Policy Analysis Redux

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Policy Analysis Redux
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Policy alternatives

• Where do they come from?
• Which should you include?
• How much detail?
• Must they be mutually exclusive?

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Where do they come from?

• Status Quo or improved version
• Alternatives already on the on the table
• Smart practices from other places
• Tinkered policies by moving your clients levers
  (e.g., W and V generic policies)
• Creative new ideas

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Which options should you include?

• The Status Quo
• Any that have significant political support
• The BEST of each genre
• No straw options or any your client cant
  implement
• Some that havent a chance, but will soften up
  opinions for later adoption.

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How much detail?

• How much time do you have to do analysis?
• How much detail do you need to understand the
  impacts? What are key elements?
• Enough to distinguish between options
• Enough to address concerns, but the least needed
  to provide the vision

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Do they need to be mutually exclusive?

• Yes.
• If any synergies are possible between actions,
  then yes.
• Do you need a sequential decision process to
  clarify choices?

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Policy alternatives

• The analysts job is to hunt down or invent the
  best possible strategies to deal with the problem
  and predict their impacts.