Introduction
The forming and setting of policies is an essential part of every organization and governments. Policies have to be developed to indicate the desired results that should be achieved in a bid to solve the fundamental problems that face organization (Sanderson, I. 2002). The common policies that are made by most states includes the macroeconomic policies, health, traffic congestion and climatic policies.
Due to the importance of these kinds of policies to the economic growth and developments of the economies, various departments have been created and charged with the obligation of ensuring successful development of policies and their implementation.
Tension between informing policy and setting policy
In policy development, a distinction must be made between analysis informing policy and analysis setting policy. Analysis setting policy is the objectively critisising the policies that are formulated to ensure that they will lead to the achievements of the desired positive objectives. It includes the examination of the process of policy formulation and the impact of policies that are made.
Analysis informing policy entails the evaluation of the methods and means by which the policies are publicized to create awareness.the awareness of the policies is indispensible where they are targeted to affect a particular population. The tension informing policy and setting policy may result between the policy formulators and those to be affected by the policies.
At times, policies may be resisted at an immature stage if the information is leaked before finer analysis is made. The timing of requesting for the opinions of the stakeholders is therefore crucial.
Analytical product
Due to the conflict of analyzing informing policies and setting policies, it is important for analytical products to be purely informative. In this instance the products to be developed will have taken consideration of the circumstances and situations that affects the results desired (Wallace, H, 2005). Since informative products involve evaluation of all possible outcomes, the policies adopted will reflect the best possible results.
Policy makers are currently switching towards informative analysis. For instance, economists tend to come up with macroeconomic policies based on the information that is derived from the financial markets and research conducted to show the future possible prospects of the economy.
Products developed based on informative analysis tends to produce better outcome because the risk factors of the decisions are mitigated by developing mechanisms that ensures that there is no halt in the plans.
Another reason for the support of informative product analysis is the fact that it will result into less resistance from those to be affected. Given that decisions are based on the information that is available, the process follows a definite stage by stage analysis thus certainty exists (Easton, D. 1953).
The fact that there is supportive and irrefutable evidence as to why the policies are designed; it will be an easy task for the policy makers to convince and get the positive support from the public. This goodwill if realized will ensure smooth and in time implementation of the proposed policies. Again, it will result into popularity of the policies hence support necessary for the achievement of the objective will be enhanced.
Hoppe, R. (1999) suggests that, in addition analytical products that are purely informative are precluded from the personal influence and biasness. In circumstances where policies are not based on the information that is available, it has been common for those involved in the decision making to misuse their authority or come up with ideas that are based on their own selfish interest.
As a result, the total purpose of the policies have always eluded many nations e.g. this has been responsible for the poor performance of economies in Africa where those honoured with such duties instead use their position to engage in self enriches and protection of personal wealth.
However, it may not be feasible for products to be entirely based on information. This is because there is some information that may not be available but is necessary for the analytical products. As a result there may be a need to accommodate to minor extent analytical products without necessarily possessing all information.
Risks of developing policy from analytical products
There are several risks that are involved in the formulation of policies based on analytical products. Anglin, M.D., Lonshore,D., & Turner,S. (1999) argue,to begin with is the risk of subjectivity in analysis. When doing an analysis of a product there is a degree of subjectivity that is relative to each and every individual.
This may lead to the problem of adverse selection where policies that are developed are not actually pertinent to the situation desired. It may also result into the dropping of an otherwise good policy. The degree of subjectivity is thus necessary for determination before a product is developed.
Secondly, there may be the risk of information gap during analysis. In certain circumstances, product analysis does not encompass all the information in the market. This makes the decisions made not all inclusive and the drawback will as well be transferred when policies are made from analytical products. The information that is omitted might have been very crucial in the making of policies or its absence may result into distortion of the desired content.
Finally, there is a problem in the assigning of weights when doing an analysis. In product analysis, many parameters are taking into consideration and the extent to which each premise contributes to the ultimate decisions must be determined.
The determination of the weight might cause a difficulty and this will also amount to variation on what decisions are taken during policy formulation as per Lindblom, C. & Cohen, D (1979) argument. It is therefore important for the policy developed to be given consideration to the various aspects.
The two analyses are very closely related but not actually having the same meaning. Analysis informing policy concerns the issue of creating awareness on the existing policy or getting the ideologies on policies that may be on the pipeline. On the other hand, the analysis in setting policies entails the critical evaluation of the policies that set or are in the process of setting.
In analyzing the policies to be set, several procedures must be followed to ensure that the set policies meet their objective. Analysis informing policies may thus the said to be part of analysis in setting policies as seeking the opinion of the stakeholders is a procedure in the setting of policies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, policy includes both the two analysis. Since there is that close interrelationship between the three, they must all be put in close consideration whenever there is need to come up with a policy. Policy forms one of the most important parts of daily decision making of all forms of all organizations irrespective of the size and type.
It is thus mandatory for the policy making to be done with due diligence and appropriate and qualified gurus should be involved. The process must also be carried out with the desired sobriety and a wider insights given since the policies are mostly for a reasonable or long period of time and there effects may be great.
References
Anglin, M.D., Lonshore,D., & Turner,S. (1999). Treatment alternatives to street and crime: Criminal justice and behavior. Philadelphia: Temple university press.
Easton, D. (1953). The Political System. New York: Oxford university press.
Hoppe, R. (1999). Policy analysis, science and politics: from ‘speaking truth to power’ to ‘making sense together’, Science and Public Policy. California: McGraw-Hill College press.
Lindblom, C. & Cohen, D (1979). Usable Knowledge: Social Science and Social Problem Solving. New Haven, Yale University Press.
Sanderson, I. (2002), Evaluation, Policy Learning and Evidence-Based Policy Making. Public Administration, 80: 1–22. doi: 10.1111/1467-9299.00292
Wallace, H., Wallace, W., & Pollack, M.A. (eds.) (2005) Policy-Making in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.