Transcript Public Policy Course Session 11

Public Policy Course
Session 11
Policy Analysis and Development
April 2010
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Few Books – Tend to be very expensive
• http://www.amazon.com/Top-Policy-AnalysisBooks/lm/21E6LTV93IZL2
Developing Options
What makes a policy option relevant?
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It has a human dimension
It’s a simple concept
It’s a great story
It works
It reflects current or emerging values
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Developing Options
What makes a policy option relevant?
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It reflects “good government”
Its benefits outweigh its costs
Its investment can be justified
It’s a new way of doing things
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Developing Options
• “Present genuine options in a neutral way.”
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Developing Options
How do you choose a policy instrument?
• Instrument – is what you use to implement the
policy
• Range of least to most intrusive interventions
• Moves along a continuum of complexity, impact
(equity, efficiency, security, liberty), cost, risk
• Rational relationship between policy objective
and means to achieve it
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Developing Options
Least
Less Intrusive
More Intrusive
Intrusive
Informal best
practices
(communities of
practice, networks)
Self- regulation
Most
Intrusive
Formal information
Tax, user fees,
dissemination
subsidy, other
financial incentives
Research and
stakeholder funding
Administrative
policy
Arm’s length
relationships
Standing and
advisory
committees
Legislation,
Regulation
Restructuring
(organizations,
government)
Program policy
Contracts
(accountability,
governance)
Non-arm’s length
relationships
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Developing Options
Maximizeyour
strengths
• Expertise
• Passion
• Network
• Leadership
• Credibility
Write for the environment
• Use plain language
• Keep it short –
summaries, bullet points
• Distinguish between facts
vs. values, analysis vs.
advocacy
• Be practical, realistic –
understand “fit”
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Developing Options
Understanding “fit”
Does your issue and policy option deliver on:
• Government’s policy agenda/priorities
• Government’s communications agenda/priorities
• Current/prospective health of government finances
Challenges, considerations:
• Credibility
• Timeframe of business/election cycle
• Options are never neutral
• Compromising on your integrity
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Constructing a Policy Options Menu
The situation (Case Study)
• How do you take action to solve the problem when you each
have a different idea about how to solve it?
Develop a policy options menu of 3 options that could solve the
problem
• Use supporting research
• Determine what’s missing?
• Are there options you reject? Why?
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Analyzing Options
The concept of “pros/cons,” “benefits/costs”
• Pros and Cons
• “It’s not an option if the pros and cons
aren’t even”
• It’s never neutral or non-political
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Analyzing Options
Quantitative analysis: the basics
Justification for option
What to look at . . .
Real benefits/costs
financial statements, contracts, source of
data, evaluations
Projected benefits/costs
sample size and profile, data type and age,
anomalies, source of data, approvals
range vs. specific costs
reaction – formal comment (research and
stakeholder community, media, public),
consultation
Real outcomes
sample size and profile, data type and
age, anomalies, source of data, approvals
current status of same/similar
interventions
Projected outcomes
reaction – formal comment (research and
stakeholder community, media, public),
consultation
Does it make sense?
What else could you look at.?
Finally, revisit your process for defining/framing the issue. . .
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What turns a policy option into a decision?
• It reflects consensus or compromise – it’s the best
deal
• It works – it solves the problem or at least makes it
go away
• It manages risk well – it’s relatively “safe”
• It can lead to more change – it’s incremental
• It gives your community and the government an
opportunity to engage - it carries the power of
partnership
• It “fits” – it delivers on the government’s policy,
communications, and/or fiscal agenda
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• Other?
How do you describe the key elements of a
decision?
• Reference the issue and how you’ve framed it –
this solves the problem as we understand it
• Translate the policy solution into a communication
strategy – this is what it means
• Explain the “why” - summarize the rationale,
including the political benefit – this is why we’re
recommending this
• Highlight the risks – there is a possible risk of…
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Making a Recommendation
Case Study
You and your colleagues now have a list of policy options
with their pros and cons worked out.
It’s time to decide what you recommend
Your task
• Using the list of options and pros/cons that you created,
develop a set of recommendations to solve the policy
issue(s) you first identified. Include a brief, rationale to
explain the package you’ve put together.
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What are expected impacts?
Expected impacts are obvious consequences that
should be planned for:
• Legal/regulatory requirements via legal advice
• Technical issues in program
design/implementation
• Institutional capacity to deliver, evaluate and
modify (human and fiscal resources)
• Effect on intergovernmental relations
(federal/provincial/territorial
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What are expected impacts?
