PPA 670 POLICY ANALYSIS

IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVES

GENERATING ALTERNATIVES

Before alternatives can be generated,

1) the problem must be correctly identified, and

2) relevant criteria for judging alternatives must be specified

Some criteria that are often used in judging the suitability of alternatives include:

1) cost--can we afford it; will it be cost-effective?

2) reliability--does it have proven success, or is it subject to failures?

3) stability--will it still work if conditions change?

4) invulnerability--will it work if one of its component parts fails?

5) flexibility--can it accomplish more than one thing?

6) riskiness--is there a high chance of all or nothing?

7) communicability--is it easy to understand?

8) merit--does it address the problem?

9) simplicity--is it easy to implement?

10) compatibility--is it congruent with existing norms and procedures?

11) reversibility--can we return to our prior state if it fails?

12) robustness--can it succeed in different future states?

SOURCES OF ALTERNATIVES

1) the status quo or no action alternative

This means that current efforts will continue at the same level. It is important to consider how effective any different alternative will be at changing the status quo.

A baseline analysis: identifies clear trade-offs with the present; clarifies project objectives; underlines whether there is a need for action or not; provides linkages to existing efforts; identifies problems likely to emerge; and confirms that no optimum solution exists.

3) re-define the problem from others' points of view, including opponents of any change

4) consider the ideal, then apply political, economic, and other constraints

5) start from generic, to modified, to custom-made alternatives

6) Quick Surveys by telephone, fax, or e-mail, of peers, old MPA classmates, people in the policy issue network, public meetings or hearings, content analysis of editorials, letters to the editor, etc.

7) Literature review of professional and academic journals, government reports, collected proceedings from conferences, on-line services (lexis-nexus, first search, article first etc.).

8) Case studies of real world experiences: why was the alternative adopted, what were the circumstances, what other alternatives were considered and discarded, how did it eventually work out, what modifications were made after implementation.

9) Passive collection and classification: keep a folder for collecting interesting policy solutions on a regular basis, even if no problem exists at the moment, from clients, superiors, advocates, media, interest groups, etc. Then refer to the folder in emergencies.

10) Develop Typologies: identify all the types of persons likely to be affected by any policy alternative, and what the probable reaction of each group would be to each type of alternative suggested; then develop alternatives that can overcome the objections of most of the groups.

11) Use analogies: 'new' problems are really just like other 'old' problems.

Personal Analogy: pretend to be someone affected by this problem, identify with the problem to see what types of policy alternatives suggest themselves;

Direct Analogy--look at solutions to other problems to see if they can be applied to this one;

Symbolic Analogy--imagine the most aesthetically satisfying solutions rather than merely technologically sound ones;

Fantasy Analogy--image the ideal solution, and try to preserve as much of it as possible when working backwards through real world constraints.

13) Feasible Manipulation--takes existing policy activities and develops alternatives based on limited, moderate, or wide manipulation of the range of possible activities.

14) Modify existing solutions:

Magnify--do more, more often, larger, longer, exaggerate, add new components, new resources

Minify--do less, less often, smaller, shorter, omit, remove, split apart, under use, fewer resources

Substitute--switch components, apply in different order, use different materials, try a different location or different sponsor

Combine--blend approaches, combine units, combine purposes, combine sponsors

Re-arrange--reverse, invert, change sequence, speed up, slow down, randomize

Location--use single or multiple locations, node versus scattered, temporary versus permanent

Timing--accelerate, lag, stagger, run concurrently, shorter span, longer span, time sharing

Finance--provide, purchase, tax, user fee, subsidy, co-pay, deductible, voucher, contract out

Organization--centralized versus decentralized, mandated versus voluntary, regulated, prohibited, enforced, inform, implore

Decision Sites--individual, unit, organization, elected, appointed, advisory, binding

Influence Points--users, providers, intermediaries, beneficiaries, payers

Risk Management--guarantees, insurance, remedial correction

PITFALLS