Factors Influencing Public Policy

Factors Influencing macrocosm PolicyAs for a good government, the valuable normal form _or_ system of government, which refers to the government action or inaction to deal with break officular issues, apprise be regarded as hotshot of the evaluation criterions. olibanum, it seems that the process of polity devising, turning the government political vision into the actual programs and actions in the satisfying world (Cabinet Office, 1999), gravels signifi potbellyt which should be put on much more(prenominal) emphasis. Especially, good quality form _or_ system of government making depends on heights quality training, derived from a variety of sources-expert knowledge be domestic and transnational research existing statistics stakeholder consultation evaluation of previous policies and new research(Cabinet Office, 1999). The high quality information here mainly refers to inference which be jazzs more and more big part for the insurance making. Even more, the incre asing handling of various kinds of narrate by government has determined the central role of evidence in polity making for 21st century. The term evidence-based insurancemaking naturally comes up at the same time.Actually, the rise role of evidence in insurance making does have its own reasons. As the phylogenesis of modern society, the growth of well-read and well-informed public cast their interest to the exact information provided by the government and ask why. Thus in current distance, it facilitates the government to explore the precise data of all types with the help of developed information technology(Davies, Nutley and Smith, 2000). Whats more, an increasing demand on accountability in government spurs on the significance of evidence in a democratic society. Due to the above reasons, in UK the Blair Government, who was elected on the basis of What matters is what works, announced that to drive policies that really deal with problems, that be forward-looking and shap ed by evidence rather than a reception to short-term compress, that tackles ca dos not symptoms(Modernising Government, 1999 White Paper), and demonstrated that it was a good time for the new government to range evidence based- approach to public policy (Gary Banks AO, 2009), At the same time, they built a new kindred between social science and government as well as pointed out that public policy had to be driven by evidence.So, what exactly does evidence mean? UK Cabinet office defines it as compend of the outcome of consultation, representings of policy options and the results of economic or statistical modeling(Cabinet Office, 1999) According to Chambers Dictionary, evidence consists of results of systematic investigating towards increasing the sum of knowledge (Davies, Nutley and Smith, 2000). Both two definitions can be divided into four kinds suffice for policy making descriptive data, analytical findings, evaluative evidence, and policy analytic forecasts(Carol Hirsc hon Weiss, 2001). Descriptive data is a tool to show objects condition, location, relation and direction of change. Consider, for instance, before the Hong Kong Government introduced the environmental levy scheme on credit card shopping bags, amount of data are collected to show the increasing danger brought by the p failic bags. 3-the average number of plastic bags is usanced by Hong Kong people per day. 13,503-the number of tons of stiff wild is disposed of at landfills per day (EPD Hong Kong, 2009). 20 to 1000-the years are needed to decompose the plastic bag. From the exact data, government could clearly see the negative environmental affect caused by the plastic bag. Thus, governments policy is made on the basis of greathearted and comprehensive data. The second kind is analytic findings which refer to the identify information conducted by an academic research and analysis system, discovering the relationship between factors and current situations(Carol Hirschon Weiss, 200 1). Also in the same policy-the environmental levy scheme on plastic shopping bags, after academic analysis, we can conclude that the low environmental consciousness of public endangers the situation of indiscriminate use of plastic bags. The analytic findings are the direction for seeking positive solutions in the process of policy making. Evaluation assists for directly examining the existing policies in other countries or places, and thus selectively choosing for own use. Taiwan, as unmatched of the pioneers in environmental protection, provides valuable familiarity for the Hong Kong Government reenacting the plastic bag levy scheme. After evaluating positive and negative sides of Taiwans curtail Use Policy on Plastic Shopping Bags and Disposable Plastic Tableware (Our Groups Essay on environmental charge Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags, 2009), the HK Government adopts the same policy of restricted use of plastic shopping bags while temporarily abandons the unavailable pol icy on plastic tableware. The last one is policy analytic forecasts. In common situations, analyst will calculate and predict the potential cost and benefits of the coming policy. The report of prediction will work the final release of the new policy(Carol Hirschon Weiss, 2001). In short, these four kinds of evidence are used as the basis of the government policy making.Nevertheless, no matter how important evidence is, in the process of policy making, its nature has several limitations and difficulties. According to Gary Banks research on evidence-based policy making, methodology the government choose, data deficiency or overload, evidence transparency, people who research and analyze evidence, and the curb time to do the data collection are all the potential factors to influence the effectiveness of evidence used in policy making(Gary Banks AO, 2009). Sometimes, quantitative data could be collected, but that does not mean they are the real valuable data needed. The increase use of plastic shopping bags has no necessary correlation coefficient with the heavy air pollution problem. Thus, the evidence for air pollution should directly from car emission, industrial emission, waste