Policy Analysis Governments and Organizations

Policy Analysis

Governments and organizations create policies to guide and manage repeated procedures and behaviors within the organization. Policies are attempts at standardizing behaviors and ensuring that practices are uniform throughout the organization. Policies are also created to address problems within the organization. The challenges faced by organizations can often be reduced through the proper implementation of policies. Policies function to free employees from having to consider multiple options when responding to situations. The State Department has definite policies regarding the responses employees must give to questions posed by callers. The responses must conform completely to what is written in official documents of the State Department. In instances where callers request information for which there is no clear directive employees are required to direct them to seek legal advice.

Patton (1990) defines policy analysis as "the process through which we identify and evaluate alternative policies or programs that are intended to lessen or resolve social, economic, or physical problems." Policy analysis focuses deliberately on specific elements and it is shaped to solve problems. The nature of the problems may vary since multiple groups or organizations engage in policy analysis. The definition provided by Patton also suggests that policy analysis is a process rather than an event. It requires that approaches be engaged in that will allow the researcher to examine the products of policy and how those products influence the quality of life of individuals.

Therefore, it is important to consider the programs that are the products of policy implementation. The programs are the interventions and are designed to operationalize the policy of the government. An example of this is Medicare, which answers the policy of providing health care to senior citizens in an affordable manner. The policy first exists and subsequently a program is created to actualize the elements of the policy.

Patton (1990) identifies six steps for policy analysis. Firstly, we must verify and define the details of the problem. This initial step ensures that objectives are clarified and any ambiguity resolved. Secondly, the evaluation criteria are created. These criteria are necessary to enable the comparison and measurement of measures. The cost of the program or policy is examined in its multifaceted components. Once the first two steps are adequately and effectively, completed options to the existing policy can be examined and considered. This step demonstrates the incremental nature of policy analysis. Each step is often dependent on successfully completing the first step.

The fourth step of policy analysis is the evaluation of the alternative policies. Policy analysis is inadequate if the competing policies are not examined for their feasibility and value. This evaluative action would usually involve different qualitative and quantitative analyses. Subsequently it becomes important to distinguish between alternative policies. Thus the fifth step requires the creation and implementation of comparative schema. These schemes are necessary to distinguish between policies. The final step involves the monitoring of the policy that is finally implemented.