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

Shahid Hussain Raja
Author/Trainer/Consultant
Cambridge.UK
www.shahidhussainraja.com
21/10/2021 1

 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
21/10/2021 2

 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
21/10/2021 3

 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

 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.

 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: Capacity of different types of actors
involved in policy formulation determines the quality of policies
made.

21/10/2021 7
Part B
Features of a Good Public Policy

 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
1. Relaxation of legal framework if it is considered to be too rigid.
2. Technical and financial support to builders and developers
3. Incentives to builders of state buying unsold units at cost prices.
4. Facilitating the access to easy availability of finance by people

 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
21/10/2021 9

 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
21/10/2021 10

 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.
21/10/2021 11

 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?
21/10/2021 12

 Ideally, all projects proposed in a policy should be self-financing to
ensure their long term sustainability. Few questions to ask
1. How much investment is required for proposed project/programme?
2. At what level the project will break even?
3. How much profit will it be made?
4. If in loss, what will be its quantum and how to cover it?
5. Are assumptions about projections supported by a realistic assessment
6. Are there any variables to which the project is most sensitive?
7. 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.

 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
21/10/2021 14

 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

 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.
21/10/2021 16

 A good public policy has SMART(Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant,Time-bound) goals with definite benchmarks
 Some of the examples are as follows
1. to reduce drug-related crime by 10% in city x by year 2025
2. framing complete legal framework for Food Safety within one year
3. 100 % women over the age of 55 must be tested for breast cancer
4. Reducing loss of lives in traffic accidents by 80% after construction road
5. 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

 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

 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
21/10/2021 19

 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

 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.

 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

 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

 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

 If you like the presentation , kindly click the icon
 For any question, kindly email me at shahidraja@hotmail.com
 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

 Pakistan’s Difficulties at the Time of her Independence
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/pakistans-difficulties-at-the-time-of-her-independence/
 Why Countries Break? Case of Bangladesh
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/why-countries-break-case-of-bangladesh/
 Pakistan’s 13th IMF Programme: Prospects & Challenges
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/pakistans-13th-imf-programme-prospects-challenges/
 Federalism in Pakistan: Challenges & Response
https://www.shahidhussainraja.com/federalism-in-pakistan-challengers-response/
 Water Issues in Pakistan
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/water-issues-in-pakistan/
 Governance Reforms in Pakistan: Need and Content
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/governance-reforms-in-pakistan-need-and-content/
 Pakistan’s Strategic Culture: Determinants & Dimensions
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/pakistans-strategic-culture-determinants-dimensions/

 Pakistani Culture: Sources & Drivers
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/pakistani-culture-sources-drivers/
 Improving Pakistan’s Global Image
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/improving-pakistans-global-image/
 Two Nations Theory: Myths and Reality
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/two-nations-theory-myths-and-reality/
 Why do Civil Service Reforms in Pakistan Fail?
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/why-do-civil-service-reforms-in-pakistan-fail/
 Is Pakistan a Failed State?
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/is-pakistan-a-failed-state/
 Pakistan Ideology: Sources & Features
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/what-is-pakistan-ideology-myths-and-content/

 International Relations: Definition, Scope & Subject Matter
(http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/the-scope-of-international-relations/)
 Modern Nation-state System: Challenges & Prospects
(http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/modern-nation-state-system-challenges-prospects/)
 Foreign Policy: Features, Success Factors & Challenges
(http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/foreign-policy-features-success-factors-challenges/)
 Clash of Civilisations by Huntington
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/clash-of-civilizations-a-critique/
 Globalization: Compressing Time and Space -Part 1& 2
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/globalization-compressing-time-and-space-part-1/
/http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/globalization-compressing-time-and-space-part-2/

 Determinants of Foreign Policy
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/determinants-of-foreign-policy/
 Foreign Policy: Tools & Implements
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/foreign-policy-tools-instruments/
 National Interest: Meaning & Components
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/national-interest-meaning-components/
 World Peace: A Norm or an Aberration?
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/world-peace-a-norm-or-an-aberration/
 End of History by Francis Fukuyama
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/end-of-history-by-francis-fukuyama-a-critique/
 Breakup of Soviet Union: Causes & Consequences
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/breakup-of-the-soviet-union-causes-consequences/

 Global Terrorism: Challenges & Response – Part 1 & 2
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/global-terrorism-challenges-response/
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/global-terrorism-challenges-response-part-2/
 War on Terror: Causes, Course, Costs and Consequences Part 1 & 2
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/war-on-terror-causes-course-costs-and-consequences-part-1/
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/war-on-terror-causes-course-costs-and-consequences-part-2/
 Arab Spring: Genesis, Causes of Failure & Lessons Learnt
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/arab-spring-genesis-causes-of-failure-lessons-learnt/
 Islamophobia: Genesis, Challenges & Response
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/islamophobia-genesis-challenges-response/
 Vietnam War: Causes & Consequences
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/vietnam-war-causes-course-and-consequences/

 Nine Drivers of Sino-American Cold War
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/9-drivers-of-america-china-cold-war/
 IMF Programmes: Do they help Developing Countries?
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/imf-programme-does-it-help-a-developing-country/
 American Interests in Afghanistan
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/american-interests-in-afghanistan/
 Reasons for Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/why-did-soviet-union-enter-afghanistan-in-1979/
 The Middle East Crises: Genesis and Dimensions
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/the-middle-east-crises-genesis-and-dimensions/
 China Iran Relations: Past, Present & Future
http://www.shahidhussainraja.com/china-iran-relations-past-present-future/

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

More Related Content

What's hot

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

More from Shahid Hussain Raja

Recently uploaded

In this document

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