Improving policy performance
May 31st, 2008Author: Shiro Armstrong
Why is it that the best policies often don’t get implemented? As Ross Garnaut explained at an EABER conference a while back, it’s because:
- governments don’t know what the best policy is;
- of vested interest groups;
- the government itself is a vested interest.
add a 4th option common in developing countries of lack of capacity to implement policies. Countries in different stages of development face a different combination of the above obstacles.
How do we overcome each of these obstacles? That has been the focus of a region wide EABER project now in its third year. Common principles have been outlined, case studies have been conducted in countries throughout East Asia and regional assistance with national ownership has been examined.
The complete study will appear in a book edited by Philippa Dee to be published later this year.
Previous conferences summaries and all the information you need is on the project website. The next meeting is at Columbia University in New York on the 20th of June to be co-hosted by their APEC Studies Center. See the full program.
Philippa Dee provides some solutions to the obstacles to better policy performance. . .
Constructing a policy process which incorporates a review institution or institutions that incorporate the key principles of independence, transparency and an economy-wide view can be useful to breaking down these resistances to better policy performance. Increased transparency in policy making and increased public understanding of the costs and benefits of policy intervention will clarify policy objectives, constrain vested interests and help lift policy performance. Policy reviews can set the agenda, set the parameters of the debate, raise the level of debate, name and shame vested interests and help marshal countervailing interests. Policy reviews and evaluations can help create coalitions for reform.
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