Doing Policy Analysis is a definitive introduction to the methodologies, principles, and practices of this important field, equipping readers with the tools needed to address complex policy challenges in an evidence-based and transparent manner. Students new to policy analysis as well as seasoned analysts will gain a deep understanding of the essential stages, from problem definition to implementation, supported by clear methodological frameworks, practical tools, and illustrative case studies.
Adopting a clinical and iterative approach, author Iris Geva-May equips current and future analysts as well as researchers of policy analysis with the skills needed to navigate ethical dilemmas, avoid analytical pitfalls, and deliver reliable, actionable policy solutions. The book includes added-value components such as detailed guidelines for each stage of policy analysis, explanatory illustrations, an online appendix featuring real-life policy cases and graduate student analyses, providing readers with practical examples and further resources to enhance their learning. The extensive bibliography of foundational and contemporary works is a rich throve in support of policy analysis research. Its focus on practical application and interdisciplinary insights makes Doing Policy Analysis suitable for researchers testing or applying policy analysis methodology in their studies, students enrolled in public policy courses, as well as seasoned professionals interested in deepening their skillset.
Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface: A Guide to the Book and its Logic Chapter 1: Problem Definition as a Working Problem Diagnosis Chapter 2: Causality Experimentation, Lab-Solutions and Prediction: Modeling in Policy Analysis Chapter 3: Alternative Selection and Feasibility Tests Chapter 4: Communicating Alternatives: Argumentation, Advocacy, Recommendations Chapter 5: Engineering Implementation Bibliography Appendix 1: Applying Policy Analysis Methodology - Guided Graduate Student Policy Analyses
About the Author :
Iris Geva-May is Emerita Professor of Policy Studies at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver and Honorary Research Professor at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. She is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor and Comparative Research Chair at SPPM, Tsighua University, Beijing. Prof. Geva-May is Founding Editor of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis and Founding President of the Society for International Comparative Policy Analysis.
