Evidence-Based Policy

Therefore, they are considering the public’s opinion, and gathering information based on these studies which is unbiased. The quality of the article is very organized. It has subtitles for each section, charts and tables to show statistics, and a conclusion of the studies.

The intended audience for the this article is an academic audience but it is also beneficial for the public policy makers. It is possible to ascertain since it

The policy cycle suggested by Althaus, Bridgman and Davis consists of a continuous wheel which nominally begins with the task of 'identifying issues ' and progresses through 'policy analysis ', 'policy instruments ', consultation ', 'coordination ', 'decision ', 'implementation ' and 'evaluation ' before beginning the cycle again (Althaus et al 2013: 37-40). The authors admit that policy rarely actually follows this model sequentially in the steps outlined above and is really meant as more of a guide to good policy, rather than an evaluation of actual practice (Althaus et al 2013: 40-42).

“Policy research puts the spotlight on the variables that indicate relationships of social problems and other variables that public policy can manoeuvre” (Weimer and Vining, 2011, p. 25). Therefore, it is understandable that a better-educated and informed public that is present nowadays is more concerned about governments doing ‘the right thing’. Likewise, there is more and more scepticism about government interventions, especially when they inherit monetary spending (Davies et al., 2000, pp. 1–2). These are only a few reasons why in the field of policy making evidence became a substantial part. According to the vast amount of literature and the importance assigned to this topic from governments globally, one could think we have arrived in a “scientifically guided society” (Lindblom, 1990, pp. 213–214), (Nutley and Webb, 2000, p. 13). The purpose of this essay is to answer the question, if the barriers to evidence-based policy making are much smaller than most critics suggest. For this reason, a short introduction and the current debate about evidence-based policy will be given in the first instance. Secondly, known barriers of evidence-based policy making like timing or resources and ways to overcome them, will be presented. Based on these findings a concept that explains the claim that the barriers of evidence-based policymaking (EBP) are much smaller

This paper is a review of chapter’s one (1), two (2) and three (3) in Thomas A. Birklands (2016) fourth edition regarding policy process. The reading attempts to define and show what is meant by policy process, how government, politics and the public are intertwined, problems that are associated with the policy process and how we address the problems. Current day events as well as past history are applied to the practice of policy process which assists in defining the process and highlighting its connection and importance. Thomas A. Birklands refers to the Clinton administration, the Obama administration and the George W. Bush administration, the DARE Program, World War II, and the Vietnam War, in the chapters and leads us down a path discussing

Also, we expect our public service to do the best it can with the community resources available to it. Yet there is usually great mismanagement in the public sector, Yet nobody act to resolve this issue or call the minister to order because it will harm the government’s standing and may cost it votes. This portrays a consequence of a community supported reward system unavoidably biased against good public sector management.

Rethinking government is the most revolutionary idea. it can govern in the true sense of the word, where the government wants every agency to immediately define its performance objective, quality objective, and their cost objective. This should be followed by the adoption of the formal processes of continuous improvement and benchmarking. All agencies and their policy, program, activity, should be confronted with these questions: “What is your mission?” “Is it still the right mission?”, “Is it still worth doing?” “If we were not already doing this, would we go into it now?” This questioning has been done often enough, in all kinds of organizations—businesses, hospitals, churches, and even local governments. Government should cut taxes and improve

AbouZahr C, Adjei S and Kanchanachitra C (2007) From data to policy: good practices and cautionary tales. The Lancet 2007; 369: 1039–46

After reading this article, the author gave readers a bunch of ideas about the public policy field. The author illustrated the definition of public policy clearly, explained specifically the broad field of public policy, and absolutely brought out reliable theories. It is a very useful chapter for the novice of public policy or public administration. By all means, this article provides multidimensional fashions to analyze or determine the

This paper is a review of Chapters 1, 2 and 3 in Patton, Sawicki, and Clark, (2012) third edition, Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning. Chapter 1 discusses problem review, the analysis of difficult problems, the complexity of problems and how the decision makers will make their decisions (Patton, 2012, p. 2, 3). Chapter 2 examines the policy analysis process, the types of policy analysis, the role of the analyst and ethical considerations. Chapter 3 discusses the gathering of data, interviewing, statistical analysis and communicating results. This paper contains (1) an overview of the chapters, (2) summarize the key points, (3) summary of the reading, and (4) underscore some implications/applications for policy and practice at a local, state or national context.

In spite of the policy cycle tool, it is not as easy to develop or implement new policy as there are many factors influencing it. The process of policy development involves many participants and individual stake holders. It also involves various areas which will be affected due to the new policy development and implementation. According to Hardee, Feranil, Boezwinkle and Clark (2004) policy circle involves six different stages and involves various parties who are working together for the new policy development. However, it is

The skill of effective research based policy is not truly understood, but the growing research on the linkages between research and policy has identified a number of factors. These important factors are the credible, high quality research, and intent to shape policy, understanding and factoring in the sociopolitical context in which the research will capture, identify, and networking with key actors in government, civil society, and organizations (Jones, Tefera, and Woldehanna, 2008). However, to monitor and possibly hold national and international policy makers liable to their official commitments to improve the conditions of those children living in poverty, researchers and activists must recognize the important of quantifiable indicators

Having analyzed the historical background of the need to identify policy alternatives, it is then critical to have an overview of the stakeholders and policy networks involved in the formulation and identification of policy

In the following paragraphs, I will explain the dominant theory in public administration practice and elaborate on the major theoretical assumptions of the Old Public Administration. As stated in the question, the world has transformed through globalization, information technology, and devolution of authority since the latter part of the last century. The dominant theory in public administration has been replaced from the traditional rule-based, authority-driven processes of the Old Public Administration with market-based, competition-driven tactics in the New Public Management, beginning in the 1980s (Kettl, 2000, p. 3). This was an effort to privatize government and streamline public administration to maximize efficiency and productivity. Heavily relying on market mechanisms to guide public programs, public administrators in the New Public Management are encouraged to “steer, not row,” meaning they should not bear the burden of delivering services, but instead define programs that others will carry out, through contracting or other means (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2011, p. 13). Core values of the New Public Management include using private sector and business approaches to the public sector, squeezing as many services as possible from smaller revenues, market style incentives, providing customers more choices, and focusing on outputs and outcomes instead of mainly processes.

Bason,C (2010) uses the term public sector innovation to refer to “the process of creating new ideas and turning them into value for society” .(Bason,2010) then goes on to discuss about the value public sector innovation holds and asserts that the public sector has four major components: productive, service experience, results and democracy. (Bason, 2010, p.34)