Introduction
Constant sociopolitical, economic, and environmental changes characteristic of the modern world necessitate the development of effective policies. The main goal of contemporary policy making is “to address or solve societal problems or improve policy outcomes through a deliberative process” (Mukherjee & Bali, 2019, p. 104). Since instruments for addressing social, economic, political, and environmental challenges are often technically complex and require serious analytical skills, it is critical to evaluate the effectiveness of policies at the design stage. This will help to avoid unforeseen complications and additional costs during its implementation.
Policy Effectiveness Evaluation
The instrumental element of the analytical dimension consists of two main activities. First, it is necessary to correctly define the problem, its constituent parts, and the degree of complexity, which will be subject to reasoning and discussion. Second, the challenge is to define potential instruments which can achieve the goal. In this case, the main challenge is to combine measures and use hybrid options to create an effective package of tools. The capacity element implies the ability of the agent to implement to make full use of the measures proposed. Modern tools can be very technically complex, requiring the involvement of analytical skills and various specialists. Thus, the effectiveness of policies depends more on the government’s ability to assess the problem correctly and develop appropriate strategies.
At the operational level, several criteria must be considered which determine the success of a policy. These include coordination, coherence, consistency, degrees of freedom, goodness of fit, complementarity, targeting, reversibility, contingency, and transitions (Bali, Capano, Ramesh, 2019). Thus, within this dimension, it is important to assess the degree of incorporation of changes into the existing design architecture. The consistency of actions in solving the problem, the operation of different instruments to achieve the same goal, and the possibility of making future adjustments are also crucial. Other important aspects are the degree of compliance with the political context and management styles, synergy of elements within the policy framework, working with exclusion and inclusion, the possibility of changing parts of the program. Finally, accounting for contingent liabilities and calculating the cost of changing policies are crucial. Thus, all the aspects described should be considered within the operational dimension in the design of the policy. The degree of its effectiveness is determined by considering as many of these elements as possible.
The instrumental aspect of the political level considers the political acceptability of the policy developed. It is important that its implementation appears useful for the dominant political forces at a certain moment or pursue socially important goals (Bali, Capano, Ramesh, 2019). The capacity element primarily considers the ability of the agencies to manage the differences between stakeholders. Thus, politics can be effective at the political level if it meets the current social needs, values of society, and the interests of the dominant political forces.
Medicaid Effectiveness
To assess the effectiveness of Medicaid, one needs to define its goals and the corresponding results. At the instrumental level, the policy is effective as its task is to increase the availability of medical care for those in need. According to recent research, “the share of people having trouble paying their medical bills dropped by 25 percent” (Katch, 2017). The program has also helped to reduce child mortality among the African American population. The right tools were selected for the policy which correlate with the problem and the ways to solve it. At the operational level, the policy is effectively implemented as it is introduced by the state healthcare system, which ensures safety and the most targeted use of resources. At the political level, it is also widely accepted and necessary, as in the U.S. there are many poor people who need more affordable medical assistance. Thus, the results of the policy correspond to the goal set during its development, therefore, it is effective.
References
Bali, A. S., Capano, G., & Ramesh, M. (2019). Anticipating and designing for policy effectiveness. Policy and Society, 38(1), 1-13.
Katch, N. (2017). Medicaid works: Millions benefit from Medicaid’s effective, efficient coverage.
Mukherjee, I., & Bali, A. S. (2019). Policy effectiveness and capacity: Two sides of the design coin. Policy Design and Practice, 2(2), 103-114.