Download - Policy Analysis Redux
Policy Analysis Redux
Policy alternatives:
• Where do they come from?
• Which should you include?
• How much detail?
• Must they be mutually exclusive?
Where do they come from?• Status Quo or improved version
• Alternatives already on the “on the table”
• “Smart practices” from other places (use Mintrom’s comparative institutional analysis)
• Tinkered policies by moving your client’s levers or “instruments” (Peter May)
• Off-the-shelf Generic tools (e.g., Bardach, Mintrom, Weimer and Vining generic policies)
• Creative new ideas Creative new ideas
Which options should you include?
• Only those that are feasible for your client!
• The Status Quo (yes, it is feasible!)
• A wide variety that use different instruments
• Any that have significant political support
• Only the BEST of each genre
• No “straw” options or any your client can’t implement
• Some that haven’t a chance, but will “soften up” opinions for later adoption.
How much detail?
• Enough to distinguish between options
• Enough to address concerns, but the least needed to provide the vision
• How much detail do you need to understand the impacts? [What are key elements?]
• How much time do you have to do analysis?
Do they need to be mutually exclusive?
• Yes. You must evaluate the package, not add the expected outcomes of two separate options together.
• If any synergies are possible between actions, then yes.
• Do you need a sequential nested decision process to clarify choices?
Why start with generic tools?
• Generic tools are logical solutions to generic problems (market failures, government failures, institutional challenges
• Generic tools have well known strengths and weaknesses that we can anticipate and work to off-set
• Generic tools have track records that we can use to predict costs and impacts
• Generic tools are the foundation for “tinkering” and “adapting”
Comparative Institutional analysis provides an interesting method for unpacking a package (Mintrom) :
• Define your policy problem
• Identify the places (“cases”) dealing with problem
• Unpack these by identifying the elements: combinations of policy tools, laws, institutional infrastructure, and practices across your “cases” (comparison locations)
• Evaluate the relationship of elements to outcomes
• Consider evaluating NEW alternatives by repackaging elements that seem to be most effective.
Bardach: Things governments do • Taxes• Regulation• Subsidies and Grants• Service Provision• Information• Structure Private Rights• Affect Economic Activity • Provide Education and Consultation• Financing and Contracting• Bureaucratic and Political Reforms
Behn: Things managers do: http://www.businessofgovernment.org/report/performance-leadership-11-better-practices-can-ratchet-performance
Osbourne: Reinventing Your Government
• The Core Strategy. Creating clarity of purpose.
• The Consequences Strategy. Creating consequences for performance.
• The Customer Strategy. Making organizations accountable to their customers.
• The Control Strategy. Pushing control down from the top and out from the center.
• The Culture Strategy. Changing employees' habits, hearts and minds.
http://www.govexec.com/archdoc/rrg96/0996rrg7.htm
Nonprofit tools:• Advocacy
• Direct service
• Grant-making
• Education/training
• Collaboration/convening
• Information provision
• Public marketing/social media use
Weimer and Vining (p. 260):
Weimer and Vining (p. 211):
Weimer and Vining (p. 220):
Weimer and Vining (p. 235)
Weimer and Vining (p. 248)
Weimer and Vining (p. 254)
Policy alternatives:
The analyst’s job is to hunt down or invent the best possible strategies to deal with the problem and predict their impacts.