Policy Process

The study and analysis of the policy process has drawn on a variety of disciplines and fields of study. As a result of this diversity, there is no clear and unanimous definition or model of what a policy, or public policy, is or how it is made, but, instead, a vast body of literature relating to the policy process.

Although there are many definitions, a number of key elements, relating to actors, activities, problems and solutions, are present in all of them.

Policy may be defined as “a plan of action to guide decisions and actions oriented towards solving problems. The term may apply to government, private sector organisations and groups, and individuals.”

Different models have been created in an attempt to simplify and explain the process by which a policy is chosen and carried out. These models include the stages approach, the streams model, the cognitive approach, the socio-historical approach, the institutional model, and the organisational approach.

Given that policy processes are highly context-specific, it is essential to understand the country’s or area’s particular context and characteristics in order to grasp the specificity of its policy-making process, and potentially play a role in shaping it.