deposition, etc. People with diverse political value or interest could be not averse(p) to accept the evidence which obeys their interest. Whats more, even for the policy makers, they would like to set the mode of policy origin and then look for confirmation evidence. In this sense, evidence only can be regarded as one of the important factors in policy making. It will be much more appropriate to call that evidence-influenced policy making( H.K. Wongs blab out note).In addition, other iii main factors-political, economic and social factors, also have a intensive power to affect the heterogeneous process of policy making.Politics here concerns with political system and crisis. On one hand, as we know, the stable political system determines the usual way of the government policy making. From the first beginning of policy proposal to the consultation and to the final policy making, every step complies with a certain regulate with minor change. Moreover, the same as the steady political system, political ideology and beliefs also become the major elements to force the policy made(Philip Davies, 2004). On the other hand, crisis explosion becomes the direct primacord to urge the government to enact and implement a new policy in the present(prenominal) time. After the explosion of the global monetary crisis, once the economic situation in Hong Kong got worse rapidly, and the Hong Kong Government carried out series of policy to spend a penny the recovery and development of economy. In the 2009-2010 Budget, the government introduced several measures to ensure the stability of monetary institutions and the market to plod public confidence in our monetary systems, including the provision of liquidity assistance to the banking system and the establishment of a Contingent Bank Capital Facility(The 2009-2010 Budget of Hong Kong). Meanwhile, in roam to decrease the unemployment rate caused by the fiscal crisis, the Hong Kong Government also sustained the provision of more than 60000 employment chances, increased the recruitment of civil servants, and almost cooperated with Guangdong Province to create more jobs(The 2009-2010 Budget of Hong Kong). Thus, it seems that in some certain situations, political factors are more available than evidence which needs time to collect and analyze.The economy is often closely connected with the politics. The long-standing development of economy should base on valuable policies. In every years policy address, economic policy is the most important one. According to the specific economic situations, the government have emphasised their policy on different shots. For instance, when the Hong Kong market was heavily hit by the financial tsunami, the policy emphasis are primed(p) on how to cope with it and ho w to recover this year. This is why the government make great effort to stabilize the financial system, support enterprises and preserve employment(2009-2010 Policy squall). Comparing to the previous year, there was no financial tsunamis hitting, the Hong Kong Government center more on 10 large-scale Infrastructure Projects which aimed to im institute Hong Kongs transportation and link up socio-cultural and phone line activities with more efficient transportation systems(2007-2008 Policy Address). When talking about economic factors, we should notice that every policy is restricted within the government finance. As we know, if the budget of a policy is largely beyond the governments financial endurance after exact calculation and the cost effectiveness/efficiency system, the policy will be cut off.Social factors here include experience and judgement of policy makers, habit and tradition, pressure groups and consultants(Philip Davies, 2004). Normally, the experience and judgement of policy makers are precious remnant on the basis on the previous policy success or failure, embodying rational capital and tacit knowledge(Philip Davies, 2004). They are consider as an influence factor. Actually, the use of experience and judgement often appears in the condition where the evidence is incomplete or non-existent(Grimshaw, et al, 2003). It can be regarded as a complement for evidence in the process of policy making. Habit and tradition constitutes some other social factor affecting policy making. Some institutions stagnate due to the unchanging habit and tradition. They turn down to make and implement new policy to stimulate the development of themselves. To a certain extent, Changing traditional and habitual ways of doing things to accommodate the forces of rationality and modernity presents a major challenge for policy making(Philip Davies, 2004). The last social factor-pressure groups and consultants, increasingly influence the policy making in the current days . The fast development of imagine tanks in society, they have already deeply penetrated into the politics. Especially when a policy contradicts with think-tanks and pressure groups interest, their opinions are strong enough to affect the policy making.In a word, all the above factors come together to influence the process of policy making. Evidence, political, economic and social factors supplement with each other, preparing for the fully consideration of policy making. However, factors come together here does not mean that every factor should become one necessary part in a policy. In most conditions, there are only two or three factors influence the policy making. Now, I will analyze how these factors come together to affect policy making within one case.Small correct Teaching in Hong Kong is a typical case which could prove many elements come together to influence policy making. As the development of modern knowledge-based society, more and more requirements are raised on educa tion system and method. Especially, for the comprehensive development of younger generation, it is commonly vatical that menial home with teentsyer number of students per sectionalisation is much more helpful than the normal large class in primary and secondary school. As for the teachers in small class, they could reduce their heavy workload, wear more attention to every soulfulness student and then teach students according to their ability. For