Indicators for Policy Management MDGs and Statistical Literacy

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Indicators for Policy ManagementMDGs and
Statistical Literacy

• Module 3 MDGs and the Policy Cycle

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What you will be able to do by the end of this
module

• Understand why MDGs need to be framed in a
  national policy context
• Explain the policy cycle and see how the MDGs
  fit within it
• Be familiar with the concept of evidence-based
  policy making

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Are the MDGs global, regional or national?

• MDGs need to be framed in a national policy
  context because
• Policies are decided at the national level and
  the MDGs will only be met when national
  governments are committed to reaching them
• Global measures of progress do not help to guide
  national policy
• Regional aggregates mask national successes and
  failures

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What do we mean by the policy cycle?

• Policy is a course or principle of action
  adopted by a government, party, business or
  individual
• Policies may aim to retain the status quo or
  implement a programme of reform or change
• In reality, the policy cycle is often a messy
  process

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What is a Policy Cycle?
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What is an effective and efficient policy cycle?

• Know clearly where we are analysis
• Know where we want to go objectives
• Understand the steps needed to get there
  policies and strategies
• Capacity to follow the steps sound
  implementation procedures
• Know where we are at any time effective
  monitoring system
• Learning from experience to inform and improve
  the next generation of policies and programmes

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What is an inclusive and accountable policy
cycle?

• Inclusive means that all relevant actors and
  stakeholders should be consulted and participate
  at various stages of the cycle
• Accountable requires open and transparent
  procedures

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The policy cycle analysing the situation
Setting objectives
Policy and strategy

• Where are we now?
• Including quantitative and qualitative analysis
  
• Characteristics of the population
• Macro, social, political constraints
• Current national strategies

PRSP process the theory
Fully costed programmes
Analysis
Implementation
Monitoring and evaluation
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The policy cyclesetting objectives
Setting objectives
Policy and strategy

• Where do we want to go?
• Set priorities and objectives
• Define medium- and long-term goals (for growth,
  poverty reduction etc)
• Integrate MDGs

PRSP process the theory
Fully costed programmes
Analysis
Policy implementation
Monitoring
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The policy cycledeveloping policies and
strategies
Setting objectives
Policy and strategy

• What do we need to do to reach objectives?
• Examine existing programmes
• Identify priority policies and programmes
• Research evidence-based policy making

PRSP process the theory
Fully costed programmes
Analysis
Policy implementation
Monitoring and evaluation
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The policy cyclecosting programmes
Setting objectives
Policy and strategy

• How much is it going to cost and where is the
  financing coming from?
• Cost the range of policies and programmes
• that have been identified
• Align with budget process

Costing programmes
Poverty analysis
PRSP process the theory
Monitoring
Implementation
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The Policy Cycle Implementation
Policy formulation
Policy and strategy

• Following the steps to deliver the policies and
  programmes
• Pilot testing and implementing
• new programmes

Poverty analysis
Fully costed programmes
PRSP process the theory
Implementation
Monitoring
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The Policy Cycle Monitoring and Evaluation
Setting objectives
Financing

• Are we following the steps set out and moving
  in the right direction?
• Have we reached objectives?
• Do we need to review objectives?
• How can we improve progress against
• objectives?

Communication
Analysis
Monitoring
Monitoring and evaluation
Policy implementation
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The Policy Cycle
Setting objectives
Policy and strategy
Results oriented, evidence-based policy making
Fully costed programmes
Analysis
Implementation
Monitoring and evaluation
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How does an MDG strategy fit into the national
policy cycle?

• Developing a strategy for meeting the MDGs
  involves three stages
• Setting a baseline and National targets
• Conducting a needs assessment
• Building policies and programmes around needs
  assessments

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Conducting a Needs Assessment

• Each country should conduct a needs assessment
  that compares its current situation with the
  targets
• Next step is to identify what policies and
  programmes, and public investment is needed to
  reach the goals by 2015
• The needs assessment would also identify
  particular obstacles that hinder progress

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Building Policies Around Needs Assessments

• Each country needs to develop a long-term (10-12
  year) plan for reaching the MDGs
• Then, countries need to develop medium-term (3-5
  year) strategies that include the long-term
  goals, i.e. the MDGs
• In many low-income countries, the medium-term
  plan is the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
  (PRSP)
• Both the long- and medium-term plans will need to
  be reviewed periodically as countries learn from
  their experiences

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What is Evidence-Based Policy Making?

• In recent years there has been an effort to
  improve the policy cycle in many countries by
  moving to evidence-based policy making
• Evidence-based policy helps people make
  well-informed decisions about policy, programmes
  and projects by putting the best available
  evidence from research at the heart of policy
  development and implementation
• A shift to evidence-based policy making will
  increase the possibility of meeting the MDGs

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The Evidence Base May Include

• Statistics
• Academic research evidence
• Practice-generated impact evidence
• Best-practice information (professionally
  mediated)

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Good Evidence-Based Policy Requires

• the integration of individual experience,
  expertise and judgement with the best available
  external evidence from systematic research
• That is, evidence alone is not enough

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Limits to Evidence-Based Policy Making

• Contradictory evidence often emerges what
  evidence to trust?
• Time-frame for evaluation is often short How
  long does it take to assess whether a policy is
  working?
• Necessary to go beyond the evidence base to
  innovate and find new things that may work

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Summary

• MDGs and indicators need to be framed at the
  national level if they are to useful for policy
  making
• Policy cycles need to be effective, efficient,
  inclusive and accountable
• Following an MDG needs assessment, the goals
  indicators and targets need to be included in
  both long- and medium-term strategies
• Evidence-based policy making will increase the
  likelihood of the MDGs being met

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Practical 3 Group Work

• Briefly describe the policy making process in
  your country.
• Are there different medium - and long-term
  strategies?
• What do you think are the strengths of this
  process? (Identify three)
• What do you think are the weaknesses? (Identify
  three)

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Practical 3 Group Work

• Is the policy process locally owned or is it seen
  as externally imposed?
• What type of participation is there in the policy
  making process (from politicians, civil society)?
• Do you know of examples of where research has
  been used to promote evidence- based policy
  making?