Policy Formation: Theories, Evidence, and Stakeholders

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of policy formation, emphasizing public policy and its various facets. It defines policy, outlining its characteristics and the significance of different policy types, with a focus on public policy. The essay delves into the policy formulation process, detailing steps from problem identification to implementation and evaluation. It highlights the role of theory and evidence in policy development, advocating for evidence-based approaches while acknowledging the complexities of integrating diverse factors. Furthermore, the essay explores the influence of networks and stakeholders in policy formation, differentiating between primary and secondary stakeholders and examining their power dynamics through instructive, consultative, and cooperative engagement models. It concludes by underscoring the importance of stakeholder involvement for effective policy outcomes, emphasizing its role in identifying disagreements, aligning recommendations, and promoting transparency. This essay offers insights into policy formation, providing a holistic understanding of the process and its key components.

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Introduction
Policy can be defined as the principles or rules that have been set to offer guidance on the
decisions and achievement of rational outcomes. Moreover, it can be defined as the purposive
course of action that is based on societal values that have to adhere when handling a matter or
some concern and offering hypotheses on certain outcomes that can lead to the achievement of
that given purpose as well. There are many policies that can be grouped in reference to their
nature. The following are some of the common nature of policies: public policies, business
policies, and fiscal policies among many others. In this essay, we shall consider policy formation
in general but majoring examples from public policy.(Geyer & Rihani, 2010)
Generally, all policies despite their nature of existence have some common and
distinctive characteristics. Some of these characteristics include the following:
 Authoritative in nature
 Enforceable to all relevant parties
 They tend to be flexible and adaptable
 Feasible mode
 Clear to be understood
 Transparent
 Consultative (Cotler, 2008)
Policy formulation is a very complex activity that is practiced by almost all individuals and
organizations for future success. Working under regulation and control of certain guidelines is
what binds individual since each and every person, given a chance, could do as per their will.
The nature of a policy is the most important aspect in policy formation. The nature of policy is
determined by the type of organization, government, needs, and the objectives to be achieved.
This explains why the government or public policies differ from business-related policies.
However, despite the nature of the policies, their formulations have almost a similar process. The
following is the commonly used policy formulation process. These steps also give a hint on the
complexity experienced when developing different natures of policies.
Problem identification

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Different organizations or entities have different problems. This means that the first step of
determining the nature of the policy to adopt is to identify the problem to be solved. Problem
identification involves stakeholders raising concern on an issue that they have noted to be
affecting the public or rather the organization. This is followed by defining the problem in
broader terms through several platforms. This is to invite all the interested group of individuals
in raising relevant forums for considerations. The complexity in this step comes in when so many
interested parties have many views on the nature of the policy.(Domhoff, 2008)
Agenda setting and stakeholder engagement
After identifying a problem, this is forwarded via various bodies so that they can be discussed on
a matter like the appropriate time that needs to be allocated for discussion by the right
authorities. The issues or agenda of discussion are given at this stage.
Policy formulation
The solutions to the identified problems are therefore made so as to deal with the identified
challenges. Inaction or defeat of a proposal at this stage is still regarded as policymaking.
Budgeting
This follows after authorization by the relevant authorities. It’s made to allocate important
resources that are necessary for the implementation process.
Implementation and evaluation
It’s now the duty of the executives responsible for actualizing the policies or putting them
into practice to do so as per the requirements stipulated in the policy. Later in the course of time,
the public, or the organization stakeholders can examine and evaluate if the problems they had
come across are now fully solved. The feedback used to determine if there is a need for change
or to recommend for improvement or adjustment.

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The role of theory and evidence in policy formation
Compelling basic leadership requires a word of wisdom, also, that relies upon educated
utilization of proof or evident both in creating policies and in assessing its impact when
actualized. Along these lines, the estimation of government's execution to the advantage of
nationals is expanded. However, the connection between evidence and approach development is
neither direct nor unidirectional. Policy development is a mind-boggling process, in which
numerous variables other than proof should be conveyed to hold up under. The multifaceted
nature of strategy arrangement originates from at minimum two issues. The first is the need to
adjust the numerous contributions to the procedure, (for example, thorough investigation of an
issue, investigation of social qualities, examination of political setting, and investigation of
financial effects). Also, the procedure is additionally convoluted by the inconstancy of take-up
limit and the hunger for such data by arrangement creators. There isn't generally the way of life
and ability inside the open administration to search out suitable proof also, to basically evaluate
and apply it to a strategy question.
This unpredictability has been at the core of a noteworthy worldwide move in approach
making inside vote based social orders in the course of recent years. The idea of 'proof based
policy making' started to pick up all through the 1990s, with the UK Bureau Office obviously
embracing it as a spurring reasoning in its 1999 white paper modernizing government.(Puddy,
2011) From that point forward, researchers have included subtlety, reminding us that strategy
must consider both evidence got from research, and additionally a comprehension of social
qualities as well as theories. Thus, in its more contemporary cycle, evidence or theory-based
policy has been all the more precisely re-give a role as evidence or theory-based or informed
policy, which isn't to lessen the job of look into research informed evidence. In actuality, it has
served to completely set up a specific place for hearty proof among the various contributions to
policy development.(Everett, 2003)
To come up with theory or evidence-based policies, the following requirements have to
be met.
 There must be skilled leaders or group of experts within the public offices for
public policies and skilled management in the case of organizations

