2211 1st (Policy Process Dissection)

• defining moments and narratives

• framing and influence

• large-scale support

Under Agenda Setting

• economic, social, political

• natural, anthropocentric

• local, international

• formal, informal

Agenda Setting - defining moments and narratives

• actors with network and reach

• actors with authority

• actors collaborating/coalescing together

Agenda Setting - framing and influence

• public opinion -> impacting everyone

• necessity, beneficiality, practicability

Agenda Setting - large-scale clamor and support

defining moments and narratives

Under Agenda-Setting

The trigger/events/activities that can inspire the creation of public policy can either fall under these

advocacy via social media

What are example of informal activities that can trigger public policy?

People’s Initiative or Referendum

What are example of formal activities that can trigger public policy?

framing and influence

Under Agenda Setting

Operates on the notion that it’s very important that you know who are the people you are approaching/leverage of these people

public opinion -> impacting everyone

Under large-scale clamor and support (AS)

From time to time, it is important for us to know the feeling and perspectives of the public because their perspectives can shape public opinion and Filipinos would want to bet on candidates who they think has more chances of winning – especially if there is money involved.

necessity, beneficiality, practicability

Under large-scale clamor and support (AS)

When you produce public policy, make sure that you tap the leverages/resources of those actors who can assist you far better than those who have no control at all.

T

T or F: Parliamentary System of Government is not a bad political structure or form of government. In fact, most of the well established countries in the world are parliamentary system.

• recognition

• alternative 

• control

Under Policy Formulation

• formal setting: parliamentary rules and procedures

• epistemic community (evidence-based; empiricism)

Under Recognition (PF)

• putting “better” opinions forward

• comparison and contrast

Under Alternative (PF)

• imprimatur/sponsors

• official procedures (i.e. filing, calendar for reading, committee hearings, research, consultations)

• by designated actors based on established rules

Under control (PF)

T

T or F: Deciding what’s the “better” alternative is in the policy formulation, while deciding what’s “best” is in the decision-making stage

T

T or F: The formal setting really happens in Policy Formulation.

T

T or F: If you’re bill is very much for Education, it could be calendared and assigned to the Committee on Education.

• argumentation and debate

• quorum and voting

• agreed decision

Under Decision-Making

• only by actors recognized to be a part of the assembly

• calendered agenda in formal session/s

• merits outweigh the demerits

• “garbage can” solutions; “primeval soup” approach

• greatest good for the greatest number of people

Under argumentation and debate (DM)

• negotiations, coalitions

• division of the house

• respect for minority

Under quorum and voting (DM)

• official authorization or adoption by government

• majority / consensus vote

• “signed, sealed, delivered” policy

Under agreed decision (DM)

T

T ot F: Only those who are actors who are designated to be officially part of the political system can take part in the argumentation and debate, you cannot expect a NGO/not even the chief executive of the Senator to stand on behalf of the Senator in Argumentation and Debate.

Argumentation and Debate in the Decision-Making Stage

The best alternative can only be uncovered when you engaged in which stage?

Garbage Can Solutions

Under argumentation and debate (DM)

The better ideas probably has been thrown to the trash, in the debate if you are a member of the opposition, you would want to put forward that better idea that was thrown out to the trash with the hopes that you will be enlightened of the jewel coming out of the trash.

Primeval Soup Approach

Under argumentation and debate (DM)

You can have a lot of ingredients but it is homogenous, meaning to say the combination of ingredients cannot be seen OR you can have a lot of ingredients but very visible/heterogenous.

Further, you may get the ideas from those ideas that were already discarded but still has the value because either through cultural practice, norms or because there is a clamor to put them all together. That’s why there is a lot of ingredients for your soup to be delicious.

quorum and voting

Under Decision-Making

Since we say best alternative, that’s why you need to do voting. This involves negotiations, coalitions, division of the house, and respect for minority.

agreed decision

under Decision-Making

Because we are adapting parliamentary rules and procedures, minorities rights to express their ideas/include their ideas must be respected as well. This includes official authorization and a signed, sealed, and delivered policy.

T

T or F: Majority is used because our win when voting happens is majority. Majority is NOT the same as consensus (no one objected) just like in ASEAN.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered policy

Under Agreed Decision (DM)

• the moment that it is signed by the two chambers meaning to say it has passed the Bicameral Conference Committee and because there is endorsement from both chambers, they seal it and deliver it the Office of the President. The President has 30 days to act on.

  • If the President does not do anything for 30 days, the bill becomes a law.

T

T or F: Our Constitution now demands that the President acts on the bill to his office within 30 days. If he doesn’t do anything then the bill becomes a law.

