Transcript What are five key ingredients of a good problem definition for policy analysis?

What are five key ingredients of a
good problem definition for policy
analysis?
Ties to performance management:
• Problem definition must start with the organization or
program mission and objectives
• Indicators from past can be used as part of problem
definition
• Can compare indicators to benchmarks, over time, by
client groups, as part of problem definition
• Logic model or theory of change can provide input for
problem definition within analysis
Kingdon on how issues are defined as problems:
• Indicators, Events, and Feedback
• What makes this an actionable situation now?
• Values:
• Are outcomes consistent with our values?
• Comparisons:
• How do “we” compare to similar jurisdictions or
sets of clients?
• Categories:
• What type of issue is it?
Problems with problems:
• Problems are: interdependent, socially constructed, and
dynamic
• You have to worry about boundaries of definition
• Multiple stakeholders will differ in their perspective on
the problem definition
• You have to choose which models the best define
problem
– Example:
• Rand How Can Faith-Based Organizations Help Address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Central
America?
•
Hayes and Rogers student memo
Problem definition:
• Is specific to the client’s context and tools
• Is a narrative of the issue
• Identifies boundaries of project to make
tractable
• Provides a Model for understanding causal links
and assessing gains in issue
• Provides evidence of the causes, severity,
scope, and changes over time
• Can develop through participatory process to
create buy in for action
Where do we get information for the
Problem definition?:
• Start with the client and any administrative
records, testimony, reports on issue
– Outcome measures
– Changes over time
– History of efforts
• Newspapers, web pages, blogs
• Advocy orgs. and think tanks: “Gray literature”
– Models
– Outcomes in other places
– Potential alternatives
• Academic literature
– Causal theories and Models
– Evidence of scale, scope, change over time
– Evidence of causation
What are the key elements of the
problem definition in the Acheen Street
case?
Pictures from George Town
2011
Penang Heritage Trust:
http://www.pht.org.my/council
Acheen Street Mosque:
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/malaysia/
georgetown/acheen.php
You must define a problem that you can
analyze and client can act on, and
acknowledge other stakeholders’ view of
the problem.