Course Outline: Public Policy Analysis
Course Code: PP 601
Resource Person: Sohail Ahmad, Professor of Practice in Public Policy
Focus Areas:

“What is Public?”

Public vs. Private issues

Processes of Public Policy Formulation

Policy vs. Strategy

Tools of Public Policy Analysis

Factors influencing formulation of successful Public Policy

Factors influencing successful implementation of Public Policy

Role of Bureaucracy in formulation/implementation of Public Policy
Contact: sohail.ahmad@umt.edu.pk
Introduction to Course Manual:
This course manual has been divided into three parts; Part 1 covers Course Description and
structures and includes learning objectives; Part II encompasses the method of instruction as well
as course requirement, expected from the participants. It also covers the basis of evaluating
participants’ performance in the course. Part III provides the list of readings.
Part 1: Course Description
Public policy relates to and impacts various aspects of life of the people. It deals with public
issues, problems and needs regarding health, education, employment, poverty, housing, justice,
law and order, rule of law, security of life and property, national security and interstate relations,
to name a few. Public policy is considered to be an organised attempt by a government to serve
the people or resolve public issues and problems and fulfill public needs and aspirations. Public
policies are formulated in conformity with the constitution, laws and regulations of the country.
1
Once public policy is formulated, it moves into the realm of implementation, monitoring and
evaluation because all public policies are geo- and bio-dynamic for changes and adjustments.
Policy analysis is a complex process intended to ascertain its strengths and weaknesses or
success and failure. It may need changes and adjustment to remove flaws in the policy in order to
ensure successful attainment of goals. Public policy analysis falls into two stages or categories:
a) the flow of questions; and b) answers and debate.
Policy analysis is carried out with various alternatives in view that will best achieve a given set
of goals in the light of the relations between policies and goals. Policy analysis can be divided
into two major types: analytical and descriptive. Analytically, a combination of policy analysis
and policy evaluation is regarded as Policy Studies.
Course structure
1. Public Policy: meaning, nature, scope, its various models, implementation, and analysis:
2. Models:
Elite model: Violence, repression, mass disorder involve elite response or Elite-Mass interaction
for a resolution of such situations. Generally it involves the decision makers, i.e., the dominant
class and limited input of members of the elitist sections of the society. The elite model of public
policy is based on exclusionary factors because policy making takes place with limited
participation of the privileged stakeholders. In addition to the problems of disorder in the society,
the participants can also discuss this model to deal with other areas such as housing, poverty,
health, and education;
Rational Model: There are two sources of the rational approach: the economic rationality, and
bureaucratic rationality. Rational model is also known as Weberian model because, Max Weber,
a German sociologist, constituted a rational mechanism for analysis of public policy. Rational
model deals with choosing a policy from a variety of policy options, and the chosen policy is the
one that is designed to maximize net value achievement. Thomas Dye defines rational policy as
the policy of efficiency, “a policy is rational,” he says, “when the difference between the values
2
it achieves and the value it sacrifices is positive and greater than any other policy alternative.”
Participants must study both Thomas Dye and Sapru for the rational model of public policy.
(Sapru, pp. 105-119).
Incremental Model: Budgeting is at the heart of all public policy making. All public interest
policies need budgets. Budgets review public policies in terms of their cost assessment and
available financial resources. Government budget decides which public policies and programs
need to be increased, decreased, initiated, renewed or shortened, and which need change or
amendment, depending upon the position of the public purse. Public policies, therefore, are not
static. In addition, public policies cannot operate in isolation of various influences such as
environmental, social and economic changes, demographic transformation, international
developments, commodity prices (especially in the presence of cartels like OPEC), eruption of
wars, civil wars, economic crises, external financial assistance and balance of trade. Participants
should benefit from reading Siegel and Weinberg, pp.11-99).
3. Case of Pakistan: Dominance of “Traditional Model”; Why?
4. Is it possible to adopt public policy or and governance theoretical models without
understanding the” society” in which such models will have to be implemented?
5. Public Policy in “Traditional Societies”
6. Economic Principles of Policy Analysis
7. Other- Social and Environmental basis of Public policy
The main objective of the course is to fully sensitize the participants to the process of policy
formulation and various societal factors that influence the process. The course will also seek to
provide a broad understanding of what constitutes a “good” policy and what role can be played
by public servants in advancing the course of good policies in society. The course will also seek
to make the participants aware of the” formal” and “ Informal” instruments and processes
through which public policy is analyzed/formulated in Pakistan.
Part II: Method of Instruction and Course Requirement
3
The course is designed to develop disciplined and creative thinking in participants. It will seek to
enable them to think coherently and critically. The methodology will include lecture-discussions
with frequent examples and references from Pakistan. It will be important for participants to
remain abreast and informed with the latest happenings in public policy/governance area.
Participation in class discussion will be required and evaluated. Participants are encouraged to
take notes during lectures since substantial part of lecture contents shall be based on actual/real
current situation and examples of governance and society in Pakistan. Participants shall also be
required to take a mid-term exam and end-term test. A spot test may also be taken to evaluate
class participation and attentiveness during lecture-discussions.
The course shall be conducted through class sessions of 3 hours each per week – or 2 sessions
per week of 90 minutes each.
Evaluation:
Class participation and/or Spot Test
25%
Mid-term Exam
25%
End-term Exam
50%

