1. Rajendra Adhikari, Director of Studies
Public Policy process
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Rajendra Adhikari, Director of Studies

2. Contents Policy context Policy management process
Policy enforcement and delivering results
Monitoring and evaluating policy
Critical success factors of policy management
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3. Meaning and Defining Policy
Policy : a purposive course of action taken or adopted by those in power in pursuit of certain goals or objectives.
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4. Meaning and Defining Policy
Public policy is a guide to public action that manifests an approach with which the government provides responses to the societal needs, aspirations, growth and welfare.
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5. Meaning and Defining Policy
A futuristic statement of intentions and specific approach to reach a predefined goal.
Public policy is the outcome of struggle in government over who gets what!
Public policy consists of political decisions for implementing programs to achieve societal goals.
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6. Meaning and Defining Policy
Public policy is the sum of government activities, whether acting directly or through agents, as it has an influence on the life of citizens.
A public policy is a deliberate plan of actions of the government to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes.
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7. There is no commonly accepted definition, but as a working definition:
Public Policy: “course of action or inaction chosen by public authorities to address a given problem or an interrelated set of problems”
Pal, Leslie A., (2010) Beyond Policy Analysis: Public Issue Management in Turbulent Times Fourth Edition (Scarborough, Ont: Nelson Thomson Learning), p.10
What is public policy ?
J.E.Anderson , 1975 :Public policy is a purposive course of action followed by government in dealing with some topic or matter of public concern
D.Easton , 1953 : Public policy is the authoritative allocation of values for the whole society
T.R.Dye , 1978 :Public policy is whatever governments choose to do or not to do
William Jenkins in Policy Analysis: A Political and Organizational Perspective (1978), a policy is
‘a set of interrelated decisions taken by a political actor or group of actors concerning the selection of goals and the means of achieving them within a specified situation where those decisions should, in principle, be within the power of those actors to achieve’.
Policy making a process, and not simply a choice.
C.L.Chochran & E.F.Malone , 1995 : Public policy consists of political decisions for implementing pro-grams to achieve societal goals
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8. Implications
After identifying a public policy problem, governments may choose to act or not act
Decision not to act may come from concern for precedent, lack of authority or mandate, need for resources
Decision to act may come from market failure and the inability of the market to provide services or conditions that the government considers society needs
Fundamentally, the decision is ideological: what is the role of the government in society and the economy?
Why should government intervene?
Does the free market provide health care and a clean environment for all?
Does the market depend on certain services that only government may provide for the efficient production of goods and services?
Is government the only actor that can improve market efficiency or alter economic and social costs, risks, and income distribution in a positive way?
Are there some sectors where only the government has the legitimacy to act?
D.L.Weimer & A.R.Vining, 1999 : “ .... Greater equity in the distributions of economic and political resources, should be viewed as only necessary conditions for appropriate government intervention “
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9. Why is Public Policy Important?
Policy supports the efforts of the government to solve problems affecting people in society by making choices
Policy is the means by which the government (“public authorities”):
Sets out a vision and goals for the economy and society
Decides on priorities for action
Defines what is and what is not a problem and choosing which problems to solve
Sets out the role of government to deal with the problems
Making policy means:
Deciding what is and what is not a problem and choosing which problems to solve
Defining the role of government to deal with the problems
Seeking the views of citizens on the problems and proposals to resolve them,
Deciding on the means to solve them
Determining the financial and human resources necessary to resolve the problem
Ensuring that the policies are implemented in a way to bring about results
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10. Why is Public Policy Important?
Chooses the means to solve them
Designs activities, programs and services to deliver on its associated strategic objectives, work-plan, activities, resources and leadership to achieve that choice
Determines how revenues are received and public funds are spent to achieve its goals
Seeks the views of citizens on the problems and proposals to resolve them,
Determines the beneficiaries of policy
Articulates a basis for leadership
Making policy means:
Deciding what is and what is not a problem and choosing which problems to solve
Defining the role of government to deal with the problems
Seeking the views of citizens on the problems and proposals to resolve them,
Deciding on the means to solve them
Determining the financial and human resources necessary to resolve the problem
Ensuring that the policies are implemented in a way to bring about results
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11. Rule/laws and Policy
Policy, by setting principles, guides actions to achieve a desired outcome.
As tools of policy action, rules or laws can compel or prohibit behaviors (e.g. a law requiring the payment of taxes on income)
Both the rules and policies are the fundamental instruments to facilitate governance.
