ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the concept of public policy making as a problem-focused cycle. A public policy is a product such as a Cabinet directive, a piece of legislation, or a promise made by a political party: it expresses an intention, or a choice, made by a government. The model of the policy cycle shows policy making as an essentially orderly process with a number of inter-linked stages, each of which builds towards a successful outcome. The model is an idealised representation of policy making, highlighting key activities and relationships. A good policy process anticipates this eventuality by including ongoing consultation, monitoring and evaluation. The information generated in this way is used to fine-tune, restructure or maybe even terminate the policy or program. Much policy work does not lend itself to long-term project management, consultation, review and detailed analysis. Privatisation is another significant policy which governments have been wary of turning into an election issue, for fear of popular disapproval.
