Description
Identify and describe 2-3 evaluate criteria that provide a valid evaluation of your chosen policy alternatives that is identified and discussed in the attached paper. I want you to define, describe, and justify the use of the two or three criteria?that is chosen. ?Explain how each criterion contributes to the evaluation of the validity and use of the policy alternatives that is identified and discussed in the attached paper.
For example, how valid is your alternative? How?politically feasible is it? How economically efficient or ethically fit is the alternative? The goal is to analytically and critically assess the merit of the selected policy alternatives in the attached paper.
Explore Bardach’s?advice/recommendations for “gathering evidence.” Review of Evaluative Criteria.
First, what are evaluative criteria? According to Kraft and Furlong, they “…are the specific dimensions of policy objectives (what policy proposals see to achieve) that can be used to weigh policy options or judge the merits of existing policies or programs” (p. 181). In many, instances evaluative criteria are generated to justify the selection of use of various policy alternatives, options, or initiatives. In other words, evaluative criteria are essentially “benchmarks” for use by the policy analyst, keeping “…the policy analyst objective and focused…” (p. 181).
For example, if you believe that threatening Mexico with increased tariffs on imported goods if it does not take immediate police/military action to reduce the number of illegal immigrants from crossing the border into the U.S. is the best alternative or option, what are the possible outcomes of this particular alternative? In effect Bardach is technically correct: the evaluative criteria are indeed assessing the impact of the policy outcomes. For our purposes in this paper, let’s focus on the policy alternatives, because when you discuss effect of a criteria upon an alternative, option, or initiative you are de facto including in your discussion some aspect of the result or outcome resulting from the specific alternative. So, no sense being overly semantic. Second, what are the most commonly used evaluative criteria? To answer this question, I recommend you read and study Figure 6-1: “Selected Criteria for Evaluating Public Policy Proposals” on page 183 in Kraft and Furlong. Bardach covers similar criteria on pp. 33-37—those I listed above. I do not want to simply copy from the text; you can read them. However, in my Panopto video I do provide some description and clarification on a few of the more commonly used criteria, including efficiency, effectiveness, equity (or fairness and justice), political feasibility and others. Third, how do you determine which of these criteria are most relevant for your various alternatives, options, initiatives, or proposals? Ask yourself these questions: 1. 1. What is the primary value embodied in your policy alternatives? Is it economic? Is it ethical or moral? Is it equity or justice? 2. 2. How might the specific criteria selected be described and applied to gage application to your policy alternatives? 3. 3. Are you being objective about how and why the specific criteria best evaluate or provide a standard for judging the utility of the policy alternative? Or, are you still being led by your ideological and partisan biases regarding the original public problem? Your responsibility as a policy analyst is not the same as policy advocate. You are to objectively and without bias evaluate. You are not advocating for a particular outcome. This is not your job.
Organization of the Paper
A. Part One: Introduction: Provide an overview of your public problem and brief review of your three policy alternatives (half page)
B. Part Two: Identify, describe and justify the selection of two to three criteria. Explain how each criterion contributes to evaluating your three-policy alternatives. (3 pages)
C. Part Three: Conclusion (half page)
D. References Page (7-10 references)
Refer to Kraft and Furlong, pages 127-129 and pages 181-192 in Chapter 6 and Bardach, pp. 31-47. For a quick overview of select criteria, their definitions, limits to their use, and where (meaning what policy problems) are they most likely used, see the table on page 183. For Bardach, I recommend you concentrate on his definition, description, and use of various evaluative criteria he recommends beginning policy analysts consider. These include: efficiency (p. 33-36), equality, equity, fairness and justice (p. 36), freedom and community (p. 36-37), and what he refers to as process values (p. 37). Bardach, E., & Patashnik, E. M., (2015). A practical guide for policy analysis: The eightfold path to more effective problem-solving. C.Q. press. Kraft, M. E., & Furlong, S. R. (2012). Public policy: Politics, analysis, and alternatives. Cq Press.