CHARLES COTTER

27 NOVEMBER 2012

RANDBURG TOWERS
 PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

Introduction

Key points

Summary

Questions
 DEFINING THE FUNDAMENTAL

CONCEPTS
 Policy:
 A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide
decisions and achieve rational outcome/s.

A purposive course of action based on societal values, followed

in dealing with a matter or concern, and predicting the
outcome that would result from the achievement of the purpose

Public policy:

Policy serving as the enabling and guiding framework for

government in all sectors and at all levels.
 PUBLIC POLICY
Public policy is all about:
 The intentions of the legislative authority towards

society

 The direction in which the legislator wants to steer

society

 The utilization of national resources

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF
 Authoritative
POLICIES
 Enforceable

 Flexible and adaptable

Feasible

Clear

Transparent

Consultative
 PUBLIC POLICY FORMULATION

PHASE 1: INITIATION PROCESS

Step 1: Agenda-setting/issue (problem) identifcation

 Step 2: Policy instruments

Step 3: Policy analysis

 Step 4: Stakeholder engagement, consultation and co-ordination

PHASE 2: GENERATION

Step 5: Policy formulation, decision-making and policy drafting


PHASE 3: IMPLEMENTATION

Step 6: Policy implementation


PHASE 4: EVALUATION

Step 7: Policy monitoring and evaluation
 STEP 1: AGENDA-SETTING/PROBLEM

IDENTIFICATION
Process of identifying policy issues/problems,
 Process wherein the members of society identify their needs, desires and
which require the attention
demands and wherein a legislator decides to place these issues on the
of a legislator
agenda for deliberation
 The setting of the policy agenda allows a legislator to become sensitized to
some of the critical policy requirements that affect society.

 Issue identification can be conducted by forecasting the future with the use
of extrapolative techniques such as the Delphi technique, brainstorming
and scenario sketching

The origin/source of the various organizational policy-related issues


Prioritization of issues
 STEP 2: POLICY
INSTRUMENTS/SOURCES
Legislation and government policy and priorities
Taxation (the budget)
Persuasion (and public pressure)
Inspection and audits

Minutes of meetings
Legislative records

Provision of services meetings

Newsletter, media briefings and community
 STEP 3: POLICY
 Step-by-step way ANALYSIS
of unpacking and understanding policy
choices and comparing possible outcomes

 Policyanalysis needs to explore as rationally and honestly as

possible the implications and possible outcomes of adopting
policy
The importance and value of continual policy analysis

Policy analysis is an attempt to determine the costs and

benefts of various alternatives or to evaluate the validity of

existing policies e.g. Force feld analysis

 Policy analysis is an attempt to bring about and transform
information pertinent to particular policies to resolve
problems pertaining to those policies
 THE VALUE AND BENEFITS OF
POLICY ANALYSIS
 To determine whether they are in effect contributing towards the

general well-being of society and/or serving the best interests of

 The making of rational choices in policy
organizational stakeholders
 Assiststhe stakeholders in policy to comprehend the importance of
values, particular interests and business considerations

 Provides tangible facts

 Compares not only objectives or resources, but also alternative

programmes, it makes errors easy to identify by working with
historical contexts and bears in mind that senior managers must
implement policies and that citizens are involved
 STEP 3: POLICY ANALYSIS

continued…
The role of
 Advisor the policy analyst:

 Advocate

Pre-requisites for policy analysis:

 Refer to pages 18-20

6-STEP POLICY ANALYSIS PROCESS
 Identify the underlying values and aspirations
 Understand the problem in its context

Identify the alternative courses of actions

Decide which dimensions of the problem are most important

Predict the likely outcomes of different courses of action

Measure the chosen courses of action against important values

and aspirations
 STEP 4: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT,

CONSULTATIONaccountability,
 Objective: To ensureAND CO-ORDINATION
responsiveness and
openness and upholding the right to access to any
information held by the state

 Constant interaction with society

Extensive consultation and co-ordination between the various

stakeholders

 Interest groups e.g. civic society; associations and lobbyists

 Public participation
 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Step STRATEGY
1: Identify stakeholders

Step 2: Prioritize stakeholders

Step 3: Get to know and understand stakeholders

Step 4: Stakeholder relationship management

 STEP 5: POLICY
FORMULATION AND ADOPTION
 Factors to consider
 Policy recommendations are normally drafted by senior managers
and then referred to higher management authority for deliberation,
approval and adoption
 It remains the responsibility of the highest decision-making
authority (executive powers) to approve or reject a particular

policy recommendation
 The matter could be referred back to management for further
investigation

A policy-maker or decision maker has to be sure of the ability of

officials to actually execute a policy - administrative, operational

and managerial capacity to implement the decision

 POLICY CONTENT/TEMPLATE
 Purpose statement
 Applicability and scope

 Background/Contextualization

 Defnitions

 An efective date

 A responsibilities section – e.g. oversight and governance structures

 Policy statements - rules - indicating the specific regulations,

requirements, or modifications to organizational behavior that the
policy is creating
CONCLUSION