established from authority, observation, experience, or all three)

3. Goals

1. The goals are explicitly stated   2. The goals are concrete enough to be evaluated (quantitatively, qualitatively, or both)   3. The goals are clear their intent and mechanisms   4. The actions center on improving the health of the population   5. The goals and outcomes contribute to the intended health outcomes

a.There is external evidence for logically drawing health outcomes   b.There is internal validity for logically drawing health outcomes

4. Financial resources

1. Costs from start to end are explicitly mentioned and accounted for.   2. Means and mechanisms to pay for resources, goals, actions, and outcomes are stated   3. Financial resources are listed and their allocations are clearly stated

5. Human resources

1. The policy accounts for and assigns point persons for each of its activities

a.There is enough personnel to carry out the policy   b.The policy specifies the roles and obligations of each personnel/implementer for each activity

2. The action is part of policy implementer's existing duties

6. Organizational capacity

1. The organization and its partners have necessary and sufficient resources and capabilities to carry out the policy from start to end 2. There is capacity building through adequate training, supervision, and technical assistance in order to carry out activities of the policy

7. Contingency and sustainability

1. The policy takes into consideration contingencies by having measures and mechanisms to deal with disasters, pandemics, and other emergencies, and their aftermath   2. The policy is sustainable and is feasible and applicable to different contexts during the short-term and long-term recovery period after contingencies occur

7. Contingency and sustainability

3. The policy renders itself sustainable enough to mitigate and prevent future environmental health and public health risks

8. Monitoring and evaluation

1. The policy indicates clear, sufficient, and specific criteria and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation   2. The policy nominates an independent body to perform the evaluation   3. The policy identifies outcome measures for each objective   4. The data for evaluation is collected before, during, and after the policy is introduced or implemented   5. Follow ups take place after a sufficient period of time 6. Factors other than the policy that could have produced changes are identified

9. Public opportunities

1. The policy takes into consideration the public's current level of awareness on the policy itself, its context, and issues surrounding it   2. The policy has mechanisms to build the awareness of the public, the stakeholders involved, and the sectors affected by the policy   3. The general public and its various sectors support the action and provide long-term support   4. Multiple stakeholders are involved   5. Primary concerns of affected sectors/individuals are taken into consideration

10. Equity

1. 1. The policy is feasible, applicable to the contexts of marginalized sectors, and its mechanisms are accessible to said sectors.

a. Low-income classes and those unemployed   b. Women and the LGBT+ Community   c. Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), and ethnolinguistic groups, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees, and other geographically isolated persons   d. Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)   e. Prisoners   f. Persons in conflict areas   g. Children

2. The policy takes into consideration differences in impacts on different sectors   a. The policy does NOT pose disproportionate risks to certain marginalized populations   b. The policy does NOT place disproportionate or unequal benefits/access toward certain groups over others

3.The policy is grounded on the reality that certain populations are currently suffering under a greater deal of difficulties compared to others, therefore the policy has mechanisms to address the unequal impacts its implementation will bring

11. Obligations

1.The policy is compelling enough to ensure compliance of the implementers, stakeholders, and affected populations   a. Scientific results (quantitative, qualitative, or both) are compelling for action   b. Legal bases are compelling for action

11. Obligations

2. The policy lists rewards/sanctions if activities are not conducted/implemented   3. The policy lists rewards/sanctions for spending allocated resources on activities unrelated to the policy