Public Policy Formulation

Public Policy and Program Administration (PA 206)

 Policy Formulation
• Development of pertinent and
acceptable proposed courses of action
for dealing with public problems.

• The government’s proposed solution to

the problem.

• Coming up with an approach to solving

a problem.
 Sources and Drivers of Policy Formulation
• Need for formulation a new policy or replacing/ amending an
existing one can arise out of any one or more of the following
reasons:

a) Societal Structure Changes – Demographic transition,

economic transformation, social reengineering, globalization
etc. may necessitate formulation of new policies to cope with
the emerging challenges.
b) Regime Change – New political elite coming into power
invariably brings a new agenda, a new vision and a new
mission for which new policies are needed.

c) Donors/world institution – Aid given by these

institutions may be contingent upon certain policy
changes, structural reforms.

d. Global Commitments – State may have entered into

international conventions which normally need local
policy formulation.
e) Pressure Groups – industrial, agricultural lobbies, social causes
advocacy groups can force state for making policies for their own
benefits.

f) Court Orders – Superior courts sometimes pass orders for

formulating clear policies or review an existing policy while
hearing cases.
 Process of Policy Formulation
1. Initiation of Policy Process
– reasons for government to take the initiative for
developing a policy.
Example:
 Awareness of a precarious internal security situation.
 Pressure on the government to provide cheap housing.
 Needs to change the employment condition
 Pursuit of food security objectives national agenda.
2. Draft Policy Formulation and Validation
– ensure that the policy is realistic, feasible, widely
accepted and supported, and that can be effectively
implemented.
Two Options for Preparing a Policy Document:

 Integration of policy concern into overall and sectoral

policies.
Advantage: it ensures integration of policy concerns in other
relevant sector policies.

Disadvantage: risk of conceptual ambiguities and

inconsistencies in the pursuance of objectives if the different
sectors.
 Preparation of a sector-specific policy document

Advantage: provides a consistent framework of objectives and

policy measures.

Disadvantage: danger that the different sector ministries feels

less committed to make their contribution to policy formulation
and implementation.
 Phases in Draft Policy Formulation and its
Validation Process
I. PHASE 1 - Establishment of a Task
Force.

A task force composed of

representatives of key stakeholders is
established for draft policy formulation.
It may form sub-teams consisting of
representatives of the concerned
ministries to deal with specific issues.
II. PHASE 2 - Diagnosis of the
Situation

First round of policy formulation

workshop is conducted at central
and decentralized levels to diagnose
the situation by collected and
analyzing relevant data and
information, review existing policies,
stocktaking of existing initiatives and
consulting relevant governmental
and non-governmental
organizations.
III. PHASE 3 - Production of a first/
second draft of the policy

Task force will produce a first draft of

the policy document(s). The
document needs to set out the
objectives to be achieved, and to
address relevant issues related to
where action is required.
IV. PHASE 4 - Presented for Endorsement

Task force will prepare a revised second draft policy document,

setting-out the objectives, priorities and an outline of the policy
measures to be taken to achieve the objectives. This second
draft will be presented to the legislators or department heads who
will have to endorse the policy.
 Who Formulates the Policy?
• Who is creating the laws/policy?

 The President
 Congress
- (House of Senate and House of Representatives)
 Regulatory Agencies
 The Courts
• Legislative Branch
– Congress
• House of Senate
• House of
Representatives
• Executive Branch
–President
– Government Agencies
• Local Government
»Local Sanggunian
»Governor, Mayor
 Public Policies are in the form of…
• Legislation (Republic Acts)
• Executive Orders
• Administrative Orders
• Memorandum Circulars
• Internal Rules and Regulations
• Ordinances
• Resolutions
 Policies Issued by the President
• Executive orders — Acts of the President providing for rules of a
general or permanent character in implementation or execution of
constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in
executive orders.

• Administrative orders — Acts of the President which relate to

particular aspects of governmental operations in pursuance of his
duties as the administrative head shall be promulgated in
administrative orders.
• Memorandum orders — Acts of the President on matters of
administrative detail, or of subordinate or temporary interest which
only concern a particular officer or government office shall be
embodied in memorandum orders.

• Memorandum circulars — Acts of the President on matters

relating to internal administration, which the President desires to
bring to the attention of all or some of the departments, agencies,
bureaus, or offices of the government, for information or
compliance, shall be embodied in memorandum circulars.
 Policies Issued by the Congress
• The Legislative branch is authorized to make laws, alter, and
repeal them through the power vested in the Philippine Congress.

• This institution is divided into:

 The House of Senate
The House of Representatives.
Bill to Law
• Bills are laws in the making.

• They pass into law when they are approved by both houses and
the President of the Philippines. A bill may be vetoed by the
President, but the House of Representatives may overturn a
presidential veto by garnering a 2/3rds vote. If the President does
not act on a proposed law submitted by Congress, it will lapse into
law after 30 days of receipt.
1.Proposals and
suggestions are taken
from the President,
government agencies,
private individuals,
interest groups, and
legislators themselves.

2.The author(s) then

writes the bill and sign it
before being filed with
the Secretary General.
For the 17th Congress,
that person is Atty.
Cesar S. Pareja.
 The bill then goes
through three
readings.

1.The first reading

consists of reading the
title and author(s) and
its referral to the
appropriate
committee(s). The
committee then
studies the bill and
either submits it to the
Committee on Rules
or is laid on the table.
2.The second reading
comes after the bill
has been included in
the Calendar of
Business by the
Committee on Rules.
This is when
sponsorships,
debates, and
amendments take
place. A vote is taken
after all the debates
and amendments,
after which the bill is
either archived or goes
through a third
reading.
3.The third reading
happens when the
bill goes through a
final check and vote
via roll call. If it’s
approved, it is then
sent to the other
house, where it goes
through the same
procedures. If not, it
gets archived.
1.After going through
three readings from
both houses, the
conference committee
of both houses ratifies
the bill and submits it
to the President for
signing. If, however,
there are conflicts in
the provisions
proposed by both
Houses, a Bicameral
Conference
Committee is called
upon to reconcile
them.
Once received by the
Office of the President,
the bill can take one of
three routes:

1.Approved. Once it is
approved by the
President, it becomes
a Republic Act and
takes effect 15 days
after publication in the
Official Gazette or at
least two national
newspapers of general
circulation;
2.Vetoed. The bill is returned
to the originating house with
an explanation on why it was
vetoed. The house can
either accept the veto or
override it with a 2/3
(majority) vote, after which it
is essentially approved, and
takes effect 15 days after
being publicized.

3.Lapsed into law. A bill is

said to have lapsed into law
if the President fails to act on
it within 30 days after
receiving the bill. It takes
effect 15 days after being
publicized.
Ordinance
is a law that prescribes rules
of conduct of a general,
permanent character. It
continues to be in force until
repealed or suspended by a
subsequent enactment of
the local legislative body.

Resolution
is a mere expression of the
opinion or sentiment f the
local legislative body on
matters relating to proriety
and to private concerns. It is
temporary in character.
Thank you!