• publication and cascading

• multistakeholder

• uniformity of purpose

Under Implementation

• general circulation / information dissemination

• approaches: top-bottom (pinatulo); bottom-up (pinatubo)

• “ignorance of the law excuses no one”

Under publication and cascading (Imp.)

• specific actors have specific roles/functions, responsibilities, and resources

• everyone is required to follow; no one is above the law

• violations and penalties; rewards and benefits

Under Multistakeholder (Imp.)

• guiding principles; constitutional underpinnings

• monitoring and regulations; assessments

• feedback mechanisms

Under uniformity of purpose

General Circulation or information dissemination

In this part of the implementation stage, the publication, it needs to be circulated to the widest number of people possible.

T

T or F:

• After 15 days a policy can start implementation.

  • 15 days is reasonable time for you to file cases/you want to challenge the interpretation or constitutionality of it.

T

T or F: IRR is created by multi-departments. A product of coordination amongst different departments. Better to wait for the IRR in order to ensure that all decisions are guided by specificity and proper interpretation.

pinatulo and pinatubo

Under publication and cascading (Imp.)

One can go from barangay to barangay in cascading (bottom-up) or go elitist ways through the Official Gazette for publication (top-bottom)

Multistakeholder

Under Implementation

Operations on the notion that  the execution of the law is very departmental. But other stakeholders can also do this part – academe can help in the succeeding. Specific actors have specific roles/functions, responsibilities, and resources.

“ignorance of the law excuses no one”

Under Multistakeholder (Imp.)

It needs 15 days so those who’d like to challenge can prepare within that 15 days. After 15 days you implement and of course you need to invoke the legal provision that….?

T

T or F:

It’s required that newspapers of general circulation (meaning newspapers of national release).

• If the Freeman is national scope then that is acceptable.

• Manila Bulletin – meets the criteria for general circulation.

everyone is required to follow; no one is above the law

Under Multistakeholder (Imp.)

Encourages the Reward System to encourage adherence to policies.

Uniformity of Purpose

Under implementation

Typically laws have constitutional underpinnings whereas clauses, according to Article 2, Section 7 to reinforce that there are constitutional underpinnings that reinforces that particular public policy.

T

T or F:

• People would consider monitoring in the next stage after Implementation which is Evaluation.

• But you can proceed with your monitoring even if you are still implementing.

• We cannot wait 10 years after implementation for feedback.

• intended outcomes and metrics

• reflections and lesson drawing

• opportunities and ways forward

Under Evaluation

• targets achieved

• M&E tools and technologies

• impact felt / trickled down

Under intended outcomes and metrics (Eval.)

• technical feasibility

• value acceptability

• cost and public acquiescence

• chance for receptivity

Under reflection and lesson drawing (Eval.)

• “getting your ducks in a row”

• goal: good policy

Under opportunities and ways forward (Eval.)

intended outcomes and metrics

Under Evaluation

Usually when you do evaluation, you go back to your intended outcome/declared targets – Whether your targets have been achieved or not.

reflection and lesson drawing

Under Evaluation

• Evaluation is a very opportune avenue and time for your to do reflections and lesson-drawing.

  • Is there a need for us to be biased?

T

T or F: It is right for evaluation when the law/policy has been implemented for at least 3 years. (an odd number to see patterns)

Value acceptability

Under evaluation

Is it acceptable that people understand to the point that they conform to the public policy because of ___?

Public acquiescence

Under evaluation

(there was something rejected) meaning if there was rejected. All about acceptability, it was rejected by people/pushback.

Getting your ducks in a row

Under opportunities and ways forward (eval.)

• meaning to say in an orderly fashion.

• Because our intention is to produce a healthy good policy.

1. new idea

2. acceptance

3. public education

4. policy dramatize

5. bureaucrats and channels

6. specialization through media

7. trial balloons

8. pre-conditioning and conditioning

9. treatment as “basis for action”

10. survival of the fittest

getting your ducks in a row

Policy dynamics

This is not a stage but is what will connect all of them together.

• At the core of establishing the interconnectedness of the stages is what we call___?

public value

Binds us together, considers benefactor of legislations

systems and processes

Directs how we go about implementation of agreed values

Syntax Law (2% increase every 5 years)

An example of the incremental dimension of public policy

solid waste collection

An example of the irreversible or reversable dimension of public policy

Actors and stakeholder in policy dynamics

Let’s understand the actors directly involved in the evaluation, implementation, setting the agenda, and every stage— because here we can see if it is horizontal influence or vertical influence.

1. forward looking

2. outward looking

3. innovative, flexible, creative

4. evidence-based

5. inclusive

6. joined up

7. learns lessons

8. communication

9. evaluation

10. review

10 features of a good public policy