unravelling complexity
DESCRIPTION
Unravelling Complexity. 11 October, 2011. Policy is what government choose to do or not do. Philosophy Product Process Framework for action. Government. Sets and implements policies (initiates and responds) Manages competing interests Manages risk and uncertainty - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
2
Policy is what government choose to do or not do
• Philosophy• Product• Process• Framework for action
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
Government
• Sets and implements policies (initiates and responds)
• Manages competing interests• Manages risk and uncertainty• Seeks to create public value
3publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
Mark Moore
• Rule setter• Service provider• Social safety net• Creator of public value
Creating Public Value, Harvard University Press 1995
4publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
5
Mark Moore’s Strategic Triangle
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
Legitimacy & Support
Operational Capabilities Public Value
• Vision and values • Evidence and analysis • Understanding of stakeholders • Delivery capabilities
In order to get there:
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au
9
• Problems we know the answer to
• Problems we don’t know the answer to
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
Capacity:• Extractive• Distributive• Regulatory
Willingness:tempered by • Ideology• Resources• Response to
crisis• Alternative
deliverers12publicpolicy.anu.edu.au
• Information
• Regulate/mandate
• Subsidise
• Purchase
• Provide World Bank
Hierarchy of Government Interventions?
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au
14
• Agreement on a problem• Prospect for a solution• How important, how urgent• Initiating/ responding?
• Opportunity/ old sore
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
Health
Education & Training
Work Incentives
65+-0
Develop good habits
(eg diet, exercise)
Childcare Out of school care
Literacy & numeracy skills
Maintain good habits
Transition into w
orking lifeEncourage & support work
Early work
experience
Balance work & study
Supporting re-entryBalance work & family
Maintain good health
Support ongoing participation
Balance work & leisure
Manage health
Maintain & refresh skill sets
Healthy Living
Lifelong Learning
Encouraging & Supporting Work
Early childhood development
Life Cycle
Bureaucrats and Expertise
• Scientific expertise• Policy expertise• Process expertise• Instrument expertise
16publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
17
• Is this a function for government, the market, individuals or families, or charitable activity?
• If a mixture, are the other players meeting their share (e.g. through user charges)?
• Is this the responsibility of the Commonwealth, or of the states or local government?
• Is there serious risk of government failure if it took on the responsibility?
Role of government?
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
• Facilitating Role• Allocation Function• Distribution Function• Stabilisation Function
The role of government in market economies
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au
The role of government in market economies (cont)
Facilitating Role• Ensuring conditions for competitive markets to
operate• Providing the legal structure for contractual
arrangements and exchanges
Allocation Function• Addressing market failures• Providing ‘public goods’
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au
Distribution Function• Reflecting social values including acceptable distribution
of income and wealth
Stabilisation Function• Policies for full employment, price stability and desirable
economic growth
• Reflecting the public, as distinct from a private, view of the value of the future
The role of government in market economies (cont)
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au
21
policy workers understand • Boundaries• Complexity• Accountability
21publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
22
For whom is it a problem?• For program clients (or potential clients)?• For other program stakeholders?• For taxpayers?• For the public more generally?• For those fundamentally opposed to the
endorsed policy?• Where is ‘the public interest’?
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
23
• Urgent/ important• Who sees problem - who cares?• Prospects for a solution• Initiating/ responding• Who’s in charge• What’s routine, what’s not• Does problem match service system
Key points in scoping problems
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
24
• Problems and service systems do not match
• Mismatch of problems and opportunity for solutions
24publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
25
Lesson
Break each problem into small and manageable conceptual and implementable parts, but
Keep an eye on the big picture!
25publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected] 26
Push the frontier
Keep things running
Make our ideas work
Strategic policy
Operational policy
Responsive policy
Scott/Baehler’s Policy Work Triangle
27
Media story of unmet need
Economic crisis
Adverse ANAO Report
Environmental disaster
Media story re poor treatment
of program client
etc
Ongoing policy research, statistics, review
Policy Development in thereal World
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]
28
The science of ‘muddling through’Must start from where you areAgreeing on what to do is often easier than agreeing on
the reasonsIncremental change has less risk and is easy to adjustEven radical change usually requires a series of stepsBUTIncrementalism or inertia?Risk of ad hoc changes, lost opportunities etc
Lindblom /Dror debate from 1959 through 1960s
publicpolicy.anu.edu.au [email protected]