Public Policy Formulation Measures

Policy Formulation

Policy matters arise from the interaction between daily occurrences in human life and the social, natural and economic challenges thereof. In the course of daily lives, individuals face up and are affected directly or indirectly, by an extensive array of issues obviously or subtly. These interactions necessitate the creation of ideas with those concerned with attending to the society's welfare. Most of the policies arrived at aim at resolving an existing situation that appears to relate to the welfare of a society.

The rational involved in making the choice relating to the public matter is guided also by laid down policies. This directs and guides the acting public officer towards formulation of public policies concerning the public and the laid down guidelines. Considering the increases in public concerns, and expansion in population, there is bound to occur conflict in the formulation of public policy. The formulation of public policy to safeguard populations' interest is seen sometime as conferring advantage to some while it takes away pleasure from others. This aspect of formation of public policy makes it appealing to assess the measures and rational involving the creation of a public policy.

Rationality of Decisions

If policies are made as the result of presence of conflict, then there is a chance that rationality is left out in coming up with the policy. One can easily see that the policy will likely tackle the immediate need, as opposed to tackling a more sustainable coexistence in the end. At the time of need for policy formulation, an individual is not capable of coming up with an all-inclusive policy decision. The decisions taken are highly based on satisfaction of the immediate needs and not optimal intervention.

The decision-making process and formulation of policy based on the presence of a need invokes among the policy maker a sense of agency. This sense of agency inhibits satisfactory collection of information that can be used to lead formulation of policy. By taking the present satisfactory measure, man is considered to have paid a higher price of sacrifice a greater good that flows from optimality. This force the society and the policy makers to sacrifice comprehensively rational for satisfying minimal needs

Policy makers will make incremental alteration on policy if its formulation is a measure to resolve a looming or already prevailing undesirable situation. Policy decisions based on the previous existing policy to resolve current problems are irrational. This is because they evade the necessary measures for collection of total information necessary to guarantee an optimal policy.

To be considered a concerned public agent, policy formulators are constantly scouting for possible conflict in the social setting. This is their key objective; to show course in the formulation of policy and pushing a social agenda. The public policy makers are often seen coming up with public advocacy program to sensitize the people one the existence of the conflict. Once the matter is seen as a social concern, they take it upon themselves to formulate a policy sufficient only to tackle the highlighted conflict. The culmination of the advocacy project leads to half-baked policy tackling a social concern based on previous policy.

Policy makers are seen to directly formulate policies based on previous experiences, as opposed to considerations for the real issues. The result of the policy formulated stretch from disjointed incremental measure that hardly tackle current issue. This is clearly "muddling through" and evading tackling of pertinent matters in the society.

The decisions arrived in the policy incremental measure is characterized with split differences. This is so since, although the objective of the public policy is clearly outlined, the measures deployed to resolve them are inappropriately comprehensive. The result may include incompatibility of the policy for use in similar future challenges and further conflict following an eruption of an existing problem.

It is appreciable policy formulation in public office is not guided by sufficient information gatherings. The sharp difference in the society breeds to compound the challenges the policy sought to resolve. This necessitates more policy formulation or amendment on the existing policy. In this instance, the public suffers the loss of time otherwise desirable for development ventures or higher costs resulting from conflict.