The tools of policy formulation : actors, capacities, venues and effects

A PDF version of this book is available for free in open access via the Elgaronline platform - www.elgaronline.com/view/9781783477036.xml Policy analysts are accustomed to thinking in terms of tools and instruments. Yet an authoritative examination of the tools which have been developed to formulate new policies is missing. This book is the first of its kind to distinguish the defining characteristics of the main policy formulation tools, and offer a fresh way of understanding how, why and by whom they are selected, as well as the effects they produce in practice. The editors bring together thirteen specially commissioned chapters that, for the first time, explore the tools and their features in a comparable fashion, including: scenarios, indicators, computerized models, cost-benefit and multi-criteria analysis. They develop a novel analytical framework for understanding the form and function of the main tools, which encompasses definitions of key terms, a typology and relevant theoretical explanations. This book will appeal to postgraduate students, scholars and researchers of policy analysis, public policy, decision making and public management. It will also encourage developers and practitioners of policy formulation tools to reflect critically on their work.