3 Credit Hours course

Grading system of UMT

Letter Grades A to F (4.00-0.00)
Part III: Recommended/Suggested Readings:
Participants shall be strongly encouraged to read selective current literature on Public Policy,
governance and society. Particular articles, chapters and/or books shall be identified during the
lectures; and participants shall be expected to read them through the weekend. In addition,
following books are for selective use. Some of these are available in UMT library. Those not
available shall be arranged in photocopy/Xerox.
4
Suggested Readings
1. Burgruen Nicolas & Gardels Nathan, Intelligent Governance for the 21st Century: Policy
Press, Cambridge, UK, 2013
2. O’Toole Laurence J. & Kenneth J., Public Management: Organization, Goverance, and
Performance, Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, India, 2011
3. Sapru R.K., Public Policy: Art and Craft of Public Policy Analysis, 2nd Ed., PHI Private
Learning Limited, New Delhi, 2011
4. Siegel Richard L. & Weinberg Leonard B., Comparing Public Policy: United States,
Soviet Union and Europe, The Dorsey Press, Georgetown, Ontario, 1977
5. Anderson James E., Ed., Cases in Public Policy Making, Praeger Publisher, New York,
1976
6. Dye Thomas R., Understanding Public Policy, Prentice Hall, Englewood Clifs, New
Jersy, 1972
7. Lynn Laurence E., Designing Public Policy: A Case Book on the Role of Policy
Analysis, Goodyear Publishing Company, INC. Santa Monica, California, 1980
8. Miljan Lydia, Public Policy in Canada: An Introduction, 5th Ed., Oxford University Press,
Don Mills, Ontario, 2008
9. Easton David, The Analysis of Political Structure, Routledge, New York, 1990
10. Bertalanffy Ludwig Von, General Systems Theory, George Braziller, New York, 1973
11. Quade, E.S , Analysis of Public Decisions, 1989
12. Military, Civil Society and democratization in Pakistan, Akbar Zaidi, S., 2011.
5
Calendar of Course contents to be covered during semester
Course code………P601
Week
Course title: Public Policy Analysis
Course Contents
Reference Chapter(s)
“What is Public?”
Public vs. Private Issues
1
Processes of Public Policy Formulation
2
Policy vs. Strategy
3
Factors influencing formulation of successful Public Policy
4
6
Tools of Public Policy Analysis
5
Role of Bureaucracy in formulation/implementation of Public
Policy
6
Models of Public Policy; Elite; Rational, Incremental
7
Case of Pakistan: Dominance of “Traditional” and “Elitist”
model; why?
8
Possibility/ Difficulty of adopting theoretical model without
understanding society for which it is adopted.
9
Spot Test
Mid Term
10
7
Public Policy in “Traditional Societies”
11
Economic Principles of Policy Analysis
12
Other social and Environmental Basis of Public Policy
13
Course Summing up and Review
14
Final Test
15
8