Policy

Describe what public policy is

“statement of intended direction developed to guide present and future actions and decisions”

“System of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action, and funding priorities concerning a given topic promulgated by a government entity or its representatives”

Public policy is a deliberate course of action, decision, or set of rules adopted by a government to address a public issue, achieve specific objectives, and guide actions by government, organizations, and citizens. • In simpler terms, public policy is what a government chooses to do (or not do) about a particular issue. Policies provide direction for decision-making and implementation. They are often supported by legislation, regulations, procedures, and programs

Describe what public interest is

Generally, includes accountability, legality, integrity, objectivity and responsiveness

• Often at odds with “managerial” efficiency…..in other words, it tends to slow things down

Public interest decisions often involve balancing competing interests.

List Current examples of public interest

Canada may impose retaliatory tariffs to defend national economic interests and strengthen its negotiating position

What are the key attributes of public policy?

• “Government response to some sort of issue or problem

• Can take the form of law, or regulation, or the set of all the laws and regulations

• Made on behalf of the "public"

• Oriented toward a goal or desired state

• Made by governments (with or without stakeholder input)

• Ongoing process - does not always have a clear beginning or end”

Are policies legally binding?

No! they are action plans, protocols, and principles to guide decisions/ regulations

Define acts

In Ontario, laws are enacted through Acts (also known as statutes) passed by the Legislative Assembly and regulations (also known as subordinate or delegated legislation) created by the government.

Define regulations

Regulations provide the detailed rules and procedures for implementing and enforcing the broader framework established by the corresponding Act.

Reorder this into its proper hierarchy

• Act (statute)

• Government priority

• Policy

• Program / Guideline / Directive

• Regulation

• Government Priority

• Policy

• Act (Statute)

• Regulation

• Program / Directive / Guideline

List off some policy drivers

• Social values

• Environmental concerns

• Regime change

• Court decisions

• International trade

• Throne speech or budgets

• Environmental Bill of Rights

What are the three types of policy incentives

• Positive– voluntary (e.g. Forestry Futures Trust Fund?)

• Negative– Penalties (e.g. slash left behind?)

• Perverse– Produce a different, and sometimes opposite, result than intended (e.g. harvesting buffers, residual trees)

What is the concept of a policy regime

• A policy regime attempts to describe the domestic and/or international institutions, norms, conventions, rules and behavior that influence state actions

• It includes “actors”, issues and variables which change over time

• A policy regime can be considered a type of complex, adaptive system

Core principles guiding forest policy in Ontario

• Policy principles – high-level considerations & core values that guide the ministry’s policy development, approval, implementation and review

• MNR policy principles:– transparent, adaptive, understandable, horizontally integrated, results-focused, evidence-based, and implementable