In order to finalize the research and to achieve the total expected outcomes, there are still a number of steps which need to be carried out in the months to come. These are:

• Improvement of the Excel programme DAP has prepared for processing and calculating the data for forwarding to the countries (July 1996).

• Finalization of the research at national level (data and reports), to be achieved by mid-September 1996.

• Comments from the three coordinating institutions on reports and data (end of October 1996).

• National workshops to disseminate the results and test hypotheses (end of February 1997).

• Writing of scientific articles and reports by the national teams for inclusion in a larger publication (end of April 1997).

• Organization of an international workshop in one of the countries involved (India has already proposed to host this). Its objectives will be: to review the hypotheses on policy process; to identify specific policy innovations from the cross-national approach that could improve the design and the implementation of pharmaceutical policy; and to propose ways to improve the political feasibility of implementing those innovations within specific political contexts.

• Preparation, editing, publishing and dissemination of the results through various publications.

Funding will be sought by DAP and IHCAR to carry out all these activities. If funding is not available, a contingency plan will be made at a later stage.

A number of countries have done the political mapping; for the time being, there are no funds to do this exercise in new countries but people are welcome to contact Michael Reich for advice by e-mail. It is also possible that students from Harvard or people from the region, who are already trained in the methodology, can assist countries in the political mapping.