QUE: What are the nature and characteristics of public policy? How is it formulated? Give information about it.

Public policy is the basic guideline for the action taken by various government agencies on various issues of the country.

• Nature of public policy:

Goal oriented: Goals like social, economic, welfare state, development for all, etc. are kept in mind.

Collective actions: Various stakeholders – government, private institutions, technologists – non-profit organizations, people, etc. will give more importance to collective action instead of working independently or separately. For example, in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan mission, work was undertaken by the entire society and the government for cleanliness.

Different modes of decision-making process: It can be made in the form of laws, ordinances, administrative orders, court decisions, etc.

Support of law and authority: It is supported by law and authority.

Characteristics of Public Policy:

• Guided by broad public interest
• Connected through communication and feedback
• Evolves over time.
• Requires a wide range of skills
• Participatory and consultative
• Future-oriented
• Different stages of public policy making:

The formulation and implementation of public policy is done by considering five steps. These five steps are as follows:

Agenda setting: This is the first stage, where the problems are identified and discussed. The real benefit of this step is to filter out the main issues from the problems and submit them to the Parliament and Legislature for further discussion.

Policy formulation: This stage includes the discussion part, where the identified issues are thoroughly analyzed and drafts are made for solutions. This step is crucial in formulating a policy to address these issues.

Policy Implementation: Implementation is the actionable part of the public policy cycle, where rules and regulations are implemented by the central or state governments. In addition, government agencies can also implement some policies.

Budgeting: Budgeting is an essential step in the public policy cycle. Budgeting allows the government to manage money for a particular policy in a financial year. It ensures that there is availability of cash during the implementation of the policy.

Policy Evaluation: Evaluation is the impact assessment after the implementation of policies. In this step, the impact of the policy and its budget is examined. This step is more helpful in suggesting improvements in the existing policies and drafting new policies.

          Thus, the formulation of effective public policies is essential for good and smooth governance of any country. With the help of inclusive public policies, success can be achieved in creating a smooth socio-economic system that is conducive to achieving the goal of public welfare.