POLICY ANALYSIS

WHAT IS IT?HOW DO WE DO IT?

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

POLICY ANALYSISPolicy 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 ANALYSIS1. 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 questions1. 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 the widest possible range of policy options

Start with the status quo or “do nothing” The status quo is not usually an option but it is the

necessary counterfactual for the evaluation

Strategies for developing options Try to model the process and identify strategies HKS Case Study:

What are other professional schools doing? What are the courses that offer a model?

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 analyses 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

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

Strategic Triangle

MAKE A RECOMMENDATION Bob Behn’s “yesable” proposition What do you recommend? How can you make it easier

for your client/organization to agree? Chart positive and negative consequences of doing and

not doing what you ask. Getting to “yes” may simply involve asking for a different decision.

Change the time frame to make the recommendation possible.

Highlight the results. What is the value added? What are the underlying values that lend legitimacy?

Values mapping (Wehr & Rohrbaugh 1978) helps the parties imagine a future that reflects their values.

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 Key challenges or obstacles to

overcome Implementation across the continuum

of a process