Sustainable Development

Bernadette Connaughton

Department of Politics & Public Administration

The diligent farmer plants trees, of which he himself will never see the fruit (Cicero)If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either being made (Otto von Bismarck)

Sustainable development is…..

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

Global/International EU National Local

Focus

Public Administration investigates how government works and how government decisions are translated into action by the civil & public service

Focus is on the public policy process

Sustainable development is a ‘wicked’ policy challenge = ‘wicked’ in this context is used, not in the sense of evil, but rather as an issue highly resistant to resolution Examples include global climate change, poverty, crime A problem whose solution requires large groups of individuals to

change their mindsets and behaviour is likely to be a wicked problem

Sustainable development involves collective action problems

‘Wicked’ problems

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

Problem may never be solved definitively, changing requirements

‘Wicked’ – symptoms of other problems

Stakeholders have different understandings of problems

Collective action problems Suggests societies are not able to solve public problems when

they involve common pool resources

‘Tragedy of the Commons’ - Hardin (1968) Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that

compels him to increase his herd without limit – in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.

Clear benefits in cooperatinge.g. air pollution control Difficulties in policy change e.g. developing a fishing policy

Public policy challenges

Climate change and clean energy

Conservation & management of natural resources

Education Fiscal stability Global poverty Public health & food

safety Social inclusion,

demography & migration Transport

Public policy is…..

Peters (1993) ‘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 policy 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

Core policy 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 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 B. Connaughton (PA4018-Public Policy Process)

Agenda setting Problem recognition & definition

Use of mass media

Issues reach….• crisis proportions• Achieve scientific

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

way

Issue definition & agenda setting

Homelessness Issue (people sleeping on

the streets) – Problem (homelessness)

– Policy (more housing)Or

Issue (people sleeping on the streets) – Problem (vagrancy) – Policy

(more gardai, prosecution)

Urban Regeneration Issue (children burned in

arson attack) – Problem (lawlessness out of control) – Policy (coercion, law enforcement)

Or Issue (children burned in

arson attack) – Problem (represents breakdown in society) – Policy (regeneration, rebuild community)

Formulation

researching policy issues consulting with interests 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 Ministers in cabinet 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 (provided 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

Political context Political will and public

pressure

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

pro-active for tomorrow? International agreements Ideology of government

parties ‘Silo’ mentality of

government departments

Environment is one-tenth science and nine tenths politics (Anonymous British Delegate U.N. Conference on Human Environment)

Example 1 – Climate change Copenhagen SummitPolicy Commitment & ‘High Politics’

Political agreement & legal treaties

Copenhagen Accord (3 pages)

EU – leadership or ‘house of cards’?

Final accord – USA, China, India, Brazil & S.Africa

Example 2 – Mobile Phone MastsPublic acceptance & protest

Zero risk – a possible standard?

Health & safety Mobile phone vs mast

Local community protests 1,000 protest Fermoy

Consider other examples, e.g. nuclear power

Example 3 – WasteMinisters, ideology & domestic politics

GREEN PARTY

John Gormley Minister DOEHLG 2007-

Poolbeg incinerator development in own constituency

Opposed to incineration

Ideological & political battle

Roadmap to new waste policy (30th March 2010)

FIANNA FÁIL

Noel Dempsey Minister of EHLG 1997-2002

Martin Cullen DOEHLG 2002-2004

Dick Roche DOEHLG 2004-2007

Set Irish policy in waste management (incineration part of)

Domestic compliance with EU directives

Concluding remarks

Solutions depend on how the problem is framed and vice-versa (i.e. the problem definition depends on the solution)

Public policy making (‘government in action’) is as complex as the ‘wicked problems’ it attempts to resolve

A model of sequential steps in the policy process is “ideal”