376 Part 1V: Doing Policy Analysis

376 Part 1V: Doing Policy Analysis
Second, you should briefly summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the policy that you recommend. Why should your client accept your recommendation? What ben-efits can be expected? What will be the costs? Are there any risks that deserve consid-eration? By answering these questions, you appropriately draw your client's attention to the consequences of following your advice. Finally, you must provide a clear set of instructions for action. Exactly what must your client do to realize.the policy that you recommend? Sometimes the set of instruc-tions can be very shOrf, For eXample, if yOur client is a legiSlator, then..the instruction "Vote for bill X may. be .adequate. Often, howeVer,, adoption and implementatiOn of--- recorrimendation require a much more compleX set of actions by your client. For example, imagine that, you recommend to the direCtor of the county social services department that funds be shifted from one day-care vendor to another. When and how should approval be secured from the county manager? Is it necessary to consult with the county's legal department? When and how should the vendors be notified? When and how should families be notified? Should any members of the county legislature be briefed in advance? Which staff member's should be assigned to monitor the transi-tion? These questions may seem mundane. Nonetheless, with a little thought, you should be able to imagine how failing to answer any one of them might jeopardize the successful implementation of the recommended policy, To do so systematically, you should prepare an implementation scenario as outlined in Chapter 12.
Communicating Analysis The format of your policy analysis plays an important part in determining how effec-tively you communicate your advice to your client. Clients vary greatly in their levels of technical and economic sophistication; you should write your analysis accordingly. Generally, however, clients share several characteristics: they usually want to play some role in shaping the analysis (but they do not, want to do the analysis); they are busy and they face externally driven timetables; and they are nervous about using the work of untested analysts when they have to "carry the can" for it in the policy arena. These generalizations suggest some guidelines on how to present your work.
Structuring Interaction
Often you can productively involve your client in the analysis by sharing a prelimi-nary draft. Do so early enough so that you can make use of your client's comments, but not so early that you appear confused or uninformed, By trying to prepare full drafts of your analysis at regular intervals over, the course of your project, you force yourself to identify the major gaps that you must yet fill. Giving your client the oppor-tunity to comment on one of these intermediate drafts will usually be more effective than ad hoc interactions. Of course, if you believe that your client is a better listener than reader (perhaps because you can only claim your client's time and attention ''through an appointment); you may fihd oral progress reports, perhaps structured by . prepared agenda, to be more effective. Be flexible Use whatever type of communica-. Lion that seems to work best in the partieular context. • You can improve the effectiveness of your written interaction by carefully structuring your draft. You should follow two general guidelines: First, decompose your analysis into component parts; and second, make the presentation within the

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376 phần 1V: làm phân tích chính sách Second, you should briefly summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the policy that you recommend. Why should your client accept your recommendation? What ben-efits can be expected? What will be the costs? Are there any risks that deserve consid-eration? By answering these questions, you appropriately draw your client's attention to the consequences of following your advice. Finally, you must provide a clear set of instructions for action. Exactly what must your client do to realize.the policy that you recommend? Sometimes the set of instruc-tions can be very shOrf, For eXample, if yOur client is a legiSlator, then..the instruction "Vote for bill X may. be .adequate. Often, howeVer,, adoption and implementatiOn of--- recorrimendation require a much more compleX set of actions by your client. For example, imagine that, you recommend to the direCtor of the county social services department that funds be shifted from one day-care vendor to another. When and how should approval be secured from the county manager? Is it necessary to consult with the county's legal department? When and how should the vendors be notified? When and how should families be notified? Should any members of the county legislature be briefed in advance? Which staff member's should be assigned to monitor the transi-tion? These questions may seem mundane. Nonetheless, with a little thought, you should be able to imagine how failing to answer any one of them might jeopardize the successful implementation of the recommended policy, To do so systematically, you should prepare an implementation scenario as outlined in Chapter 12. Communicating Analysis The format of your policy analysis plays an important part in determining how effec-tively you communicate your advice to your client. Clients vary greatly in their levels of technical and economic sophistication; you should write your analysis accordingly. Generally, however, clients share several characteristics: they usually want to play some role in shaping the analysis (but they do not, want to do the analysis); they are busy and they face externally driven timetables; and they are nervous about using the work of untested analysts when they have to "carry the can" for it in the policy arena. These generalizations suggest some guidelines on how to present your work. Structuring Interaction Often you can productively involve your client in the analysis by sharing a prelimi-nary draft. Do so early enough so that you can make use of your client's comments, but not so early that you appear confused or uninformed, By trying to prepare full drafts of your analysis at regular intervals over, the course of your project, you force yourself to identify the major gaps that you must yet fill. Giving your client the oppor-tunity to comment on one of these intermediate drafts will usually be more effective than ad hoc interactions. Of course, if you believe that your client is a better listener than reader (perhaps because you can only claim your client's time and attention ''through an appointment); you may fihd oral progress reports, perhaps structured by . prepared agenda, to be more effective. Be flexible Use whatever type of communica-. Lion that seems to work best in the partieular context. • You can improve the effectiveness of your written interaction by carefully structuring your draft. You should follow two general guidelines: First, decompose your analysis into component parts; and second, make the presentation within the