PubPob pt. 5 - Policies and Programs & Policy Formulation

This focuses largely upon administrative procedures. These involve, for instance, the collection of statistical information on neighbourhoods and the evaluation of complex community programs.

Administrative Policy

This is concerned with the legislation, programs and practices that govern the substantive aspects of community work. This dimension of policy includes, for example, income security, employment initiatives, childcare services and social exclusion.

Substantive Policy

It refers to policy that is developed within the organization that has responsibility for its implementation.

Vertical Policy

Policy’s developed by two or more organizations, each of which has the ability or mandate to deal with only one dimension of a given situation. This is created between parts of an organization or among organizational components that are similar in hierarchical position.

Horizontal Policy

Those in the agenda

Those not in the agenda

Current Policy

Future Policy

Policy’s introduced and pursued through deliberate choice. The national skills and learning agenda exemplifies this approach. Knowledge and learning increasingly have been recognized as vital keys that unlock the doors to both economic wealth and social well-being.

Proactive Policy

This policy emerges in response to a concern or crisis that must be addressed – health emergencies and environmental disasters are two examples.

Reactive policy

This refers to the provision of benefits to citizens, groups, or corporations. Governments also use this policy to encourage certain activities. Tax abatements and farm subsidies to promote economic development, and tax write-offs for homeowners to promote the housing industry, are good examples. It is also evident when the government promotes the purchase savings bonds.

Distributive Policy

The major purpose of this policy is to promote equality. The government redistributes societal wealth from one group to another group. This occurs when the government provides benefits directly to citizens through social programs such as welfare. Progressive taxation, where tax rates increase as your income increases, is another example of a redistributive policy.

Redistributive Policy

As those which control people by managing the economy as a whole. The techniques of control involve fiscal (tax) and monetary ( supply of money ) policies. They tend to benefit one group at the expense of other groups through the reallocation of wealth.

Redistributive Policies

As those gvernment actions that provide incentive for idividuals or corporations to undertake activities they would only reluctantly undertake without the promise of a reward. These can be classified into three types : subsidies ; contracts; and licences.

Patronage / Promotional Policies

As those which allow the government to exert control over the conduct of certain activites ( ‘negative forms of control’). They include : invironmental pollution; civil & criminal penalties; consumption of tobacco, alcohol; consumer protection ; employee health and safety.

Regulatory Policies

Policies in which the government is used extensively to bring about social change, usually in the direction of ensuring greater level of social equality.

Policies that relate to how something is going to be done or who is going to take action, such as the Administrative Procedures Act of 1946.

Liberal Policies

Procedural Policies

Policies that are concerned with governmental actions to deal with substantive problems, such as highway construction; environmental protection; payment of welfare benefits.

Policies generally oppose the use of government to bring about social change but may approve government action to preserve the status quo or to promote favored interests.

Substantive Policies

Conservative Policies

Policies are those benefits that cannot be given to some but denied to others, such as national defense and public safety.

Policies that are those benefits that cannot be given to some but denied to others, such as national defense and public safety

Collective Goods Policies

Material Policies

Policies appeal more to cherished values than to tangibles benefits; such as national holidays that honor patriots, concerning the flag etc.

Policies that those goods that may be divided into units, and for which consumers can be charged , such as food, trash collection, home security etc.

Symbolic Policies

Private Goods Policies

Characteristics of Good Policies

• Socially acceptable

• Politically viable

• Technically correct

• Participative

Factors in Policymaking and Evaluating Policies

Public interest

Effectiveness

Efficiency

Economy

Consistency

Fairness and equity

Reflective

This includes:

•Process of developing solutions to public problems

•Involves identifying alternatives and selecting the best option

•Guided by evidence, values, and political realities

Policy Formulation

Key features of Policy Formulation, EXCEPT:

• Evidence-based but value-driven

• Proposes National Policies

• Iterative and dynamic

• Multi-actor process

• Influenced by politics and power

Proposes National Policies

MAJOR ACTORS IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR POLICY FORMULATION… EXCEPT:

• Legislative Branch (Senate, HOR)

• Civil Society and NGOs

• Foreign International Investors

• Executive Branch (President, Cabinet, NEDA)

• Judiciary (Policy Interpretation)

• Local Government Units

• Private Sectors and Interest Groups

Foreign International Investors

Role of Executive, EXCEPT:

• Sets Policy Agenda

• Proposes National Policies

• Implements Programs

• Multi-actor process

• Issues executive orders

Multi-actor process

Role of Legislature, EXCEPT:

• Drafts and debates bills

• Respond to community-specific needs

• Approves or rejects policies

• Represents public interests

Respond to community-specific needs — Conducts public hearings

They:

• Implement national policies locally

• Create Local ordinances

• Respond to community-specific needs

Local Government Units

Enumerate Policy Criteria

• Effectiveness

• Efficiency

• Equity

• Feasibility

POLICY SUBSYSTEMS

• Government

• NGOs

• Citizens

• Media

• Private sectors

Policy Tools include:

Regulation

Public Services

Incentives

Information campaigns

Policy Adoption factors:

Crisis - driven policies (rapid adoption due to changing circumstances)

Influence of Powerful Interest Groups on Policy