PPA 503 – The Public Policy- Making Process Lecture 3b – Components of a Policy Paper

Introduction Outline of policy area. Outline of policy area. Why is this important? Why is this important? In short, tell them what you are going to tell them. In short, tell them what you are going to tell them.

Problem Definition What conditions exist that suggest that there is a problem? What conditions exist that suggest that there is a problem? Why do the conditions represent a public problem rather than a private problem? Why do the conditions represent a public problem rather than a private problem?

Problem Definition Who are the stakeholders who will affect the definition of the problem? Who are the stakeholders who will affect the definition of the problem? What competing problem definitions might the stakeholders have? What competing problem definitions might the stakeholders have? What problem definition appears to dominate your policy and why? What problem definition appears to dominate your policy and why?

Agenda Setting What problem definition appears to dominate your policy and why? What problem definition appears to dominate your policy and why? Relying on Kingdon, what combination of problems and politics has brought the issue to public attention? Relying on Kingdon, what combination of problems and politics has brought the issue to public attention?

Agenda Setting Who are the key stakeholders? Did anyone act as a policy entrepreneur to get the policy on the government agenda? Who are the key stakeholders? Did anyone act as a policy entrepreneur to get the policy on the government agenda? What was the issue attention cycle (i.e, did the issue rise and fall in public attention by producing a solution or without producing a solution)? What was the issue attention cycle (i.e, did the issue rise and fall in public attention by producing a solution or without producing a solution)? What was the outcome of the agenda setting process? What was the outcome of the agenda setting process?

Policy Formulation Who are the stakeholders? Who are the stakeholders? What are the competing definitions of the policy problem? Which definition is dominant? What are the competing definitions of the policy problem? Which definition is dominant?

Policy Formulation Relying on Kingdon, what combination of problems, policies, and politics produce the alternatives? Relying on Kingdon, what combination of problems, policies, and politics produce the alternatives? What are the competing alternatives? What are the competing alternatives? What are the likely outcomes from the implementation of each alternative? What are the likely outcomes from the implementation of each alternative?

Policy Legitimation What competing values must policy- makers maximize for this problem? What competing values must policy- makers maximize for this problem? Which values dominate the decision? Which values dominate the decision?

Policy Legitimation Who must make the decision? Who must make the decision? Is the policy arena for the decision primarily executive, legislative, or judicial? Is the policy arena for the decision primarily executive, legislative, or judicial? What is the decision? What is the decision?

Policy Implementation What is the policy decision? What is the policy decision? What organization or agency must implement the decision? What organization or agency must implement the decision?

Policy Implementation What resources (human, financial, and organizational) will the organization need to carry out the decision? What resources (human, financial, and organizational) will the organization need to carry out the decision? How will the agency verify that the implementation was successful? How will the agency verify that the implementation was successful?

Policy Evaluation What are the goals and objectives of the policy program? What are the goals and objectives of the policy program? What are the characteristics of the program that will achieve the goals and the objectives? What are the characteristics of the program that will achieve the goals and the objectives?

Policy Evaluation What methods will evaluators use to assess whether the program achieved the goals and objectives? What methods will evaluators use to assess whether the program achieved the goals and objectives? Will the evaluator assess the success of the implementation, the impact of the program, or both? Will the evaluator assess the success of the implementation, the impact of the program, or both? What conclusions has the evaluator reached about the program? What conclusions has the evaluator reached about the program?

Conclusion Summary. Summary. Conclusions. Conclusions. Recommendations. Recommendations.