Policy Analysis: Evidence-Based Advice for Addressing Public Concerns

This essay delves into the critical role of evidence-based advice within the policy analysis process, focusing on how it shapes policy recommendations designed to address public concerns. The essay begins by defining policy analysis and its methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, and highlights the importance of agenda setting in public policy making. It then critically analyzes the concept of agenda setting, providing examples and discussing the stages of public policy, including agenda setting and formulation. The essay explores the process of policy making, including identifying policy problems, formulating proposals, legitimizing, implementing, and evaluating public policy, with examples like gun control. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of policy analysis in helping public officials understand changing social, political, and economic circumstances and develop policies to meet the evolving needs of communities. The essay draws on various academic sources to support its arguments.

Topic: “If policy analysis is about
knowledge in the policy process what
are the important elements in the
evidence based advice giving as the
process by which one arrives at a
policy recommendation to address a
problem of public concern”
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Critically analysed agenda setting concept in making of public policy with examples.........3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
2

INTRODUCTION
Policy analysis refers to the technique that is used in the public administration or
management to enable the activists, civil servants and some other to analyse after that assess the
obtainable options to execute the objectives and goals of laws as well as elected based officials.
The procedures are also utilized in administration of huge industries with the difficult policies.
The policy procedure is a usually conceptualized as a chronological parts and stages. There are
processes that are issues emergence, agenda setting, concern of policy options, process of
decision-making, functioning as well as evaluation (Alden and Aran, 2019). The below essay is
based on “If the policy analysis is about a knowledge in policy procedure what are essential
elements in evidence based advice providing as procedure by which individual arrives at the
policy proposal to examine a issues of public concern”. Below essay includes the “Critically
examine concept of agenda-setting in the public policy making with the reference to different
perspectives from relevant literature, illustrating answer with the topical examples.”
MAIN BODY
Critically analysed agenda setting concept in making of public policy with examples
Agenda-setting explain the "capability to influence the significance placed on topics of
some public agenda". It is management of the public awareness or concern of the prominent
problems by news media as well as this is a behaviour to adopt the social issue and some other
problem as the policy problem, in procedure, social problems are selected as a governmental
problem. Through this issues and alternative effective solutions are gain and lose elite and public
attention. To setting agenda in making the policies based on public, research is must to mset
effective and practical agenda.
 Public policy analysis is defined as a technique which is used in public administration in
order to enable all civil servants and activists. Their main role is to determine and analyse
all options which are available to determine the goals of overall laws. It includes
evaluating different issues in relation to public importance with the target of offering
facts and data in relation to the impact of different policies of the government (Weible
and Sabatier, 2018). The analysis is done on the basis of two methods and these are
qualitative and quantitative. In terms of qualitative methods it includes document
analysis, conducting interviews and many more. I context with using quantitative
methods it includes the way of regression, cost benefit analysis and so on. The main role
of analysts in public policy is to solve all kind of problems. They deal with the issues that
3

arise in context with crimes, health care as well as environmental problems too. While
analyzing it a proper procedure is followed in terms of defining the problem, determining
the criteria of evaluation, identifying all kinds of alternative policies, evaluating them and
selecting the best one. They begin the process of analyzing it by gathering the specific
evidence which is needed to solve problem and also use the method of conducting survey
and many more.
 In relation to the organizational factors in political life, the concept of new
institutionalism got developed. It is very far from being consistent and is completely not
legitimate. For example, the main concern behind it was in context with all institutions
that the modern transformation of all social as well as public institutions had become
larger and at the same point of time became complex also. In relation to the concept of
institutional diversity it is considered as a change in organization and various systematic
approaches through which governments, companies analyze their best practices in
accordance with public policy. It basically defines that how organizations are actually
formed and how they influence behavior in society in terms of political life.
 In context with the concept of agenda setting on public policy it is considered as the issue
sorting phase in whole procedure of public policy and during that period of time there are
many concerns and consequences that gives rise to the attention of policy makers while in
other cases it gets neglected (John, 2012). There are two main stages in the period of
public policy and these are agenda setting as well as formulation. The first step involved
in analyzation is to put the public problem on the agenda and apply different methods to
solve it. The main objective behind it is to determine what the problems of state are and
why it should intervene. In context with the second step it includes the formulation of
public policy which will answer the question and its solution. By analyzing all the
agendas it can be done on the basis of quantitative methods also through which it would
measure the importance of public policy. All problems are built upon the area of
constructivism.
Through the policy formation which effective involves procedure of identifying and crafting a
set of policy alternatives towards address to narrow down the alternatives for arriving final
policy decision. The policy is established and carried out through government as it goes through
different several that is creates different policy making process. The objective to create policy is
effective formularize adoption, implementation, evaluation and termination (Cairney, 2016). The
policies are formed through different genre. for example National Gender policy are having
some sort of aiming to ensuring the attachment of gender equality within the development as
process is readdressing on existing gender imbalances. The government will ensure about that
gender mainstreaming takes involves overall sector and it also means accomplishing which
equitable within sustainable economic development. In perspective of government and company
4

