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POLICY ANALYSIS
WHAT IS IT?HOW DO WE DO IT?
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
POLICY ANALYSIS
Policy analysis is the process of clarifying a messy policy challenge, analyzing relevant information – including information on the specific context of the problem, clarifying, playing out the implications of and weighing options for action, making recommendations, and, in some cases, developing a strategic plan for implementation.
BASIC STEPS INPOLICY ANALYSIS
1. Define the problem2. Assemble evidence3. Construct the alternatives4. Select the criteria5. Project the outcomes6. Confront the trade-offs7. Decide8. Tell your story
**********9. Develop an implementation strategy
POLICY ANALYSISIS A PROCESS
Linear Some steps, by definition, must precede
other steps. i.e., begin by defining the problem
Iterative As you move through the steps, it will be
useful to revisit earlier steps and clarify your thinking
STRATEGIES FORCLARIFYING THE PROBLEM Bardach provides hints
Think of deficits and excesses Make the definition evaluative Quantify the problem if possible
Iterate between problem definition and ideal state/goal Don’t build solutions into policy problems; keep an
open mind as long as possible
Important to place the problem definition in the context of the situation you are addressing – but not to get too bogged down in specifics.
Begin with a hypothesis A topic might already have an “answer” because of
legislation or some other kind of mandate.
Focus on strategy and develop your questions
1. What is the status quo? What is the target?2. What services / professional resources exist to
support the status quo? How can they be leveraged for the target?
3. Who are the stakeholders? What are the costs and benefits?
Best Practices Model Identify the “Best Practice” models for similar
programs.
Compare the existing model to those “Best Practice” alternatives
Make recommendations to bring the existing model to the level of “Best Practice”
Address issues of implementation and assessment/evaluation – short term, medium term and long term
ASSEMBLE SOME EVIDENCE What evidence do you need?
Assess the nature and extent of the problem Assess the particular features of the policy
situation you are studying? Assess your policy options?
What data do you need to do this? Where do you get the data?
Data and evidence in the case study What additional evidence, if any, would you
want?
CHALLENGES TO ASSEMBLING EVIDENCE
Limits on your time Develop a calendar; work back from the due
date; determine how much time you have for each component of the project
Lack of access to data or individuals You lack the skills to access it (i.e., language) There is an unwillingness to provide the data – or
access to the data – to you Confidentiality issues
Poor data quality
CONSTRUCT ALTERNATIVES Begin with as wide a range of policy options as you can develop
Include “do nothing” In the case of your HKS assignment, this will not be an
option but it is the necessary counterfactual for the evaluation
Strategies for developing options What other professional schools doing? What are the courses at HKS that offer a model? Try to model the process and identify strategies
Categorize and combine options You want to have “distinct” options for comparison
SELECT THE CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING AMONG OPTIONS
What values or outcomes do you want to maximize? Minimize?
What political, financial and other constraints does your client face?
PEST / SWOT analysis and ease of implementation
PROJECT THE OUTCOMES “Play out” each option. What is likely to happen?
What are the costs? Benefits? Challenges to implementation?
Draw on logic, the experiences of others in similar and/or comparable situations. Have other individuals or organizations tried to do
this before? What was the outcome? Why? Consider confidence intervals/margins of error around
your projections The “what if…” scenario construction process,
including both the best case and worst case scenarios Construct PEST matrix
CONFRONT TRADE-OFFS Normally there is no obvious “best”
solution? Each option normally has plusses and minuses Values often conflict
Consider strategies for comparing across multiple dimensions Sometimes weighting the criteria helps. Graphing may help Assessing implementation capacity helps
The Strategic Triangle is a useful heuristic
MAKE A RECOMMENDATION
Bob Behn’s “yesable” proposition
TELL YOUR STORY
Clarity and precision of language Structure of document and lay out of
pages Use of graphs, charts and pictures vs.
words Visual presentation of document
DON’T IGNORE A STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT
Issues to address over the short-term, medium-term and long-term
Useful alliances and pitfalls to avoid Implementation across the continuum
of a process
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