Chapter 1: Defining the Problem Flashcards
The Eightfold Path:
Complete the Mnemonic
(1) Dudes Press (2) All Sizes of Elephants.
(3) Cats Always (4) Sit on Cake.
(5) Pigs Out-lift (6) Cows but have Tuesdays Off.
(7) Stop Fighting Knee Deep in Doodoo!
(8) Teach Yoga on Saturday.
The Eightfold Path:
(1) Define the Problem
(2) Assemble Some Evidence
(3) Construct the Alternatives
(4) Select the Criteria
(5) Project the Outcomes
(6) Confront the Trade-Offs
(7) Stop, Focus, Narrow, Deepen, Decide!
(8) Tell Your Story
What are the # Components of Defining the Problem?
- D & E
- M the D E
- If a policy already exists, E addresses Un
- When you can, QP
- Consider D-ing Cs that CP
- R-y? Implement ‘T O-s’
- I-y L-t O-ies
- A-d C P-s in PD
- I-e, I-e, I-e
- think of Deficit & Excess
- Make the Definition Evaluative
- If a policy already exists, Evaluation can address its Uncertainty
- When you can, Quantify if Possible
- Consider Diagnosing Conditions that Cause Problems
- Risky? Implement ‘The Odds’
- Identify Latent Opportunities
- Avoid Common Pitfalls in Problem Definition
- Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
- Think of D & E
“Power of Too”
M & F/L
F Ps?
- Think of Deficit & Excess
“The power of Too” can be applied to highlight too much or too few/little
Too Much | Too Little/Few
Can help draw attention to how something may become a problem in the future
2a. M the D E
A. Not everyone agrees that. . .
B. Therefore, use this lens:
“What P T-s warrant D as P P-s?”
Only as P P-s are Public Resources legitimately used to impact it.
C. M F Lens (4) i. D to C ii. D to C for T V iii. C-s T Q K C ( G-s or S-s) iiiv. M U P C ------------------------------------------------ No M F Identified? = (Most of the time) No G I. If you can't identify a M F, Most of the time, you can't use G I on Pps P Ts. ------------------------------------------------ Non-M F-s (3) i. S-s l F R B - Outside M-s (U-s) ii. L L S because M S iii. D a R & M
G F-s (3)
i. P D D
ii. P R D
iii. P G P S
Policy Analysts need to D & R both M F-s & G F-s
2a. Make the Definition Evaluative
A. Not everyone agrees that something is a problem.
B. “What Private Troubles warrant Definition as Public Problems?”
Only as Public Problems are Public Resources legitimately used to impact it.
C. Market Failure F Lens
i. Difficult to Collect
(People Benefiting from Advances in Basic Science)
ii. Difficult to Collect for True Value
(Economic Cost of Goods or Services - Fresh Air as Emissions Sink for Autos)
iii. Consumers True Quality Knowledge Challenge (Goods or Services (like Repair-type Services by Doctors or Auto Mechanics)
iiiv. Marginal Unit Production Cost - Making the Cost of Producing the Marginal Unit (minimum cost to make) below that of Average Cost in the Relevant Range of Demand(?) - magazine article distributed via internet)
———————————————-
No Market Failure Identified? =
(Most of the time) No Government Intervention.
If you can’t identify a Market Failure, Most of the time, you can’t use Government Intervention on Peoples Private Troubles
———————————————-
Non-Market Failures Main Situations for Private Troubles as Public Problems
i. Systems like Family Relationships Breakdowns - Outside Markets (usually)
ii. Low Living Standards because Market Success (market functions well; people without marketable skills ‘not rewarded’ for skill deficit)
iii. Discrimination against Race & Minorities
Government Failures (3)
i. Problems of Direct Democracy (majority imposing high costs on minority)
ii. Problems of Representative Democracy (influence of organized groups & excessive discounting of policy effects - cost of public employee pensions - that occur after current election cycle (?)
iii. Problems of Government Production and Supply (administrative inflexibility from civil service/procurement rules)
Policy Analysts need to Diagnose & Remedy Market Failures & Government Failures
2b. M the D E
Using I R
I R Contaminants:
Can be P-n, I-l, or P-l, E-l Grounds unsound.
Also
(keep Available Po-l & In-l Means in mind for M-le S-s).
2b. Make the Definition Evaluative
Using Issue Rhetoric
Issue Rhetoric Contaminants:
Can be Partisan, Ideological, or Philosophical, or Empirical Grounds unsound
Also, keep Available Political & Institutional Means in mind for Manageable Solutions.
