Public Policy Formulation and Analysis-2:Features of Good Public Policy

This is part 2 of the 4-part Course on Public Policy Formulation. This course explains the way policies are formulated, the steps involved and the activities to be performed in the various steps. It also explains the main features of a good public policy and discusses it with reference to policy formulation in Pakistan

In this presentation, we will be discussing the features of a good public policy

1. Public Policy Formulation and Analysis-2 Features of a Good Public Policy Shahid Hussain Raja Author/Trainer/Consultant Cambridge.UK www.shahidhussainraja.com

2. Introduction Comprehensive Legal/Constitutional Validity Internal / External Consistency Technical Feasibility / Resources Availability Financial Viability / Economic Benefits Social Acceptance / Political Commitment Transparency/Equity Environmental Compliance Conclusion Sequence

3. This is part 2 of the 3-part Course on Public Policy Formulation This course explains the way policies are formulated, the steps involved and the activities to be performed in the various steps It also explains the main features of a good public policy and discusses it with reference to policy formulation in Pakistan In this presentation, we will be discussing the features of a good public policy Introduction

4. Retired as Federal Secretary, Govt. of Pakistan, held senior positions Ex.Chief Instructor, National School of Public Policy, Lahore (Pakistan) M.A. (Economics), M.A. (Political Science)-Punjab University, Lahore M.Sc.(Defence and Strategic Studies)-National Defence College Post Graduate Diploma (Development Studies)-Cambridge University Executive Development Program-JFK School of Government, Harvard Author of 12 books on various public policy, national/global issues. Conducts courses online and offline About the Author-Shahid Hussain Raja

5. Academic Interest: Essential for social sciences-constant interaction between the academicians and the practitioners of the public policies. Impact Assessment : What was the design of the policy formulated and how it affected, positively or negatively, in achieving its objectives? Learning Lesson: An invaluable source of guidance for those formulating policies and implementing them. Why do we need policy Analysis?

6. Form of State: Policy making in federation is a bit slower than in a unitary state due to large number of stakeholders involved Form of Government: Policymaking will be swift in a country under a totalitarian regime than the one run by a democratic setup Stage of Development : Maturity level of policymaking institutions in a developing country reflected in their poor policy formulation process. Capacity of Policymakers: C apacity of different types of actors involved in policy formulation determines the quality of policies made. Reasons for differences between Public Policies

7. Part B Features of a Good Public Policy

8. Must cover all relevant issues, areas it would cover, the groups of people to be affected, the date of its application and the repeal clauses. Bust must be as per terms of reference and appropriate policy measures For example, to overcome acute housing shortage, policy recommends Relaxation of legal framework if it is considered to be too rigid. Technical and financial support to builders and developers Incentives to builders of state buying unsold units at cost prices. Facilitating the access to easy availability of finance by people 1. Comprehensiveness

9. Any proposal made in a policy document against the law of the land is ab initio void. A constitution is a social contract between the state and the society and you, as the public servants and as government servants, are under oath to protect it. That's why the opinion of the Ministry of Law on all policy documents is mandatory. Never skip it whatever may be the urgency 2. Legal/Constitutional Validity

10. No two or more parts of the proposed policy contradict one another. Its findings should be in harmony with the facts and figures given, correct inferences have been drawn from this evidence Sustainability of the policy, the institutional mechanism and procedures for its successful implementation have been laid down. An internally contradictory/incomplete policy has remote chances of successful implementation or realization of intended objectives 3. Internal Consistency

11. No policy is a stand-alone set of measures, rather in sync with the overall aims and objectives of the state, with other policies Review existing policies that affect or will be affected by the proposed policy, revise those provisions in consultation with stakeholders The policy must also take into account contingency provisions, i.e., food security documents must keep in mind climate change, floods. Possibility of earthquakes in an area? provide for strict building code, including laying down guidelines and technical specifications. 4. External Consistency

12. A policy that proposes actions/projects which are not feasible in the given set of technology/techniques is doomed to be a failure. Essential questions for testing the operational feasibility of a proposal Does the technology exist at all? Is the project feasible within the limits of current technology? Does the technology exist at all? Is it available within given resource constraints? Manpower, finances, software and hardware? Necessary technical expertise? Are the current technical resources sufficient for the new system? Can be upgraded to provide the level of technology necessary for new system? 5. Technical Feasibility

13. Ideally, all projects proposed in a policy should be self-financing to ensure their long term sustainability. Few questions to ask How much investment is required for proposed project/programme? At what level the project will break even? How much profit will it be made? If in loss, what will be its quantum and how to cover it? Are assumptions about projections supported by a realistic assessment Are there any variables to which the project is most sensitive? What will be the effects of any changes in these variables? Impose user charges with suitable exemptions for the poor because people are willing to pay if they get quality service. 6. Financial Viability

