In Chapter 8, it talks about values and the public policy process. Values are part of the very nature of the policy process because values help set goals and a program’s success or failure is “largely measured by how well it achieves its goals.
Head Start, a federally funded preschool program that aims to improve a child’s overall well being, is an example of how values are great in public policies. Head start is for kids ages 4 and below that come from low-income families. At first, Head Start was only for children ages 3 and 4, but because the early years in a child’s life are critical in their developmental processes, it was extended in the 1990s to children as young as newborns—just like a daycare center.
Another thing this chapter talks about are two contrasting views of government management which are results-oriented management and process-oriented management. Outcome-oriented program objectives are set by managers to analyze their programs and report their findings to CEOs or the people in positions above them. Process-oriented management is where objectives “are limited to comment, feedback, and process objectives.”
In order for any policy to work anywhere, the policies must always be evaluated. The typical evaluation standards are compliance, efficiency and effectiveness. Compliance relies on auditing making sure the transactions are legal and just evaluating the books. Efficiency evaluates the productivity of the program and the resources used—making sure tasks are completely understood and the right people are doing them (qualified employees). Finally, effectiveness is used to see if the government resources are helping achieve the goals of the policies.
LeMay, Michael C. (2006). “Balancing Values in the Administration of Public Policy” Public Administration: Clashing Values in the Administration of Public Policy. WADSWORTH CENGAGE Learning, 2nd edition.
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