Policy Adopton Definition and Decision Making Pocess

1. Presented by:
Felinita R. Barroga
DBA 2nd Year
Ateneo De Davao University

2. 
 Policy adoption is the third phase of the policy
process in which policies are adopted by government
bodies for future implementation.
 Policy is legitimized as a result of the public
statements or actions of government officials; both
elected and appointed—the president, Congress,
state legislators, agency officials, and the courts..
(PALAO.2013)
Policy adoption

3. 
Policy Scholar Definition
James Anderson It is the third stage in the policy making process which
involves the practice of deciding which among the
proposed policy alternatives, including taking no action,
will be used to handle a particular problem in the society.
Michael Howlett
and Sarah Geist
It is a part of the standard set of procedures in the
policymaking process which is expected to lead in all
circumstances to the choice of the most efficient means of
achieving policy goals.
Thomas Birkland Policy adoption begins after an issue or a problem is
placed on the agenda and makes it way through the
legislative process until it comes close to the decision
agenda. In congress’s case, the process usually begins by
winnowing down a set of alternatives that are, for the
most part, debated and formulated in the committees.
Policy Adoption: Its Definition

4. 
Policy Adoption: Its Definition
Policy Scholar Definition
Gary Brewer &
Peter De Leon
It refers to the choice among policy alternatives
that have been generated and their likely effects
on the problem estimated. It is the most overtly
political stage in so far as the many potential
solutions to a given problem must somehow be
winnowed down and but one or a select few
picked and realized for use.
Alan Gitelson, Robert
Dudley and Melvin
Dubnick
It is the next step after policy formulation which
includes the efforts to obtain enough support to
enable a proposal to become the stated policy of a
government. At this point, most policy proposals
go through a process of bargaining and
compromise and emerge significantly changed.

5. 
 Formulated policies have to be adopted by relevant
institutions of government in order to be put into
effect. Adoption can be affected by the same factors
that influence what issues move into the earlier phase
of agenda building. For instance, policies that address
the changed circumstances crises often bring can often
be immediately adopted. Meanwhile, powerful interest
groups can use their political influence to determine
what policies are adopted.
.
The Process of Adoption

6. 
We Cannot please
everyone..

7.  Planning
 Personal contact
 Pulse of the community
 Positivism
 Participation
 Publicity
 Persistence
Some Guidelines in Policy Adoption

8. 
The media can also play a key role in policy adoption. When the media displays
a favorable bias, it can enhance a policy proposal ‘s likelihood of adoption. On
the other hand, an unfavorable media bias may undermine a policy proposal.
For example, unfavorable media coverage undermined the George W. Bush
administration’s proposals to change Social Security. Negative response also
killed the Clinton administration’s health care proposal.

9.  Policy Adoption is often used interchangeably with the
word “ Decision Making” by a number of intellectuals
who believed that these concepts are more related with
each other than being poles apart.
Decision making in Public
organization
James Anderson (2011) - political decision making
Thomas Birkland (2011) – policy decision
Michael Howlett & Michael Ramesh –
“Public Policy Decision Making”

10. 
Policy adoption = decision making
Differences in the Decision Making Process in the Government and public
organizations (Rainey, et al. 2010)
Public organizations are expected to provide collective or public goods which
the private organizations are not likely to deliver.
Public organizations are distinct from most private organizations that
operate in the marketplace.
They have different approach in the performance of their transactions with
their immediate environment. Public organizations tend to be more
coercive in dealing with their clients while private organizations are more
liberal and voluntary in their approach to customers
Public organizations get their funds from the taxes they collected while
private institutions get their funds from the sale of their products and services.
Public organizations are often controlled and directed by several regulatory
agencies of the government and mandates while private organizations enjoy
a considerable degree of autonomy in the conduct of their operations.

11. 
Approaches to Decision Making

13. 

15. 
Top down Approach
The top-down approach to policy decisions, also known as autocratic
leadership, is the process of upper management or the chief executive officer
reaching independent conclusions that change or improve the workplace or
business systems. Policies can affect all employees or only one department.
Lower-level managers can have some input into recommendations for their
sections or contribute department data, but the top-down approach does not
give them authority to make any decisions. That falls to the people in charge
of the entire organization.

16. 
Approches to Decision Making
1. Rational Comprehensive Theory
Rational theory is one that achieves maximum social gain/benefit i.e.
Government should choose policies resulting in gains to society that
exceed costs by greatest amount.
The concept of maximum social gains means no policy should be adopted if its
costs exceed its benefits and among policy alternatives, decision makers should
choose the policy that produces the greatest benefits over costs.
All possible options or approaches to solving the problem under study are
identified and the costs and benefits of each option are assessed and compared
with each other. The option that promises to yield the greatest net benefit is
selected

17. 
Approches to Decision Making
2. Incremental Theory
Under this model, policy is a continuation of previous policy with minimum changes
• Existing programs, policies and expenditures are considered as a base
• Policy makers accept the legitimacy of previous policies because of uncertainty
about the consequences of new policies
According to Anderson (2011) this model shares its own shortcomings or
Limitations despite being pitched by some scholars as the more suitable approach.
However it is too conservative and narrowly focused in the promotion of status-quo.

18. 
Approches to Decision Making
This is a combination of the Rational and Incremental Theories. (trial and error)
• Users of this theory integrate the characteristics of rational model
and incremental (Hanekom, 1987)
3. Mixed Scanning - developed by Amitai Etzioni
It capitalizes on the shortcomings of the rational and incremental models and
combines their elements in order to provide the most practical and effective
solutions to the problems of the government. (James Anderson, 2011)
According to Howlett and Ramesh (1995) this model approaches the process of
decision making in two successive stages first by searching, scanning or reviewing
an existing overall policy and next is a detailed selection of the best alternative
by concentrating on a specific need , policy result or policy impact.

19. 
Approches to Decision Making
This model emerged as a critique to the Rational Model saying that
organizations do not function as computers in solving optimization
problems.
• This Theory advocates that organizations function like garbage cans
into which a mix of problems and possible solutions are poured, with the
precise mix determining the decision outcome.
4. The Garbage-Can Model
Ex. Traffic Problem in the Philippines

20. Thank You for Listening
God Bless Us all !!