Policy Making Process

Policy Making Process

In Thomas Dye's perspective on public policy analysis:

• Focuses on describing and explaining policy rather than prescribing solutions.
• Involves exploring causes and consequences of public policies.
• Develops and tests various alternatives related to these causes and effects.
• Emphasizes accumulating research findings to deepen understanding.

In Sapru's view of policy analysis methodologies:

• Policy analysis uses data to estimate and measure the outcomes of public policies.
• Aims to provide extensive information at minimal cost regarding:
  1. The expected outcomes of proposed policies.
  2. The real outcomes of policies already in effect.
• To achieve these goals, several methods or approaches are employed:
  • Systems analysis and simulation (recreations)
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Innovative budgeting methods
  • Policy experimentation
  • Policy evaluation

Ripley (1985) outlines methodologies for policy analysis, highlighting key aspects:

Utility: Models simplify complex realities but need management to suit analysis.

Purposes: Models are designed for specific goals.

Limits: They isolate specific variables, limiting their application.

Environment:

• External environment.
• Internal government.
• Specific policies and programs.
• Policy actors' perceptions of the environment.

Governmental Policy Activity:

• Policy statements (intent).
• Policy actions (implementation).

Societal Policy Activity:

• Societal implementation (program usage).

David Easton's "political systems" theory encompasses:

Components:

• Environment: Social, Economic, Political realms.
• Inputs: Demand, Apathy, Supports.
• Decision-making: Often termed the 'Blackbox.'
• Outputs: Decisions and Actions.
• Feedback.

Key Assumption:

• Society harbors varying values, interests, resources, and goals, necessitating authoritative allocation during conflicts (scarcity vs. Incompatible goals).

Central Question:

• Lasswell's query, "Who gets what, when, and how?" underscores the core of politics and the primary function of any political system — the distribution of values.

Environment:

• Social
• Economic
• Political

These all exist inside the Environment

Inputs:

• Demand
• Apathy
• Supports

Decision-making: 'Blackbox'

Outputs:

• Decisions
• Actions

Feedback

This breakdown separates each component into its respective category, allowing for a structured representation of Easton's model using text.

Inputs

• Environment yields physical, social, economic, and political elements.
• Political system receives demands and supports.
• Demands: 'SCOGI' claims altering the environment.
• Supports: Rules, laws and customs forming political community foundation.

Blackbox

• Defined as the area where policy decisions are made.
• Central component of the political system.
• Components at the heart of the Blackbox:
  • Institutions
  • Personnel
• Personnel includes:
  • Chief Executives
  • Legislators
  • Bureaucrats
  • Policy-makers
  • Technocrats

Title: Outputs and Implementation

• Political decisions yield actual policies.
• Public policy is depicted as an output of the political system in systems theory.
• Implementation involves bureaucrats and other stakeholders.
• Policies are designed to serve 'SCOGI' – the intended beneficiaries of the policy.

Title: Feedback and Impact

• Policy outputs can create new demands or support changes in the system.
• Feedback is crucial for shaping the environment for future policies.
• It assesses policy effects on the environment and demand fulfillment.
• Significantly influences the political system.
• Feedback acts as a potent instrument guiding government actions.
• For a bad decision: Cancel the decision based on feedback.
• For a fairly good decision: Modify or change certain aspects.
• For an excellent decision: Maintain the decision as is based on feedback.

Policy Environment and Stakeholders

Policy Environment:

• Influences and is influenced by policy-making processes.
• Intra-State (Societal) Environment:
  • Structural: Political systems, governmental branches, rules, laws, institutions.
  • Economic: Economic growth, wealth distribution, GDP.
  • Social: Population dynamics, diversity, social structures.
• Extra-State (Societal) Environment:
  • International Political: Involvement of IGOs.
  • International Economic: Impact of IFIs.
  • International Social: Involvement of NGOs, profit and non-profit.

Policy Stakeholders:

• Citizen groups, labor unions, political parties, government agencies, elected leaders, policy analysts.

Stages of the Policy Cycle

1. Agenda Setting

2. Policy Formulation

3. Decision Making

4. Implementation

5. Evaluation

6. Agenda Setting Stage

Overview:

• Decision on issues to be addressed by the government - prioritization.
• Involves defining and selecting policy problems.
• Policy issues categorized as existing on or off the public policy agenda.

Criteria for Agenda Appearance (Gertson, 1997):

• Scope, intensity, and time influence agenda presence.

Getting Problems on the Agenda:

• Tactics include dramatization and pressure tactics.
• Key activities: Consultation, research, stakeholder analysis, consensus building, communication, leadership.
• Utilization of policy instruments: Cabinet notes, research papers, legal frameworks, evaluation reports, public opinion surveys and documented practices.
• Key actors: Influential individuals, interest groups, planning organizations, media.

Key Aspects:

• Involves competition among groups.
• Emphasizes relationship-building with decision-makers.

1. Policy Formulation Stage

Overview:

• Develops policy proposals to address identified issues on the agenda.
• Considerations: Public interest, effectiveness, consistency, efficiency, fairness, equity, and reflection.

Policy Development Considerations:

• Narrowing the issue and resource considerations.
• Stakeholder analysis and expert involvement.
• Consideration of government intention and ideology.

Key Activities:

• Research and analysis: Problem, situational, cost-benefit, and risk analyses.
• Consultation, consensus building, communication, stakeholder management.
• Strategic management: Vision, mission, strategy, action planning.

Key Actors:

• Legislative staff, parliamentary committees.
• Bureaucrats.
• NGOs, interest groups, private sector.

1. Decision-Making Stage

Overview:

• Policy adoption akin to the 'Blackbox' in systems approach.
• Key Actors: Parliament, Cabinet, Regulatory Agencies.

Decision-Making Techniques:

• Cost-benefit analysis, systems analysis.

Types of Decisions:

• Positive, negative decisions.

Key Activities in Policy Adoption/Decision Making:

• Functions of the chief parliamentary council.
• Parliamentary debate, legislative review.
• Consensus building, lobbying.
• Marketing, public relations, media statements.

1. Implementation Stage

Overview:

• Involves executing policies enacted by the legislative branch.
• Crucial stage in the policy cycle.

Considerations:

• Resource assessment, allocation, funding, and equipment.
• Activities planning.

Key Activities in Policy Implementation:

• Budgeting/resource planning, program/project management.
• Stakeholder management, audits, communication, reporting.
• Oversight by Parliament Committees (e.g., Public Accounts Committee).

Key Policy Instruments:

• Cabinet notes, policy statements, status reports, audit reports, financial reports.

Considerations:

• Role of bureaucrats, timeliness, task segregation.

Key Actors:

• Public sector.

1. Evaluation Stage

Overview:

• Involves assessing government program outputs and proposing reforms.
• Criteria for evaluating a policy: Social acceptability, political feasibility, technical correctness.

Key Activities in Policy Evaluation:

• Audits, legislative oversight, budgetary assessment.
• Parliamentary oversight (e.g., Questions on Order Paper), presidential commissions, press investigations, interest group intervention.
• Assessing policy impact, analyzing actors involved.
• Comparing policy intention versus effect.
• Consideration of policy succession, termination, or modification.