- “U” is the P that E A-s
U-y is the Enemy.
P P E is the Key to Change:
E-d Pr, C B Pr, K Pr, St in New/Ad L-n, M-f-y Pr.
Removing U
To P-t the F, we must E the P P.
- “Uncertainty” is the Problem that Evaluation Addresses
Removing Uncertainty
To Plot the Future, we must Evaluate the Past Performance.
- Q if P
With D & E, you should have M-de, Too!
M-de = How B is Too B?
How S is Too S?
Too Q-ly; Too S-ly
M-de:
M-de by C-n (A S E).
M-de by G-st-te.
M-de R & P E-s.
“Our Best Guess of the Number of the homeless persons in families is 250,000, although the truth could lie between 100,000 & 400,000.”
M-de M-ic (Qualitative):
“Too many people with annual incomes over $60,000 are living in subsidized apartments” vs. “Too many relatively well-off people are taking advantage of low-rent public housing.”
‘The $60,000 value provides desirable texture and information about a threshold number that will serve in the promised analysis.’
- Quantify if Possible
With Deficit & Excess, you should have Magnitude, Too!
Magnitude = How Big is Too Big?
How Small is Too Small?
Too Quickly; Too Slowly
Magnitude:
Magnitude by Comparison (Assemble Some Evidence).
Magnitude by Guesstimate.
Magnitude Range & Point Estimates.
“Our Best Guess of the number of the homeless persons in families is 250,000, although the truth could lie between 100,000 & 400,000.”
Magnitude Metric (Qualitative):
“Too many people with annual incomes over $60,000 are living in subsidized apartments” vs. “Too many relatively well-off people are taking advantage of low-rent public housing.”
‘The $60,000 value provides desirable texture and information about a threshold number that will serve in the promised analysis.’
- D C-ns That C P-s
C-ns = S-s a C-n is Not the T-le but a C of A T-le.
“One of the problems in the air pollution area is that states have not been willing to force motorists to keep their engines tuned up and their exhaust systems in proper order.”
OR
‘One of the problems with the vulnerability of Aboriginal women to higher rates of violence is that they are over-represented in media as victims of violence instead of in positions of power.’
Warning: these P-m D-ns can be D-ic (and misleading - especially if the correlation is In-t).
- Diagnose Conditions That Cause Problems
Conditions = Sometimes a Condition is Not the Trouble but a Cause of A Trouble.
“One of the problems in the air pollution area is that states have not been willing to force motorists to keep their engines tuned up and their exhaust systems in proper order.”
OR
‘One of the problems with the vulnerability of Aboriginal women to higher rates of violence is that they are over-represented in media as victims of violence instead of in positions of power.’
Warning: these Problem Definitions can be Diagnostic (and misleading - especially if the correlation is Incorrect).
- R-y C-ns: “The O-s”
Un-ty in A-is can be addressed by using The O-s.
Un-ties:
Pr- D-n
O-me Pr-ties
Excellent for R-ks that are Very Re-nt to Qu-tion
(Ex. The odds are that the US nuclear modernization program is causing other countries to look more favorably on acquiring nuclear weaponry themselves.)
Specifying Criteria
(“Maximize the odds that the Libertarian Party will control the upper chamber following the next election” OR “Minimize the odds that teens in the catchment area of this program will reject it because it is not ‘cool’.”)
- Risky Conditions: “The Odds”
Uncertainty in Analysis can be addressed by using The Odds.
Uncertainties:
Problem Definition
Outcome Probabilities
Excellent for Risks that are Very Resistant to Quantification
(Ex. The odds are that the US nuclear modernization program is causing other countries to look more favorably on acquiring nuclear weaponry themselves.)
Specifying Criteria
(“Maximize the odds that the Libertarian Party will control the upper chamber following the next election” OR “Minimize the odds that teens in the catchment area of this program will reject it because it is not ‘cool’.”)
- Id-fy L-nt O-ties (13)
i. D-ing the A-ure of C-ce.
Dig Along the Crack.
ii. S-l N-ms M-ing. Stop Nightly for McDonald’s.
iii. In-zing the S-l E-ts of In-l D-ns. Inside the Scary Elevator lived an Imp Demon.
iv. Op-ns R-ch St-gies. Owls Rage against Seagulls.
v. C-t-b-d P-ing. Carrots Burn Petrol.
vi. By-pr-ts of P-l As-ns. Big-pigs Pee on Alligators.
vii. C-arity. Coocoo!
viii. In-t Su-tion. Igloo Scarecrows.
ix. D-nt. Dogbite.
x. Ex-ge. Eagle-cry.
xi. M-le F-ns. Midget Falcons.
xii. Nont-al P-ts. New Pants!
xiii. Un-zed C-ty. Under the Cat.
