7 July 2008 - SPA508 Policy Analysis & Design

Overview of coursePolicy Analysis & Policy AnalystsComponents of policy processDefining policy problems

The course

Public Policy: What government chooses to do or not to do

Policy Analysis• Systematically produces/examines empirical

(based on observation, capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment) data to

• Analyze & present alternatives to solve public problems

Course Topic Plan I

First third guided by Bartech's steps• Define the problem• Assemble some evidence• Select criteria• Constructing alternatives

Next third considers policy instruments• Programs• Regulations

Course Plan II

Final Portion• Specific skills – cover basic requirements

• Program Evaluation• Cost Benefit Analysis

• Presenting findings

Pedagogy

Power points cover relevant material posted at http://spa508.wikispaces.com

Short assignments (posted on wiki)• To apply course concepts• To generate class discussion & problem

solving• Graded on quality (see note 2 on syllabus)

Integrative assignment: action memo

Course Objectives

See syllabus for specific objectives Select strategies/tools to manage inputs (identify

problems, advance problem definitions, identify opportunities and barriers), select alternatives, track outputs, and assess impacts

Select criteria to compare alternatives, track outputs, and assess outcomes

Write effective action memos

Introductions & Questions

About you• Name• Work, if applicable• Area of policy interest• Career aspirations (within the next 5 years)

Opinion about class starting time 6, 6:30, or 7:00

Questions

Public Policy & Policy Analysis

Public Policy: What government chooses to do or not to do

Policy Problems: Something that can be improved by a public policy

Policy Analysis• Analyze & present alternatives to solve public problems• Provide information to specific decision maker(s)• May suffer from “myopia” b/c of client’s orientation or

time pressure

Observations on Policy Analysis

Frequently associated with economists and economic analysis; focused on costs & monetized benefits

Can be viewed as applying empirical skills to • Examine components of the policy process• Provide decision makers with feedback and

recommendations

Policy Analysts

May work in government offices which include “policy,” “planning” “evaluation” or “budget” in their title

May work in advocacy groups and think tanks

May work in regulated firms to provide information to influence gov’t policy

Think Tanks from Wikipedia I

Organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, science or technology. Funded by gov’t, interest groups, businesses; some derive income from consulting or research.

Think Tanks from Wikipedia II

Supporters see them as them as "one of the main policy actors...assuring a pluralistic, open and accountable process of policy analysis, research, decision-making and evaluation".

Opponents see them as "little more than public relations fronts ... [whose] scholarship serves the advocacy goals of their industry sponsors."

Skills

Know how to gather, organize, and communicate information

Ability to put perceived problems into perspective (a detached view)

Technical skills to improve the prediction of consequences of selecting a given alternative

Understand political environment & organizational behavior to predict feasibility of adoption and successful implementation of a policy

The Policy Process

EvidenceFeedback

Defining Components & Actors Inputs: raw materials of the process

• Includes problems, politics, agendas• Involves policy entrepreneurs

Policy production: inputs are assembled to create a solution• Includes laws, programs, contracts• Involves policy makers

Outputs: what is produced• Benefits received by target population

Outcomes: intended (and unintended) consequences• Winners & losers

Policy Development

Most policy ideas already exist but wait for an opportune time to arise

Policies are part of the universe of ideas that are constantly being debated

Alternative Selection

Why are some policies chosen over others?• Tradeoffs between two values

• Environmental protection vs individual economic well being

• Fiscal concerns• Political feasibility

Evaluation and Feedback

Scientific vs political evaluation What if a program doesn’t work

• What do we mean by “doesn’t work”?• Do we replace the policy?

Why do policies fail• Poor policy design or theory• Disagreements among implementers• Insufficient resources

Public Policy Problems

Problem definition: Strategic representation of a problem

Representations provide evidence of a problem; policy entrepreneurs may use to promote their agenda• Visual images• Stories: describe & represent problems• Causes: reason problem is thought to have

occurred • Quantification of the problem

Some examples

Problems? Policy Problems?• Roughly 25% of Malaysia families do not

have dinner together (Straits Times, 6/7)• Rural farmers are unable get their crops to

urban markets (where they would receive greater profits)

• 200,000 Filipinos are living in Sabah illegally

A problem definition

In 2000 alternate story lines explained why Gore lost Florida• Organization of a ballot in a key county• Defective voting machines• Disenfranchisement of felons• Votes for 3rd party candidate• Questions about absentee voting

Each story implies a different solution and different winners and losers

The Importance of a Problem Definition: An Example

On May 12, 2008 approximately 87,000 people in China died as a result of an earthquake

A problem definition implicitly or explicit address a cause that public policy can address

Complete this sentence• 87,000 died in the May 12 earthquake

because . .

Considering you definitions

What evidence might support your definition?

What action does each imply • Programs• Laws/Regulation• Something else

Written Assignment for 14 July Creating and Promoting a Problem Definition Due: 14 July 2008 – 6 p.m. 3 % of Final

Grade Select a policy problem you are interested in

and briefly define the problem.• What evidence supports this definition?• Give two other alternate definitions of the problem.• For each definition, including your own, suggest at

least two stakeholders (people, agencies, groups) that might either support or oppose this definition. Briefly indicate why they would support or oppose it

Written Assignment 21 July Interview a policy analyst or consumer (referred to as an

informant) 5% of final grade Name and brief job description on your informant (please

attach card) Brief summary of the informants training How does the informant decide what policy problems (or

issues) to work on? If the informant is a policy analyst

• What steps does s/he take to study a problem• What tools does s/he commonly use?• What tools or skills does s/he consider most valuable?• What advice would s/he give a student interest in a career as a public

administration

21 July Assignment (Cont’d)

If the informant is a policy consumer• How does s/he go about researching a problem?• What resources does s/he find most valuable? • What types of analysis or research presentations does

s/he find most useful? Why?• What types of analysis or research presentations

does s/he consider of little or no value? Why? What advice would s/he give a student interest in a career as a public administration