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12. Desired Tenets of Policy
Deliberate objectives (development, program, project and service level), goals and desired outcomes
Implementability: Compatible to or able to create structures, systems of enforcement, willingness, social support, practical
Room for reforms: Timely improvements and dynamic adjustments
Made with system approach—demand-interaction-supply
Broad-based participation of public (making and implementation) —process and collaborative exercise
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13. Tenets of Good Policy Consistent with the constitution
Compatibility, harmony and synergy
Legal and Legitimate
Promote responsiveness
Global dimension– global perspectives with local priorities
Effective monitoring mechanism
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14. What is good public policy?
What the community wants
What the market provides
How is expert judgment
Good Public Policy
What political & business leaders wants
Most efficient use of public resources
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15. Policy Fronts: Broad Types
1. Macro-economic policies—general and holistic: (fiscal, monetary, finance and investment, commerce, technology, and foreign aid) 2. Governance policies— more or less specified: (foreign relations, general administration and security)
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16. Policy Fronts: Broad Types
3. Sectoral policies—specific fronts:
productive sector (agriculture, manufacturing and services),
the development sector (local development, health, education, information and communications, transport, energy, and water),
the cross cutting sector (environment, labour, land, peace and reconstruction, and social dimension)
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17. Basics of Policy Process
Policy process encompasses a range of activities in a number of different jurisdictions, including local and state governments
Agenda setting (Problem identification)
Policy formation (Alternatives)
Decision-making
Policy implementation
Monitoring (through mechanism)
Policy analysis and evaluation (continue or terminate)
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18. Policy process–A roadmap
2. Policy Context
1. Livelihood/socio-economic assessment
5. Implementation & Impacts
3. Actors
4. Contents
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19. Policy process
Policy development and implementation does not always occur in a linear, logical way,
Problem definition: Policy development starts with problem definition. During this stage, a problem is identified and examined, and possible solutions are explored through research and analysis.
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20. Policy process
Agenda setting: The next step is agenda-setting. During this stage, efforts are used to raise the profile of the problem and possible solutions among the public and decision-makers.
Typical strategies include:
community organizing
public education
media and communications
convening stakeholders
building coalitions
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21. Policy process
Policy adoption: Next, policymakers discuss options and possible solutions and adopt new or amend existing policy. Common strategies used to impact policy adoption include:
issue advocacy
regulatory advocacy
community organizing
public/private partnership creation
In the case of ballot measures and referenda, the voters are policymakers and the election determines policy adoption.
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22. Policy process
Implementation: This phase is often ignored because it is not as visible to the general public. Implementation is an essential phase during which critical decisions are made which ultimately determine the policy's effectiveness. Approaches used include:
issue advocacy
regulatory advocacy
proceeding/litigation
public/private partnership creation
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23. Policy process
Evaluation: After a policy is implemented, it is important to evaluate its effectiveness. Policy research and analysis are strategies to evaluate whether the policy meets its original intents and if there are any unintended outcomes. If the policy is not successful on any level, evaluation findings can be used during a new phase of problem definition. The policy life cycle begins again and continues until an effective policy is created and successfully implemented.
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24. Remarks
Public policy changes do not occur overnight; rather, they are the result of activities in each stage of the policy life cycle.
Each phase can take weeks or years, depending on the depth of the issue, the people involved, and the intricacy of the policy itself. This life cycle is only a framework—not all policy is formed according to this linear model.
However, all policy creation is incremental and builds upon prior developments and activities.
A number of different strategies are often required to create one policy change.
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25. Group Exercise
Now in your group identify a policy problems that you consider the government should resolve as priority:
Why do the governments need now to address the problem through policy?
What obstacles are there to resolving the issues?
Who is affected by the issues?
Where would you find information on the challenges?
Report back to the plenary on the issues you have identified
Looking to the present and to the future
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26. Considerations
In the assignment, in focusing on a problem, your group should consider: 1. What is the current government position on the problem? 2. Why does the current position not work to solve the problem? 3. What causes the problem? What has changed to cause it or to make it worse? 4. How severe is the problem? How do we know? 5. What do the citizens of Nepal want to achieve? Do different groups of citizens have different objectives? How do we know? 6. Who within government, or outside with assistance, has the responsibility and the means to address the problem? 7. What types of actions (“tools”) can the government (or others) use to resolve the problem?
Note: keep problem simple (one problem is easier to solve than many)
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27. Concluding remark
Public Policies guide the actions of the government for creating welfare to the people par their expectations at large.
Public Policy framing cannot be a linear process according to the differing nature of the policies and their core concern.
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28. Thanks for your cooperation!
Floor open!
Complements and remarks welcome!
Thanks for your cooperation!
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