Policymaking 101 Guide

What is policy-making?

 

Policymaking is the process in which a series of steps are executed in order to achieve a specific outcome. Decision-makers, including elected officials and policy analysts, play a critical role in shaping policy by understanding political dynamics and the associated challenges in transforming societal needs into actionable policies. 

 

The stages of policymaking include the following:

 

1. Agenda-Setting: The stage where key issues are identified and prioritized for government intervention

2. Policy Formulation: The process in which proposed courses of action are deliberated upon

3. Policy Adoption: The official approval of a specific policy by legislative bodies, executives, or administrative rules

4. Policy Implementation: The execution phase where the policy is enacted and enforced by government agencies and bodies

5. Policy Evaluation: The assessment phase where policy outcomes are analyzed and adjustments are made to effectively meet policy goals, if necessary

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Policy Development vs Policy Implementation vs Policy Analysis

 

Policy development, implementation, and analysis function as distinct phases of the policymaking process. 

Policy development is the process in which new laws or rules are drafted, debated upon, and adopted by governing bodies. Policy implementation occurs once the law has been adopted or enacted and is then enforced by the government. Policy analysis includes analyzing the policy outcomes such as gathering feedback and reviewing metrics in order to identify the effectiveness and impact of the policy. This analysis will then inform the governing body whether they will need to adjust their policy or pursue an alternate solution.

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Politics vs Policy

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• Politics:

  • The process of gaining and exercising power or authority over a body of individuals

  • The goal is to win elections, secure influence, and maintain support with political allies and individual supporters through campaigning, lobbying, and public messaging. 

• Policy:

  • A set of goals, principles, and rules designed to achieve a specific outcome

  • The goal is to solve a specific public problem through drafting legislation and implementing laws or rules.

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Key policy buzzword definitions 

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• RFP/RFI

  • Requests for proposals or information (typically issued by government bodies as they decide what private organizations they partner with)

•  Executive Order 

  • Federal directive issued by the President that guides policy implementation

• NDA

  • Non-disclosure agreement (a legally binding confidentiality agreement)

• MOU

  • Memorandum of Understanding (formal non-binding agreement that outlines a shared understanding before a formal contract is signed)

• SME

  • Subject Matter Expertise (specialized knowledge and experience in a specific field or area)

• SOP

  • Standard Operating Procedure (a set of instructions for carrying out routine tasks)