COMPONENTE: DEPARTAMENTO DE CONTABILIDAD CONTADORA-AUXILIAR DE CONTABILIDAD

CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Contents

3.1 Scope of Public Policy Analysis

3.2 Characteristics of Public Policy Analysis 4.0 Conclusion

5.0 Summary

6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Public policy is what government chooses to do or not to do. It is government actions or proposed course of action directed at achieving certain goals. Its scope includes variety of areas and issues, such as:

economy, education, health, defence, social welfare, foreign affairs, transportation and housing. Policy analysis is the study of public policy. It is the study of the causes, processes, formation, implementation and consequences of public policy. In this unit, we shall examine the scope and characteristics of Public Policy Analysis.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Scope of Public Policy Analysis

Policy analysis can be delineated into two broad areas:

(1) It involves policy research and analysis and is directed at better policy-making. Generally, it involves marshalling techniques, models, policy choices and strategies;

(2) Policy analysis involves impact evaluation research. This research is aim at improving the performance of existing policies. This is mainly programme evaluation studies. The programme evaluation could be prospective or retrospective. Prospective evaluation assesses the programme alternatives in terms of feasibility, capability and prospects, prior to implementation. The goal is to determine which policy alternative

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could be better implemented or would achieve higher performance.

Programme evaluation can be retrospective if it concerns the evaluation of on-going or completed programmes. The goal is the collection of programme data, which will help managers and others to decide on issues of improved performance and modifications.

However, the scope and sheer size of the public sector has grown enormously is all the developing countries in response to the increasing complexity of technology, social organization, industrialization and

urbanization. At present, the functions of

practically all governments, especially of the developing countries, have significantly increased. They are now concerned with the more complex functions of nation-building and socio-economic progress. Today, the government is not merely the keeper of peace, the arbiter of disputes, and

the provider of common goods and day-

to-day services. It has, directly or indirectly, become the principal innovator, the major determiner of social and economic programmes and the main financier as well as the main guarantor of large-scale enterprises.

In many developing countries, there is great pressure on government to accelerate national development, make use of up-to-date and relevant technological innovations, adopt and facilitate necessary institutional changes, increase national production, make full use of human and other resources, and improve the level of living. These trends and developments have, therefore, enhanced both the size and scope of public policy. In our everyday life, we are affected by myriad of public policies. The range of public policy is vast: from the vital to the trivial. Today, public policies may deal with such substantive areas as defence, environmental protection, medical care and health, education, housing, transportation, taxation, inflation, science and technology, and so on.

3.2 Characteristics of Policy Analysis

Many scholars have outlined certain characteristics of policy analysis, as follows (Rhodes, 1979a:27; Dror, 1968:241-4; Spring, 1970):

(1) Policy analysis is applied scientific research rather than prom-blind, prescriptive as well as descriptive;

(2) Inter-disciplinary as well as multi-disciplinary. Policy analysis is not single discipline but inter-discipline, which combines in a synergistic manner elements from many disciplines;

(3) Politically-sensitive planning. There is concern with developing

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some sophisticated indicators of social conditions and problems, better forecasts, hierarchies of objectives, improved definition and appraisal of options and so on. To this extent, there is an obvious overlap between policy analysis and policy planning. However, there is an awareness that policy analysts should be trained with political skills as well as planning techniques to understand the political nature of the policy process. This is intellectual necessity since any analyst must understand the complexities and constraints of the political system if his recommendations are to have any impact.

(4) Client-Oriented. Policy analysts are often hired by government or other agencies. Some operate as academic analysts, which often place them as agent of social change with a commitment to the amelioration of society.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXECISE

Explain and scope of Public Policy Analysis?

4.0 CONCLUSION

In this unit, we examined the scope and characteristics of Public Policy Analysis. Public policy analysis is aimed at improving the basis for public policy making, the content, the knowledge about their outcomes and impact of public policy and means of improving public policy performance. Public policy analysis is entirely problem-centred. Its object, especially at its prescriptive context is to ameliorate current societal problems that require governmental or public action. It attempts to systematically gather data to describe or explain public policies with the aid of social science methods and techniques for policy makers or decision makers.

5.0 SUMMARY

The scope of policy analysis can be classified into two broad areas:

policy determination and policy impact evaluation. Policy analysis is client-oriented, politically sensitive, and inter-disciplinary and adopts scientific methods in its analysis. Aside, policy analysis is involved in prescription of policies and strategies for tackling social problems. In policy advocacy, it helps to influence future policy choices. It focuses on the study of the causes, processes, formation, implementation and consequences of public policy. Finally, policy analysis encapsulates analysis of policy content, process, output and policy evaluation as well as process advocacy and policy advocacy.

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6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENTS (TMAs)

2. Explain the scope of public policy analysis

3. Discuss how Public Policy Analysis is multi-disciplinary in character.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Eneanya, A.N. (2010). Policy Research, Analysis and Effective Public Policy-Making in Nigeria. Lagos: Concept Publications Ltd.

Eneanya, A.N. (2010). Comparative Public Administration and Public Policy. Lagos: University of Lagos Press Ltd

Hogwood, B.W. and Gunn, L.A. (1984). Policy Analysis for the Real World. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.

Ikelegbe, A.O. (1994). Public Policy-making and Analysis. Benin-City:

Uri Publishing Ltd.

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MODULE 2 POLICY ANALYSIS AND ITS