Understanding Policy Contexts CEP:ELM, 2011 Mombasa

Brainstorming When you hear the word ‘policy’, what comes to mind? Why?

What is policy? A principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s) It is a "Statement of Intent" or a "Commitment“ It guides actions toward those that are most likely to achieve a desired outcome. Policies are generally adopted by the school board; implementation (procedures) are developed and adopted by school leadership

Think-Pair-Share Why have policies?

Policy Effects The intended effects of a policy vary widely according to the institution and the context in which they are made policies are typically instituted to avoid some negative effect that has been noticed in the institution(s) or to seek some positive benefit a policy change can have counterintuitive results. Therefore, important to assess as many areas of potential impact as possible

Group Activity Based on the policy allotted to your group, discuss the following questions:  What did you do to implement the policy in your school? Why?  What enabled you to implement the policy?  What challenges did you face in implementing the policy?

School Leaders’ Role Issue identification – What issue is the policy attempting to address? Policy analysis – In collaboration with other stakeholders, establish what is required and implications on existing practices; Communication – inform and discuss the policy directive and its intended/unintended outcomes

School Leaders’ Role (Cont.) Implementation – team formation, leadership distribution & delegation; BUT overall supervision; Monitoring & Evaluation – progress, setbacks and way forward should be noted REFLECTION – crucial throughout the process

Developing school policies Features of a policy: Purpose statement Applicability and scope An effective date A responsibilities section Policy statements