the student, in small class they would have more opportunities to communicate with teachers and classmates, participant in class activities and get more immediate feedback of their own study from teachers(Group 2s Essay on Small Class Teaching).Since July 1998, an oral question on class size of it in primary and secondary schools was first raised by Hon Cheung Man-kwong in the Legislative Council. public treasury 2007, the Chief Executive finally announced that the small class teaching would be launch in 2009/10 school year in his 2007-2008 Policy Address. During the long period of policy making, in order to collect more resource as well as considering some controversy issues concerned with the small class teaching, the government conducted a pi parcel study in primary school with effectiveness strategies of class and group teaching in 2003/04 school year and another scheme in primary schools with high concentration of disadvantaged pupils with effect from 2005/06 school year. During the study, amount of feedback and quantitative data have been collected from teachers and students through with(predicate) the way of questionnaire. Qualitative data, carefully analyzed through systematic lesson observations and case studies, get a conclusion that schools and teachers have not really benefited a lot from the small class teaching (Group 2s essay on Small Class Teaching). Even though the final result of the study has not been released to the public, from the aspect of evidence, it can be regarded as a good way to start. In addition, the evaluation and experience-learning on the basis of oversea experience is also a kind of evidence. The United State is a successful example on the implementation of small class teaching, who conducts specific cost-effectiveness analysis and fully considers the allocation of funds, the target popularity, the class size and so on(Group 2s essay on Small Class Teaching).From the aspect of social factors, most of academic and parents representatives concurred with the policy of small class teaching with the reasons that teachers should be professionally trained and care more about individual students need. Moreover, political parties such as Democratic Party and Liberal Party, also agreed with the implementation of this policy. Thus, a great major of stakeholders were unanimous the implementation of small class teaching which they believed students and teachers would benefit a lot from it. In this sense, the strong opinions for stakeholders have a certain impact o n the whole policy process.From the aspect of political factors, in 2002, the Consolidating High Cost and Under-utilized Primary Schools policy was introduced by Education and Manpower Bureau, lede to a threaten to amount of teachers jobs. Thousands of teachers hold a march and protested against the policy in July 2003(SING TAO, 2003). This political pressure became one element to influence the making of small class teaching policy.Originally, the Hong Kong Government attempted to use evidence-based policy making by conducting the pilot study, evaluating and analyzing the research as well as learning from overseas experience. However, political and social factors partially become the elements of affecting the policy making. Thus, evidence in this case is keep mum the most important factor and the policy of small class teaching could be called evidence-influenced policy.To conclude, in the complex process of policy making, evidence as well as the political, economic and social fa ctors constitutes the influence elements. On one hand, Evidence, by means of descriptive data, analytic findings, evaluative evidence, and policy analytic forecasts, occupies the most epochal position in policy making. On the other hand, to some extent, the limitations and difficulties of evidence restrict the policys formation. It leads to the evidence-influenced policy, instead of evidence-based policy. Yet, the innovation of the political, economic and social factors makes up the limitation of evidence in a certain distance. They all serve for the whole policy process.ReferenceCabinet Office, 1999, Professional Policy- devising for the Twenty-First Century, Strategic Policy Making Team, London, Cabinet Office.http//www.civilservant.org.uk/profpolicymaking.pdf ( accessed on 18 November, 2009)Cabinet Office, 1999a, Modernising Government, White Paper, London, Cabinet Office.Carmen, Fiona, Helen, Gloria, Selin and Yvonne, November 2009, Group Paper Environmental levy Scheme on Pla stic Shopping BagsCarol Hirschon Weiss, 2001, What Kind of Evidence in Evidence-Based Policy? one-third International, Inter-disciplinary Evidence-Based Policies and Indicator Systems Conference, July 2001 http//www.cemcentre.org/Documents/CEM%20Extra/EBE/EBE2001/P284-291%20Carol%20Weiss.pdf (accessed on 19 November, 2009)Chau Kam Yan, Hon Heung-Kwan, Kung Tin Ho, Leung Lok-Sum, So Tsit, October 2009, Group Essay on Small Class TeachingDonald Tsang, 2007, Policy Address 2007-2008 A New Direction for Hong Kong, policyaddress.gov.hk, http//www.policyaddress.gov.hk/07-08/eng/agenda.html (accessed on 20 November, 2009)Donald Tsang, 2009, Policy Address 2009-2010 Breaking New Ground Together, policyaddress.gov.hk, http//www.policyaddress.gov.hk/09-10/eng/index.html (accessed on 20 November, 2009)Environmental Protection Department Hong Kong, 2009. Environmental Levy on Plastic Shopping Bags. http//www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/env_levy.html (accessed on 3 November, 2009)Gary Banks AO, 2009, Challenges of Evidence-Based Policy-Making, Australia Public Service Commission, http//www.apsc.gov.au/publications09/evidencebasedpolicy.htm (accessed on 19 November, 2009)Grimshaw, J.M., Thomas, R.E., MacLennan, G., Fraser, C., and Ramsay, C.R., 2003, Effectiveness and Efficiency of Guideline Dissemination and Implementation Strategies, Final Report, Aberdeen, Health Services explore Unit.H.K. Wong, 2009, Lecture Note 3 The Rhetorics and Reality of EBPMHum Davies, Sandra Nutley and Peter Smith, 2000, Introducing Evidence-Based Policy and Practice in Public Services, In What Works? 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