• Legislative reaction via political party
statements, Question Period
• Stakeholder reaction via third party
statements, consultation
• User/client reaction via patterns of use,
consultation
• Media/public reaction via polling, consultation
• Other implications?
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What are unexpected impacts?
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Socio-economic outcomes
Gender impacts
Ethno-cultural and racial impacts
Other equity-based impacts, e.g., disability, language, age,
immigrant/refugee status
Cross-cutting impacts that involve other policy areas
Longitudinal outcomes, I.e., change in outcomes over time
Changes in larger structures, e.g., political instability,
economic decline etc,
Other implications?
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Putting the Pieces Together
Think about the recommendation you made on
your issue
• What are the consequences of these
recommendations?
• What degree of risk would you attach to each?
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Contains the proposed course of action
Specifies roles and authorities of respective
ministers in implementation
Indicates use of key policy instrument(s)
Indicates the reallocation plan, funding
implications, source of funds, profile and
funding required
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Outlines why action is required, including
origin of the issue;
Links reasons for action to strategic agenda;
Describes credible options that were
considered; and
Presents the principal arguments in support
of the recommended option, and weakness
of others, using fact-based analysis.
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Includes where appropriate:
– Possible adverse consequences of both
proceeding and not proceeding;
– Legal risk assessment including charter and
trade;
– Horizontal policy impacts
– Privacy impacts
– Official languages considerations
– Provincial/territorial or regional considerations
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Includes where appropriate:
– Gender issues;
– Who was consulted
– Private and voluntary sector implications;
– Sustainable development aspects and results
of Strategic Environmental Assessments (as per
the 1999 Cabinet Directive on Environmental
Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program
Proposals); and
– International perspectives.
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Includes risks and strategies:
– Adverse consequences and criticisms
– Flag any policy and implementation issues; and
– Clearly articulate strategies for managing these
risks (e.g. integration plan).
Includes results and accountability
– Articulate expected results and how they will
be measured
– Outline the planned evaluation and audit plan
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Include financial, asset and HR implications
– Departmental Comptroller and Comptroller
General sign-off. Include reallocation
strategies.
Include communications plan
– Overview of strategy and tactics, including
state of public opinion; concise, fact-based
assessment of challenges and opportunities;
horizontal and coordination issues
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Cabinet Recommendations Checklist
Include communications plan cont’
– Timing considerations, key milestones or
related events
– Target audience(s) and expected reactions (i.e..
parliamentarians, provinces, territories, and
other key stakeholders); and
– Vehicles
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More Sources
Texts
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Brooks, Stephen. Canadian Democracy: An Introduction, 4th ed. (Toronto: Oxford
University Press, 2005)
Inwood, Gregory J. Understanding Canadian Public Administration: An Introduction to
Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Toronto: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004)
McCaskell, Tim. Race to Equity: Disrupting Educational Inequality (Toronto: Between
the Lines, 2005).
Rice, James J. and Michael J. Prince. Changing Politics of Canadian Social Policy
(Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000)
Savoie, Donald J. Thatcher, Reagan, Mulroney: In Search of a New Bureaucracy
(Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005); Breaking the Bargain: Public Servants,
Ministers, and Parliament (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003); Governing from
the Centre: The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics (Toronto: University of
Toronto Press, 1999)
Stone, Deborah. Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decisionmaking (New York: W.W.
Norton & Company, 1998)
Swanson, Jean. Poor-Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion (Toronto: Between the Lines,
2001)
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More Sources
Journals
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Canadian Journal of Policy Research, www.isuma.net
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Canadian Public Administration, www.ipac.ca
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Canadian Public Policy
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The Canadian Journal of Political Science
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Journals for specific policy areas, e.g., Journal of Community Practice, Canadian Journal of Public
Health, Canadian Journal of Urban Research, Journal of Urban Health, Ethnicity and Health, Social
Problems, Canadian Journal of Sociology, Journal of Health and Social Policy,, Research on Social
Work Practice (access via e-indices by topic or search engines, e.g., Silverplatter, Scholars Portal,
Medline)
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Advocacy journals, e.g., AIDS and Public Policy Journal
Websites
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Institute of Public Administration Canada, www.ipac.com
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Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, www.policyalternatives.ca (includes federal and provincial
alternative budgets)
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Caledon Institute, www.caledoninst.org
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Local/regional social planning councils, community service organizations, communities of research
and practice
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Government (federal departments; provincial/territorial ministries, ;agencies, boards, commissions)
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