Policy analysis is the systematic evaluation of alternative means of achieving social goals. It is frequently deployed in the public sector but is equally applicable to other kinds of organizations. Most policy analysts have graduated from public policy school.

Policy analysis refers to the analysis of existing or prospective policies with the intention of improving social welfare. One common methodology is to define the problem and evaluation criteria; identify all alternatives; evaluate them; and recommend the best policy option.

Policy analysis differs from program evaluation in that it attempts to evaluate changes to policies and programs rather than evaluating their current performance. Policy analysts can come from many backgrounds including sociology, psychology, economics, geography, law, political science, public policy, social work and public administration.

See also

• Public policy
• Think tanks

References

• Eugene Bardach, A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving
• David L. Weimer and Aidan R. Vining, Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice, Prentice Hall

External links

• General Morphological Analysis: A General Method for Non-Quantified Modelling On Policy Analysis using computer-aided morphological analysis. From the Swedish Morphological Society

Politics | Evaluation methods | Legal occupations

政策科学 | Analiza politik