Week 11: Law and PolicyWeek 11: Law and Policy

Lecture 11:2

The Public Policy Process

Bernadette ConnaughtonDepartment of Politics and Public Administration

IntroductionIntroduction

OUTLINE• Sustainable development challenges

– Issues such as diverse as climate change, social inclusion, planning, energy, transport, environment

– SD recognised in public policy (International, EU, National, Regional, Local)BUT – Are sustainable development challenges ‘wicked problems’?– SD challenges can involve collective action problems– Is there sufficient attention? What is on the government agenda for

action?

• Focus is on the public policy process– What is public policy, characteristics, influences, making sense of

the public policy process

Sustainable development Sustainable development is…is…

• A concept of sustainable development must remedy social inequities and environmental damage, while maintaining a sound economic base

• Global/International• EU• National • Local

‘Wicked’ problems

• No quick fixes or simple solutions, need innovative, flexible approaches

• Problem may never be solved definitively, contradictory, changing requirements

• ‘Wicked’ – symptoms of other problems

• Stakeholders have different views, different understanding of problem

Public policy challengesPublic policy challenges

• Climate change and clean energy

• Conservation & management of natural resources

• Education• Fiscal stability• Global poverty• Planning• Public health & food safety• Social inclusion,

demography & migration• Transport

Public policy is…Public policy is…

• Public policy is the sum of government activities…[that have] an influence on the lives of citizens

• Public policy decisions determine who gets what, why, when, how

• Public policies take effect through – strategies, laws, services, finance, taxes

Characteristics of public Characteristics of public policypolicy

• Public policy involves government

• Public policy involves decisions to act (& not to act)

• Public policy entails the commitment of resources

• Public policy has a normative dimension– Vision of the way things should

be– Influence of values

Influenced by…

• Beliefs, values, ideology, norms, culture, finance, equity, experts, elite opinion, interest, democracy, organisation, experts, evidence, prescription, bargaining, dispute, consensus, compromise, procedure, strategy, bureaucracy, ideas, institutions, influence, planning, identifying solutions, choices, discussions, coordination, joined-up, pragmatism, resources, instances, interpretation….

• What else?

The people

The Oireachtas Gov

Elections

Parties

NGO’s

Media

Participation

Issue Agreement

Min PA

Formulation /Decision making

Decisions carried out

Output,Outcome

Implementation of the Will of the People

Freedom of Opinion

The Irish Political System

Process

Understanding the problem

Testing success and makingit stick

Developing solutions

Putting solutions intoeffect

5 stages of the policy cycle & their relationship to applied problem solving

• Applied problem solving

1. Understanding problem

2. Developing solutions3. Choice of solution4. Putting solutions into

effect5. Monitoring results

• Stages in Policy Cycle

1. Agenda Setting2. Formulating policy

3. Decision making4. Policy

implementation5. Policy evaluation

The Policy cycle

Agenda SettingAgenda Setting

• Problem recognition & definition• Use of mass media• Difference between the agenda ‘for

talk’ (systemic) & the agenda ‘for action’ (institutional)

How can issues reach the agenda?• Indicators, events, feedback• crisis proportions• Achieve scientific recognition,

evidence• emotive aspect• wide impact likely• power & legitimacy• fashionable in some way

FormulationFormulation

• researching policy issues• consulting with interests

& stakeholders• identifying policy goals• identifying possible

action• assessing costs &

benefits of alternatives

• Finding solutions

Decision-making

• Sifting through the options• Action or non-action?

• Taking a decision – Government– Civil servants

• Examples of policy:• Delivering a Sustainable

Energy Future for Ireland The Energy Policy Framework 2007 – 2020

• Sustainable Development - A Strategy for Ireland - 1997

Implementation

Concern with outputs and outcomes• Drafting/passing legislation• Allocating resources• Designing programmes• Publicising programmes• Delivering services

• ‘Is it easier to put a man on the moon than put a homeless family in decent accommodation?’ (Parsons, 1995)

Factors• Nature of the problem • Extent of behavioural change

required

Evaluation

• is policy achieving goals?• Is it cost effective?• Is it fair/equitable?• Can it be improved?• Should it be changed?

The policy process in context (will provide as a handout)

Wider publiccontext

Politicalcontext

• How does the problem / policy fit with government manifesto / priorities?• What policy conflict / priorities need to be resolved?• Is a cross-cutting approach needed

• How can evidence best be presented?

• Who else within government needs to be involved & how• What is the impact of devolution?• What is the role of the EU?• How should work be organised• How should front-line staff be involved?

• How / when should policy effectiveness & contribution to corporate objectives be reviewed?

• What needs to happen to ensure policy becomes self- sustaining?

• What sort of cross- cutting intervention is required (if any)?• What is the impact on other existing and developing policies?• What are the costs / benefits of different options?

• What evaluation systems and performance targets are needed?• What are the alternatives to legislation & regulation?

• What training and support for front-line staff is needed?• What IS changes are needed?

Understanding the problem

Putting solutions into effect

Testing success and making it stick

Developing solutions

Policy

Process

• How and when should any political representatives be involved?

• Are ministers signed up?

• What is the strategy for presenting policy?

• Who needs to be told what, when and how?• How the stakeholders be kept committed and involved?• What are the quick wins?

• What are the desired policy outcomes•Who are the key stakeholders and how should they be involved?

• What are the needs & views of those the policy seeks to influence / affect?

• What have the experiences of other countries been?

• What are the risks to the policy and how can they be managed?

• What is the impact of possible solutions on equal opportunities, business,

women, environment etc..• How can different solutions be tested

• What evidence is needed and / or available to test the “real world” problem?

Organisational context

Questions

• What are the policy challenges?– How would you prioritise, rank?

• At which level does responsibility, authority lie?– International/EU, national, regional, local

• Is it possible to find a common response?– 27 member states (EU)– Ireland

• Take an issue of your choice and attempt to trace the policy cycle.– Issue definition

Challenges, Choices, Solutions

Hill of Tara & the M3

EnergyNuclear and Renewables

Planning

• Political time frame: life in government is short– Pragmatism today or

pro-active for tomorrow?

• Public policy making (‘government in action’) can be as complex as the challenges it attempts to resolve– Policy cycle approach a

useful framework to ‘make sense’ of the policy making

– Imperfect in that it can mask its complexity