Mami Mokgosi

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Public policy models

Model is a representation of a more complex reality that has been oversimplified in order to describe and explain the relationships among variables and sometimes prescribing how something should happen. models influencing public policies could be descriptive and prescriptive in nature. They further outline that the descriptive models analyse public policy making process while prescriptive models describe public policy options. The descriptive and prescriptive models are discussed below.

• 1. Descriptive models - models of public policies as capable of analyzing the public policy processes in terms of who is involved, how and why. Who is involved, how and why suggest the incorporation of the implementation process.  : the functional process model; the elite or mass model; the group model; the systems model; the institutional model; the political systems model; the social interaction model and the rationale-choice model.

• FUNCTIONAL PROCESS MODEL, the functional process model suggests a serious consideration of effective generation of other public policy process alternatives, which can be achieved through active grassroots participation during the public policy process. This model focuses on the functional activities involved in the policy making process and is concerned with the “how” aspect of policy making.
• ELITE / MASS MODEL, the Elite/Mass model advocates for a stratified society comprising on one hand the elites who are regarded as well-educated and influential, and the less influential masses on the other.
• GROUP MODEL, public policy may derive from interest groups who continuously interact with policy makers to influence the policy making process. In seeking to define this model, some policies may be made by judges in consultation with other groups but only to discover that the President has great influence over what policy areas are given attention. This implies that a monopoly of influence over some polices areas can be perpetuated by this model during public policy formulation.
• SYSTEMS MODEL, the Systems model is a response by the political system to the goals, problems, needs, wants and demands of society compromising both individuals and interest groups. They further elaborate that this model allows for debates, proposals, counterproposals, adaptations, consensus on public policy, review of implementation and feedback. When political context influences public policy, the Systems model assumes the view that demands and support (inputs) enter and filter through a government system into the public policy process.
• INSTITUTIONAL MODEL, public sector institutions are integral to the public policy making process. Inherently, they influence the public policies and their implementation. The Institutional model is premised on the basis that public policy is the product of public institutions, whose structures are responsible for public policy implementation. This, therefore, highlights the dependency factor of public policy to Institutional model.
• SOCIAL INTERACTION MODEL, this model emerged almost eighty years ago and forms a strong foundation today for social-interaction induced public policies. The Social Interaction model as a tool through which social relationships are systematically approached, modelled and channeled in a way that allows composition of rules derived from social exchanges. From the perspective of what transpired in evolution of new political dispensation, the Social Interaction model encourages participation, negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution for public policy processes.
• RATIONAL – CHOICE MODEL, This model is based on the view that individuals are seen to be motivated by the wants or goals that express their preferences. The Rational-Choice model, public policy makers pursue their own self-interest instead of national-interest. Therefore, the rational-choice model implies that individuals must anticipate the outcomes of alternative courses of action and calculate that which will be best for them. Hence it is an egocentric (self-centered) approach to the PPI process.

• 2. Prescriptive models - prescriptive models influence decision making on public policies to be pursued after determining public policy impact and eliminating negative consequences before, during or after the PPI. The models discussed below are: rational – comprehensive model,  incremental model; mixed – scanning model; garbage can model; and satisficing model.

• RATIONAL – COMPREHENSIVE MODEL, the rational-comprehensive model enables policy makers to have a full range of options from which to choose regarding public policies to be pursued. Implicitly, the rational comprehensive model advocates for multi-considerations that underlie and guide policy makers on public policy formulation choices.
• INCREMENTAL MODEL, the incremental model is a reaction to the rational comprehensive model and is a continuation of existing government activities with the potential for small, incremental adoptions. The proponents of this model present the following reasons in supporting the model, namely:

>That incremental change is more expeditious than comprehensive change;

>That the potential for conflict is considerably lower than with radical changes since there are limited public policy alternatives available in incremental fashion; and

> That incremental adaptation contributes to a redefinition of public policy on a continuous basis.

           -   GARBAGE – CAN MODEL (GCM), The Garbage-Can model (GCM) is another                     prescriptive model in the public policy process. GCM as a model that rejects conventional policy cycle models which envisage the policy development process as rational and underpinned by the logic of problem solving. Describe GCM as where, over time, policy ideas, problems and possible alternatives are dumped together, resulting in a complex combination of problems and solutions, in a quest to identify and link preferred solutions to problems.

            - SATISFICING MODEL, the satisficing model is based on an alternative that provides satisfactory and sufficient public policy solutions to problems. They further outline that the satisficing model is characterized by:

>bounded rationality, whereby public policy decisions are limited to elementary understanding of the problem rather than allowing liberal thinking that can present complex alternative solutions; and

> Incrementalism whereby the public policy makers are inclined to consider only those alternatives that differ in a relatively small degree from the choice currently in effect.

              - MIXED – SCANNING MODEL, Making a decision on public policy to be formulated may appeal to the application of more than one model. Inevitably, the model required the public policy process should be flexible in order to accommodate what is relevant to the public policy. The mixed-scanning model offers such flexibility and multi – alternative approach. The mixed – scanning model integrates the good characteristics of the rational comprehensive model with those of the incremental model by:

> reviewing the overall public policy;

> concentrating on specific needs for public policy; and

> focusing on public policy results or public policy impact.

 

Mthethwa, B., S., V. 2014. THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF PUBLIC POLICY. http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10394/12252/Mthethwa_BVS_Chapter_2.pdf Access Date 25/Apr/ 2018.