Policy learning

Policy learning is the increased understanding that occurs when policymakers compare one set of policy problems to others within their own or in other jurisdictions. It can aid in understanding why a policy was implemented, the policy's effects, and how the policy could apply to the policymakers' jurisdiction. Before a policy is adopted it goes through a process that involves various combinations of elected official(s), political parties, civil servants, advocacy groups, policy experts or consultants, corporations, think tanks, and multiple levels of government. Policies can be challenged in various ways, including questioning its legality. Ideally policymakers develop complete knowledge about the policy; the policy should achieve its intent and efficiently use resources. Policy learning is the increased understanding that occurs when policymakers compare one set of policy problems to others within their own or in other jurisdictions. It can aid in understanding why a policy was implemented, the policy's effects, and how the policy could apply to the policymakers' jurisdiction. Before a policy is adopted it goes through a process that involves various combinations of elected official(s), political parties, civil servants, advocacy groups, policy experts or consultants, corporations, think tanks, and multiple levels of government. Policies can be challenged in various ways, including questioning its legality. Ideally policymakers develop complete knowledge about the policy; the policy should achieve its intent and efficiently use resources. Policy learning through globalization has helped government organizations become more competitive. Policymakers have easy access to global policy knowledge through the internet, access to think tanks, international institutions such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank and individual experts. In the 1960s academics started to study how policymakers learn about policies. During that time countries were experiencing social, political, economic and technological change. Researchers discovered that governments in different countries faced similar problems in policies and programs amidst uncertainty on how to handle problems in financing its welfare programs. Policymakers start to learn about policy through facts, first-hand experiences or from the experiences of others. Policy instruments and policy implementation are the steps to policy learning. Policymakers review policy objectives, tools and implementation strategies. When implementations fail, reviews look for the cause(s). Adjustments in objectives, tools and implementation are considered. Instrumental policy learning is the acquisition of knowledge about the effectiveness of various policy instruments and implementations. Policymakers must make choices about the appropriate policy intervention tool(s) to use. The intent is to discover the most effective tool(s) that consume the least resources.