How Policy Changes are Decided and Implemented
Public policy can be described as the process by which governments translate their political vision into programmes and actions on the ground to deliver desired outcomes related to the economy, the environment, or society in general. Social change can be achieved through two means. The first is organic, in which society decides to change its way of living through lived experience over generations. The second is external, which is forced upon by an external agent such as the government, without society necessarily understanding its benefits. The public policy simply aims to make the world a better place and improve the realities of those who face adverse socio-economic conditions and are unable to actualize their fundamental rights.
There are many ways of formulating and deciding policy changes, all of which are complex, dynamic, and interactive. The government creates a legal monopoly over policy decisions to maintain the social fabric and unity of the state. Evidence-based policy argues that policy making should be dependent solely on scientific and empirical evidence. It establishes a premium on objectivity over subjective elements such as history, culture, and lived experiences of individuals. It focuses solely on evidence and logic and hence is also known as the rational choice theory. The data-driven policy approach takes empiricism to the next level by relying on artificial intelligence programs and other high-level technologies to not only collect data but also formulate public policies.
The small systems models seek to condense and simplify complex sociological problems into interactions and engagements amongst small systems through which change can be initiated. Despite the importance of evidence and empiricism, there continues to be a need and value of ensuring that people’s experiences are factored in whilst making policies even if they are subjective and non-quantifiable. This is particularly helpful in tackling social systems of oppression like patriarchy and Brahmanism which are subjective in their impact on individuals.
Implementing public policies is yet another challenge faced by governments across the globe. Common problems associated with implementing policies include leakages through corruption, the lack of technical expertise of officials, and the absence of adequate levels of human resource development amongst politicians. The establishment of a desirable system of implementation requires the government to establish efficient training mechanisms that train public officials and a system of checks and balances that oversees the implementation of policies at different levels.