- Identify Latent Opportunities (13)
i. Designing the Architecture of Choice. Change how choices are made/presented to increase desired results (auto opt-out bcms auto opt-in unless checked)
ii. Social Norms Marketing. Ppl like Soc. Norms - but What Are They? Identifying Actual Norms can motivate desired behaviour/decrease negative bhvr.
iii. Internalizing the Social Effects of Individual Decisions. Improve soc. welfr. by removing incentives for Individuals to ignore spillover costs of their decisions (congestion toll to discourage drivers from excess road use during peak hours).
iv. Operations Research Strategies. Determining Optimization Strategies for operations processes to increase benefits (Sequencing, Timing, Prioritizing, Matching, Clustering, etc).
v. Cost-based Pricing. “Discrepancies between prices & real costs present an opportunity for enhancing social welfare by adjusting prices to better reflect reality. For instance, removing rent controls would bring prices more into line with real housing costs (don’t understand this example).
vi. By-products of Personal Aspirations. Rewarding Ppl for generating and implementing beneficial solutions (such as incentives for Ppl who come up with beneficial cost-benefit innovations - they get maybe a piece of the newly preserved pie).
vii. Complementarity. Combining two or more activities to make one or both more productive (i.e. increased public works construction can help alleviate unemployment).
viii. Input Substitution. Replacing or re-organizing to fulfill a component with a cheaper alternative (i.e. using lower-paid civilians for police clerical tasks rather than using police for those tasks).
ix. Development. Re-examining and altering a sequence of activities or process to increase productivity. (i.e. Welfare Agency assessing clients for employability/vocational interest Bfr, not aft. sending them out to find jobs).
x. Exchange. Consider opportunities for exchange to increase social values (i.e. conducting pollution permit auctions, or reimbursing an agency for services it renders to another agency’s clients or customers).
xi. Multiple Functions. Systems can be optimized so that one features can perform multiple functions. (i.e. a tax admin. can frame an enforcement case so that it both deters potential violators and re-assures non-violators they are not being taken advantage of through their honesty).
xii. Nontraditional Participants. Consult those not usually consulted. Consider flat-structure input (not hierarchical) - and collect input from clients, regulated parties, & other such Ppl for valuable input.
xiii. Underutilized Capacity. Resources are sometimes underused (think empty schools in summer or evenings). Consider re-thinking resource engagement to maximize opportunities and productivity.
- Av-d C-n P-ls in P D.
2 Common Pitfalls
i. One common pitfall is to D-ne the S-n into the P.
Why is this a problem?
C-ts l-s.
ii. Another common pitfall is to Ac-t T E-ly the C-l C-ms I-it in D-tic P D-ns.
Why is this a problem?
Assumption makes an A out of You and Umption.
- Avoid Common Pitfalls in Problem Definition.
2 Common Pitfalls
i. Defining the Solution into the “Problem”.
Don’ts and Do’s
Don’t say: “There is too little shelter for homeless families.”
(Suggests ‘more shelter’ is best, not preventing homelessness in the first place).
Do say: “Too many families are homeless.”
Don’t say: “New schools are being built too slowly.”
(Suggests ‘more schools’ is the solution rather than increased efficiency in current facilities or other alternatives).
Do say: “There are too many schoolchildren relative to the currently available classroom space.”
Warning: Saying ‘but the real problem is’ usually means you’re limiting conceptualization - you’re installing a hierarchy of importance, which is a value judgement.
ii. Accepting Too Easily the Causal Claims Implicit in Diagnostic Problem Definitions.
Don’t take Causal Claims at Face Value. See them Through to ensure they Are Causative.
- I-e, I-e, I-e.
As you C E-ce, your U-ing will change. Therefore, you must re-draft throughout.
Also, you’re part of a team. P D-ns will likely be a negotiation with C-gues and S-rs.
- Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
Problem Definition is an Iterative Process. You must re-draft it as you gain Empirical and Conceptual Understanding.
Ruling out alternative approaches will also likely help you re-sculpt the Problem Definition.
Also, in an office-setting, you will probably have to Negotiate a Mutually-Acceptable Problem Definition with Colleagues and your Superiors.