the gender equality policy is emphases about that people are empowers to having equal rights
and having enough responsibilities and opportunities. Everyone is effected through gender base
inequality women men trans and gender diverse people where the impact towards all ages and
effective backgrounds. The gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. This is
important towards economics perspective in which society that enhance value women and men
are equal are easier within safer healthier. Gender inequality in human right it enhance human
rights for provide everyone profit benefits from gender equality (Dunn, W.N., 2015). In further
there is process of policy making which is more close better policy maker that enhance always
clear cut easily distinguish, political scientist where have identified these process better analysis.
 Identifying policy problem: It is public demand towards government as per provide
effective for undertaking action within policy problem.
 Formulating policy proposals: The policy proposal which can formulate through
political channels through effective planning organization, interest groups government
bureaucracies, state legislation and the president and Congress.
 Legitimizing public policy: The policy is legimizied as outcomes generate of public
statement or action through government officials, both having selected and appointment
within all branches through all level. This includes executive order, budgets laws
appropriation, rules and regulation with having proper decision to setting up the policy
direction.
 Implementing public policy: It is applicable on the basis of activities of public
bureaucracies and the expenditure of public funds.
 Evaluating public policy: It is formulated and informally evaluated through government
agencies on the basis of consultant through interest groups on mass media try to better
implemented public funds.
For example: The policy of public is tending to refer as gun control and the argument and
controversies that surround it. For instance about refer the case of District about Columbia V.
Heller which is US Supreme Court heard in 2008. This case became a landmark case in fight for
and in this case against effective gun control.
5

CONCLUSION
It is concluded the above essay, policy analysis is important because it assists to public
officials in understand the how social, political and economic circumstances change as well how
public policies are must develop in order to the meet varying needs of the changing community.
Policies or procedures are a important element of any company. Policies examine the pertinent
problems, such as what is the constitutes suitable behaviour by staff members. Processes
are clearly explaining a order of stages to be the followed in constant way, such as how company
will react to the policy violations.
6

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alden, C. and Aran, A., 2019. Foreign policy analysis: new approaches. Routledge.
Bardach, E. and Patashnik, E.M., 2019. A practical guide for policy analysis: The eightfold path
to more effective problem solving. CQ press.
Dunn, W. (2014). Public policy analysis (5th international ed.). Pearson Education
Fischer, F. and Forester, J. eds., 2020. The argumentative turn in policy analysis and planning.
Duke University Press.
Hudson, V.M. and Day, B.S., 2019. Foreign policy analysis: classic and contemporary theory.
Rowman & Littlefield.
James G. March and Johan P. Olsen. 1984. 'The New Institutionalism: Organizational Factors in
Political Life' The American Political Science Review, Vol. 78, No. 3. pp. 734-749.
John, P. (2012). Analyzing public policy (2nd ed.). Routledge
King, A., & Crewe, I. (2013). The blunders of our governments . Oneworld
Weible, C.M. and Sabatier, P.A., 2018. Theories of the policy process. Routledge.
Baumgartner FR. 2009. Agendas and Instability in American Politics . 2nd ed.; 2nd ed. (Jones
BD, ed.). Chicago :: The University of Chicago Press.
Cairney P. 2016. The Politics of Evidence-Based Policy Making [electronic Resource].
London:: Imprint Palgrave Pivot; Palgrave Macmillan UK 2016. doi:10.1057/978-1-
137-51781-4
Dunn, W.N., 2015. Public policy analysis. Routledge.
Goertz, G and Mazur, A.G. (eds). 2008. Politics, Gender and Concepts: Theory and
methodology. Cambridge University Press.
Goodin RE, Rein M, Moran M, eds. 2006. The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy [electronic
Resource] . New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Grossman E, Breunig C, Baumgartner FR, eds. 2019. Comparative Policy Agendas : Theory,
Tools, Data . Oxford :Oxford University Press.
7