Government policy is a system of guidelines and rules established to achieve an organization’s objectives. It can take many forms including laws, regulations, procedures, incentives, and programs. Policy making is an ongoing process that may involve a number of stakeholders from civil society organizations to academia. Policy makers are also responsible for balancing the competing interests of their constituents and society at large.
Developing and implementing policies is not an easy task. The problems governments are asked to address are immense and the solutions are often not clear cut. Despite the challenges, it is important for governments to find ways to develop and implement policies that can change people’s lives for the better. Whether it is improving access to quality education, combating poverty and inequality, regulating the economy, or protecting the environment, policies are essential for government bodies to fulfill their functions.
Policymaking is a complex process that involves a wide range of actors, from citizens to civil society organisations and the media. It is also highly contextual, with the social and economic conditions prevailing in a country, prevailing political values and public mood all playing a role. This makes it difficult to impose a single model on policymaking. However, there are a number of key phases that are usually present in most policy processes: agenda setting, problem identification, policy formulation, policy implementation and evaluation.