DIAC Session 2, November 18 2010 Policies and Programs Professor Adam Graycar
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The role of government in market economies
• Facilitating Role• Allocation Function• Distribution Function
• Stabilisation Function
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Facilitating Role• Ensuring conditions for competitive
markets to operate• Providing the legal structure for
contractual arrangements and exchanges
Allocation Function• Addressing market failures• Providing ‘public goods’
The role of government in market economies
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The role of government in market economies
Distribution Function
• Reflecting social values including acceptable distribution of income and wealth
Stabilisation Function
• Policies for full employment, price stability and desirable economic growth
• Reflecting the public, as distinct from a private, view of the value of the future
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Role of government questions
• Who should act - government, market, family etc?
• Policy initiation or response?
• Source of policy initiation or response
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Role of government questions
Is this a function for government, the market, individuals or families, or charitable activity?
If a mixture, are the other players meeting their share (e.g. through user charges)?
Is this the responsibility of the Commonwealth, or of the states or local government?
Is there serious risk of government failure if it took on the responsibility?
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Politics of policy developmentElection platforms (sourced from parties, interest groups,
plus public service for government)
Ministers and advisers (from personal networks, party, interest groups)
Public service (from program data, experience, environment scanning, external experts, interest groups)
Interest groups (include service providers, client groups, sectoral interests)
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Politics of policy development (cont)
States/local government (from program experience, own financial interests, own political interests)
Public (clients, taxpayers, community members/citizens)
Media (stories, crises)
What’s the issue with the program?
How bad is the problem?
Severity, likely to get worse?
Scope and impact
How pressing?
New, unexpected or perennial?
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• Where are we now and where are we going?
• Where do we want to get to?
• How do we get there?
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In order to get there:
• Vision and values • Evidence and analysis • Understanding of stakeholders • Delivery capabilities
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Issue context
• What are the drivers of the SHP program?
• What legislation is relevant?• Think ahead on where the problem
might lead - current and future impacts
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For whom is it a problem?
• For program clients (or potential clients)?
• For other program stakeholders?
• For taxpayers?
• For the public more generally?
• For those fundamentally opposed to the endorsed policy?
• Where is ‘the public interest’[email protected]
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Locating the problem
• Are policy objectives appropriate/ inappropriate?
• Are other policy objectives being undermined?
• Is the problem primarily administrative?
• Is it primarily a communications/perceptions issue
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Locating the problem• Are the policy objectives inappropriate? Are they
inconsistent with broader social, economic, environmental policies?
• Are key policy objectives not being met? ‘Needs’ not addressed? Or not met effectively? Or efficiently?
• Are other policy objectives being undermined? Is the balance wrong?
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Locating the problem? (cont)• Is the problem primarily administrative? e.g.
missing key target groups, slow, cumbersome, costly
• Is it primarily a communications/perceptions issue?
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Managing the politics
• Working with the minister and office
• Working across government
• External consultation and engagement
• Managing communications – a professional business
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Tackling the problem
• Analytical techniques
• Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)
• Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA)
• Opportunity Costs (OC)
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Policy Instruments
• Advocacy
• Networking
• Money
• Government action• Law
Althaus, Bridgman, Davis
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Instruments - detail
Money• Fiscal powers• Taxing• Incentive payments• Grants (including States Grants)
Government action• New institutions• Direct service programs• Purchaser/provider • Administrative decisions
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Instruments, cont’d
Law• Legislation• Regulation• Parliamentary resolution• Administrative action (under law)
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Some more framework thoughts
• Conditions/ problems• Investment/ consumption• Need / want• Risk/ vulnerability• Risk factors/ protective factors
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Implementation
• Policy development phase
• Governance
• Risk management
• Implementation planning
• Procurement & contract mgt
• Stakeholder management
• Resources
• Communications
• Monitoring & [email protected]
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Implementation (from ANAO/PM&C)
Policy development phase• Policy/administration linkages• Identifying, assessing, advising on risks• Consideration of time frame• Contingency provision
Governance• Roles and responsibilities• Steering committees, taskforces, project teams• Monitoring and review
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Implementation (cont) (from ANAO/PM&C)
Risk management• Early identifying and assessing risks• Links to central agencies• Working with outside stakeholders• Managing risks• Managing consequences, escalation
Implementation planning• Including critical path, milestones etc
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Implementation (cont) (from ANAO/PM&C)
Procurement and contract management• Strategy• Expertise etc
Stakeholder management• Who, when, what, how
Resources• Staffing and skills• Change management• Finances• Systems
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Implementation (cont) (from ANAO/PM&C)
Communications• Communications strategy as essential
component of implementation
Monitoring and review
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Typical hurdles• Useful early administrative advice• Clarifying the risk tolerance level up front• Getting legislation passed, as intended, on
time• Negotiating with the States or others• Getting systems & procedures up and
running reliably• Keeping staff in place
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Typical hurdles• Getting expert advice from the administrative
arm at an early stage of policy development• Particularly if that expertise is not available in-house
or in-portfolio or in-government
• Clarifying the risk tolerance level up front
• Getting legislation passed, as intended, on time
• Negotiating with the States or other critical third parties
• And managing conflicts of interest
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Typical hurdles(cont)
• Getting systems up and running reliably
• Developing procedures, training the trainers, training staff
• particularly if trained staff needed within third parties
• Holding the senior project manager in the position until implementation is embedded