Policy formulation redesigned: A new understanding of policy design and its implications for instruction

Abstract

Despite the fact that our knowledge on how policies are designed has substantially improved during the last two decades, prescriptive literature on policy formulation remains largely disconnected from these new findings. The article examines five major assumptions upon which policy formulation is still predominantly based: (a) there is one way policies are and should be formulated; (b) effective formulation of policies is more about the right application of methods than of the substance of a policy domain; (c) policy formulation is about choosing from mutually exclusive alternatives; (d) problem definition has priority over problem solution; (e) there is a clear distinction between policy formulation, adoption and implementation. This article shows why these assumptions are outdated and that they lead to many practical problems in the teaching of policy analysis. It is argued that policy formulation guidelines and training in policy formulation should be based on current policy design scholarship that stresses, for instance, the importance of local knowledge, deep understanding of actors’ perspectives and the need to formulate policy packages. The article concludes with preliminary recommendations on how to move forward, illustrated with concrete examples from practice.

When public administration education switches online: Student perceptions during COVID-19

“…An offshoot of this has been the globalisation of curricula and a greater focus on comparative public policy and non-Western public administration (Ongaro, 2021). This simultaneously reflects the desire to expose students to international experiences (Hou et al, 2011), inculcate an appreciation of local knowledge in policy work (Veselý, 2020) and, importantly, help prepare the next generation of policy workers (Manoharan et al, 2018) who are equipped with a heterogenous and varied skillset that extends beyond analytical techniques and encompasses activities involving communication and coordination (Hoppe, 1999).…”

“…Instead, it also involves communication, coordination, negotiation, conflict management, sensitivity to human rights and diversity, and problem-solving techniques (Jreisat, 2011). Exposure to international experiences (Hou et al, 2011) and an incorporation of local knowledge (Veselý, 2020) is considered to be an important component of policy training to acquaint students with diverse perspectives and encourage them to contextualise it against their own experiences.…”

“…Instead, it also involves communication, coordination, negotiation, conflict management, sensitivity to human rights and diversity, and problem-solving techniques (Jreisat, 2011). Exposure to international experiences (Hou et al, 2011) and the incorporation of local knowledge (Veselý, 2020) is considered to be an important component of policy training to acquaint students with diverse perspectives and encourage them to contextualise it in relation to their own experiences. Accordingly, instead of relying solely on the instructor, graduate courses offered in schools of public administration deliberately encourage self-learning with an emphasis on drawing upon the experiences of the learner (Savard et al, 2020).…”

Integrated policy formulation processes in local governments: A case study in mid-western Uganda

“…It is broadly a proposed course of action of an individual, group, institution, or government to realise a specific purpose within a given environment (Bhuiyan & Farazmand, 2020). Public policy is described as anything government chooses to do or not to do with the understanding that public policies involve a fundamental choice, on the part of the government, to do something or do nothing (Vesely, 2020).…”

Implementation of Transformational Leadership Principal (Study of Multisitus in SDIT Qurrata A'yun and MI Ibnu Atha'illah Hulu Sungai Selatan District)

“…Meanwhile, strategies can also be interpreted as high-level plans to achieve one goal or more in conditions of uncertainty (Barad, 2018). On the other hand, policies should be made from local knowledge, an in-depth understanding of the perspective of the perpetrators, and the need to formulate the policy (Vesely, 2020). This policy capacity has opened various new roads for the Academic field (Mukherjee & Bali, 2019).…”