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 There is a compulsory need on the access to well developed scientific facilities,
and research enabled environment since evidence is based on clear and
continuous research.
 Should have the ability to evaluate all manner of found evidence with no sense of
bias or vigor. The ability is gained from personnel with concerted efforts to uplift
potentials within the society of practice.
How networks and stakeholders exert power in policy formation process
Networks and stakeholders play an important role in the policy formation process. In the concept
of policymaking, a stakeholder can be defined by giving two types of stakeholder, the primary
stakeholder, and secondary stakeholders. (O'Haire, 2011) The primary stakeholders are those that
will directly be affected by policies being developed. On the side, the secondary stakeholders are
those indirectly affected by the policies being proposed for formulation. They include such
people like nongovernmental organization and professional bodies. A stakeholder is termed to be
the direct recipient and beneficiaries of any policy formulated. The policy formed should either
affect their lives either positively or negatively and therefore, stakeholder greatly determine
either the success if the failure of any policy be it public or organizational policy. The network is
also important in that they link up different stakeholders who come together as explained above
to share on common problems the face.
For the recent past, stakeholder involvement in the process of policy making has greatly risen
due to the emergence of new development model which requires different state role based on
plural structures, political legitimacy and need for consensus in our organizations. (Sen,
2008)Networks and stakeholder involvement is classified into three types depending on how they
exert power in policy formation
 Instructive-decisions are made by government or organization authorities but there are set
mechanisms for communication
 Consultative – the authorities have the mandate to make policies but leave room for
influence by all stakeholders on the process of policy making and outcomes as well
 Cooperative – the primary stakeholder take part in the whole policy formation in
collaboration with the respective authorities and act as partners

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The networks and networking have an important role in bringing together different stakeholder
as indicated in the process of policy formation. This therefore gives the stakeholders some
powers to yield positive outcomes which include effective policies and plans to better
implementation. The stakeholder power leads to better decision making in the below ways:
 By enabling development of more real and effective policies through collective
information and broader experiences into decision making
 Through embedment of modern initiatives into already existing legitimate local
organizations and values
 by building political support for, and reducing opposition to, policy proposals, through
incorporation of stakeholder concerns
Conclusion
Policy formation is a complex task. It involves lot of activities and stakeholders. Stakeholder
involvement in policy formation is important due to the following:(Burton, 2009)
 they help in identifying areas of disagreement and pinpoint what’s contributing to such
differences
 help in harmonizing recommendations with societal expectations and needs (Terry, 2013)
 help in promoting transparency

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Works Cited
Burton, H., 2009. Developing stakeholder involvement for introducing public health genomics into public
policy. Public Health Genomics, pp. 11-19.
Cotler, C., 2008. Public Policy Formulation - Process and Tools. development, pp. 1-10.
Domhoff, W. G., 2008. The Policy-Formation Process. In: The powers that be. s.l.:Vintage Books, pp. 45-
89.
Everett, S., 2003. The Policy Cycle: Democratic Process or Rational Paradigm revisited?. Australian
Journal of Public Administration, pp. 65-70.
Geyer, R. & Rihanna, S., 2010. Complexity and Public Policy. London Routledge .
O'Haire, C., 2011. Engaging Stakeholders to Identify and Prioritize Future Research Needs. Rockville, MD:
Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, p. 56.
Puddy, R. W., 2011. A Guide to the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness. Atlanta, GA: Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Understanding Evidence Part 1, p. 32.
Sen, S., 2008. Involving Stakeholders in policymaking. Planning and management, pp. 23-29.
Terry, S. F., 2013. Don’t just invite us to the table: authentic community engagement. Genet Test Mol
Biomarkers., pp. 443-445.