ABSTRACT
‘Policy’ can be defined as a plan or course of action to influence and determine decisions, actions and other matters. Policy instruments are often broadly classified as regulatory (legal), economic (market-based) or informational (persuasive). Some authors include cooperative (voluntary) instruments as a fourth type. Policy analysis encompasses all aspects of how problems are identified, decisions are made, policies are implemented, and outputs and outcomes are measured. Policy analysis is the business of informing decision-making. Policy analysis may be prospective, where it attempts to forecast the likely outcomes for various policy options and uses existing data or retrospective, where it is used to assess whether the policy is meeting its goals and objectives. The process by which problems are identified, policies are created, outcomes are evaluated and policies are revised is termed the ‘policy cycle’.