14. Projects for public welfare are not self-financing, must be economically beneficial to majority, directly or indirectly. Motorways are never financially viable but their socio-economic spin-offs justify their construction in terms of costs-benefits ratio Of course, even this condition can be waived off in case of highly sensitive or extremely strategic public policy scheme 7. Economic Benefits

15. It is easy to include grandiose projects while announcing the development policy of a country But it will remain only a pipe dream if you lack requisite resources, in adequate quantity and of appropriate quality Not only technical personnel and administrative wherewithal but also adequate financial resources are needed 8. Resources Availability

16. Normally a policy must be in harmony with the social norms and values of a society to ensure its smooth sailing-environmental rules Allowing gambling as a source of generating revenue in a country where it is religiously forbidden or socially unacceptable! However, there are times when a policy must be formulated to change these very social norms such as child marriage, bonded labour etc. 9. Social Acceptance

17. A good public policy has SMART(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant,Time-bound) goals with definite benchmarks Some of the examples are as follows to reduce drug-related crime by 10% in city x by year 2025 framing complete legal framework for Food Safety within one year 100 % women over the age of 55 must be tested for breast cancer Reducing loss of lives in traffic accidents by 80% after construction road Lowering country’s rank in corruption related CPI from 25 to 35 in 5 years By setting clear goals and definite benchmarks, it becomes easy to monitor and evaluate the policy and learn lessons for future 10. SMART Goals and Benchmarks

18. Policies be easily understood, information about the policy is available, accountability is clear, and citizens know what role they play in it Any policy made in a non-transparent manner by keeping the stakeholders in dark is politically counter-productive Similarly, equity is essential. Any discrimination based on caste, creed, class or gender in a policy is morally wrong, socially unacceptable. However, a policy could be discriminatory if affirmative action is proposed-job quota for rural areas, transgenders, women 11.Transparency and Equity

19. Environmental Compliance means conforming to environmental laws, regulations, standards and other requirements Environmental issues are now part and parcel of all policies. Significant increase in scope across all global regulatory environments. Do check whether the policy document has a separate chapter dealing with the environmental issues and the related remedial measures Specifically, whether practicable mitigation and adaptation measures have been suggested to tackle the looming threat of Climate Change 12. Environmental Compliance

20. The policy should be prepared in consultation with maximum number of stakeholders/institutions, all identified with their respective roles Unofficially referred to as 'policy community', it is a group of interconnecting bodies that have an interest in a given policy area. Normally this community is made up of pressure groups, cause groups, trade unions, academics, media, civil society organisations There must be an institutional set-up for effective coordination among these stakeholders for the resolution of any dispute 13. Stakeholders' Consultation/Acceptance

21. The success or failure of any policy formulated depends a lot on the level and intensity of commitment of the elected representatives Developing intra-party/ inter-party consensus for any proposed policy measure is the job of minister in charge of concerned ministry. However, your inputs in the form of knowledge, experience, and rapport will be crucial in creating this consensus Remember, without this high level of consensus, chances of a successful approval of the proposed policy are bleak. 14. Political Commitment

22. Public policy is a dynamic but complex process to identify public problems and solve them by taking suitable action when needed Quality of governance in a country is dependent on its capacity to effectively formulate and implement sound socioeconomic policies. Good public policy not only solves problems efficiently and effectively, it also serves justice, and supports governmental institutions Thus only good policies can encourage active citizenship to provide much needed legitimacy to the government, or even to the state itself Conclusion

23. This presentation has been prepared by using the material contained in the author's book “ Public Policy Formulation and Analysis ” It has been published as an ebook by Amazon and is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01672SU10 This book has been translated into Spanish, French, and Portuguese also Although written primarily for the managers, this handbook is equally useful for the senior executives belonging to the public or private sector About the Book

24. 1.International Relations: Basic Concepts & Global Issues: A Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QZSRWT1 2.10 Essential Skills for Public Servants: A Handbook (2nd Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0723GMMT1 3. Political Economy of Pakistan: 1947-2020: A Short History https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0844ZJ8ZL 4.Accelerating Economic Growth of Pakistan: Plan of Action https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0844PG64R 5.Finance for Non-finance Managers- A Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TTNNTC8 5.Agricultural Sector of Pakistan: Challenges & Response https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010TMK28S Books by the Author

25. If you like the presentation , kindly click the icon For any question, kindly email me at [email protected] For downloading the presentation or its word version, please visit my website www.shahidhussainraja.com This website contains large number of articles on diverse issues. Some of these are presented in the next few slides Request

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32. Thanks