Policy Analysis and Related Professions

• Academic social science research• Policy research • Classical planning• Public administration • Journalism

Academic Social Science Research

• Objective: construct theories.• Client: “Truth”• Style: Hard Science-methodological–Retrospective

• Time Constraints: Usually none.• Weakness: Relevance

Policy Research

• Objective: Predict impact of policy decisions.• Client: Actors in policy arena, other

scholars.• Style: Applied Science• Time Constraints: Some.• Weakness: “Difficulty translating

findings into governmental action.”

Classical Planning

• Objective: Planning (designing and achieving “good” society.)• Client: “Public interest”• Style: Normative• Time Constraints: Some.• Weakness: May become merely

“wishful thinking.”

Public Administration

• Objective: Execute Policy Objectives• Client: “Public interest”• Style: Managerial• Time Constraints: Tied to policy and

management.• Weakness: “Exclusion of

alternatives external to program.”

Public Administration

• Old PA views politics and administration as separate.• New PA influences policy

decisions.–Public management.

Journalism

• Objective: Focus public attention• Client: Public• Style: Descriptive• Time Constraints: Deadlines!• Weakness: “lack of analytic

depth.”

Policy Advocate

• Objective: Narrow Policy Interest• Client: Public/Private• Style: Varies• Time Constraints: Legislative cycle• Weakness:

“Biased/Interpretation.”

Policy Analysis

• Objective: Evaluate alternatives• Client: Policy-makers• Style: Synthetic (applied)• Time Constraints: Deadlines!

(decision specific)• Weakness: Client-oriented bias

Skills

• Put together relevant information. in a and useful manner• Put problems in context.• Evaluate the consequences of policy• Understanding of political

organization.• Have an ethical framework.

Ethics

• Analytical Integrity• Responsibility to Client• Adherence to One’s Personal Conception

of the Good Society

Three Roles of the Analyst

• Objective Technician (the process is important, quantifiable)

• Client Advocate (loyalty, confidentiality, shared world view)

• Issue Advocate (focus on policy outcomes, issue-oriented, i.e. the environment or abortion rights)

Dealing with Value Conflict

• Voice (working to make change from within)

• Exit (leave the organization or job)• Disloyalty (undercut the political

position or policy preference of the client)

Resulting in these combinations

• Protest (Voice)• Resign (Exit)• Sabotage (Disloyalty)• Issue Ultimatum (Voice & Exit)• Leak (Voice and Disloyalty)• Resign and Disclose (Exit & Disloyalty)• Speak out until silenced (Voice, Disloyalty and

Exit)

Some basic guidelines :

• Resignation rather than contribute to the realization of goals with which they fundamentally disagree or goals that contradict basic human rights and values

• Clients deserve complete honesty• Analysts should not use their access to

information and influence with clients to further their own private interests

Tools of the Analyst :

• Model of human behavior• Systematic method of data collection • Appropriate Technique for analysis of data• Objective interpretation of findings/results• Positivist rather than normative