Policy Matters

Administered by the Blog Committee, Policy Matters posts are written by members on a variety of topics. From think pieces to how-to's, editorials to news round-ups, there is something for every policy administrator. Interested in contributing a post? Let us know by emailing admin@acupa.org.

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Do you evaluate your policy objectives?

Posted By Brittani Brown, California State University San Marcos, Friday, March 5, 2021

What It Means to Have an Effective Policy Program

Have you ever written a policy that took hours of research, conversations, and meetings and years to get approved? Then, months or even years are dedicated to implementation and operationalizing the policy. Program evaluation can take place at various stages of the policy process to assess progress, milestones, and data amongst other things. Then what? When do you evaluate your policy and related programs and how?

The most common stage for program evaluation to take place is the evaluation and termination stage, when policies are evaluated against how successful they were at meeting their objectives (Fischer, Miller, & Sidney, 2007). Program evaluations focus on the inputs (resources) and outputs because program implementations are meant to be successful and require resources, which are increasingly scarce. Focusing on the level of resources used against the outcomes is important to funders. In other words, what did we get for our money? Over the years, evidence-based reporting has increased in popularity amongst public and nonprofit sectors (Emerson, 2009). Organizations need to show apparent, demonstrated and proven effectiveness. Apparent effectiveness is the short-term result, indicating, through documentation, the program is being utilized (Emerson, 2009). Demonstrated effectiveness refers to measuring the impact of the program (Emerson, 2009). Lastly, proven effectiveness, a scientifically proven measurement of a program’s success (Emerson, 2009). Both demonstrated and proven effectiveness utilize a third party evaluator to gauge the effectiveness (Emerson, 2009).

After our last policy implementation, we regrouped with our customers and discussed areas for continued refinement, improvement, and revisions. Even though we sought input and held focus groups prior to implementation, we still had opportunity to improve.

As you prepare your next policy implementation, think ahead to how you evaluate your program. Can you deliver evidence-based reporting? Can you demonstrate the public policy need was met? To find out, engage with your stakeholders and customers before, during, and after to seek feedback. If data is available to help evaluate, utilize that as well.

References

Emerson, J. (2009). But does it work? How to best assess program performance. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 29-30.
Fischer, F., Miller, G. J., & Sidney, M. S. (2007). Handbook on public policy analysis. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Tags: analysis assessment Brittani Brown data effectiveness evaluation evidence-based implementation milestones objectives outcomes policy program progress

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Do I Really Need a Policy and Procedure?

Posted By Brittani Brown, California State University San Marcos, Monday, May 11, 2020

Make sure your policy library has only what it needs

Organizations develop policies and procedures to guide operations and behavior. Policies direct organizations on what needs to be done and how. But how do we decide what policies are necessary? As policy administrators, we are asked to write or implement a policy, and it is our responsibility to confirm that the policy accomplishes something, and that a policy is the best way to achieve success. Organizations implement policies to avoid difficult conversations, to course-correct challenging groups, or to resolve an isolated incident that may never occur again. To avoid publishing an unnecessary policy, first, ask yourself if the issue is essential and if it needs clarification.

The importance is subjective. As policy administrators, we must help our colleagues identify the need for a policy and procedure and determine how to include the important and most practical information for users. We want to avoid issuing policies merely to replace difficult conversations. For example, if a campus department wants to eliminate hard copy invoices, do we need a policy, or can we accomplish this goal with a conversation?

Complex issues need clarification. Is your organization subject to new legislation? We cannot expect every person in our organization to research and comprehend the law. Policies are a mechanism to interpret, shorten, and add the “why” and “how” tailored to the organization.

Certain issues have a major impact on the readers and the organization. Personnel, financial, health, and safety are common policy topics and are easily identified as necessary policies. However, the remaining potential policies should inform readers with clear communication

Creating policies for all topics results in overload, and people will ignore them. Never write/implement a policy “just to have one” or “because it seems like a good idea.” Align the policy with the strategic objectives of the organization. Ensure the policy accomplishes something, and it will be read. Keep the policy concise.

Tags: brittani brown policy policy administration policy management policy process procedures