An Introduction to Public Policy Analysis and Administration

Preface The world for which policies have to be developed is becoming increasingly complex, uncertain and unpredictable. Citizens are better informed, have rising expectations and are making growing demands for services tailored to their individual needs. Key policy issues, such as social need, low educational achievement and poor health, are connected and cannot be tackled effectively by departments or agencies acting individually. Government reforms in Nigeria as elsewhere focused on efficiency in service delivery and on reforming management structures - how things were done. Policy formulation as outlined in this book is about establishing what needs to be done - examining the underlying rationale for and effectiveness of policies - then working out how to do it and reviewing on an ongoing basis how well the desired outcomes are being delivered. The process of Policy formulation is not a high science, but it is difficult to do well. As in any process, there are tools and techniques that can help in doing the job more effectively. Given this premise, this book in pursuit of its goal was divided into six parts starting with the introduction.