A primer in public policy analysis: techniques and methods

This text is an introductory concise text prepared for advanced undergraduates. The main purpose is to simplify as much as possible a field of knowledge that is judged as difficult requiring much preparation in economics and quantitative methods. The main texts in this field are generally considered as difficult by the students at this level of instruction. The present text discusses the most central issues in policy analysis in simple terms and reviews the basic techniques employed to guide analysis. However, the book may also prove useful in another dimension: the use of local examples and cases in addition to the authors’ own examples which serve as easier examples for the students to comprehend. The main texts such as Dunn (1994) or Weimer and Vining (1999) are addressed to American readers and use American examples throughout. The second is almost a text book in welfare economics which we usually teach to postgraduates but is also required at the undergraduate level. The first chapter of this book defines, rationalizes and explains public policy as well as the practice of public policy analysis. The second chapter discusses issues relevant as a useful background to policy analysis: the policy making process and the place of policy analysis in it, policy analysis as welfare economics, policy analysis as rational choice and, finally, policy analysis as political decision making. The authors are of the opinion that policy analysis is a combination of all of these approaches. Chapter three is the first chapter pertaining to the analysis process; it handles problem analysis: problem identification, problem definition, problem structuring and problem modeling. While the fourth chapter seeks to explain the techniques and methods of forecasting, which are classified under quantitative or qualitative techniques. Forecasting is central to policy analysis because consequences of policies, aimed at resolution of social problems, take place in the future; hence it is important to speculate about the future. Chapter five pertains to analysis of alternatives and policy recommendation using political, economic, technical, administrative and social feasibilities. This chapter includes some hints pertaining to Islamization of public policy and suggesting that the approach of public policy as policy argument can be developed to derive principles for Islamization. Whereas chapter six exposes methods of evaluation of policy impacts to disclose the real impact of policy as objectively as possible. It is needless to indicate that this constitutes the final stage of policy analysis. Chapters seven and eight come in the form of applications of some of the ideas displayed in the book to real world policies with special focus on the Malaysian context. It is largely based on the authors’ experiences and research. Chapter seven involves two case studies where concepts of Islamization of public policy find real applications. In the first case attempt is made to discuss policies of privatization in light of Islamic principles and traditions. While the second case combines Islamic principles and rational analysis of cause and effect to analyse Malaysia’s policies for environmental protection. The final chapter uses straightforward main stream analysis of policy approach to evaluate Malaysia’s policies for the preservation of natural resources which uses stages of analysis of the policy process to expose policy. This text can also be used by students at other local universities and can be used by postgraduate students to accompany other text books as it might prove to be helpful. We hope that this concise book will prove to be useful as a simplified introductory book in public policy analysis the serves well the objectives envisioned

Environmental policy in Malaysia : biomedical waste, strategies and issues / Abdul Raufu Ambali, Ahmad Naqiyuddin Bakar and Farah Murni Merican

Management of waste is a general acute problem around the globe. Waste management is of great concern as urbanization and economic development increase leading to generation of larger quantity of waste materials. The management of waste materials requires immediate attention of the newly emerging economy country such as Malaysia. To be more specific, biomedical wastes are becoming a topic of one cannot deny the important roles play by biomedical science and its activities on human life and fitness. However, these activities can generate some wastes that pose severe effects on human health and environment at large, especially if there is no proper management policy in place. Although some may argue that waste is generally unavoidable by-product of most human activities but the provision of expanded healthcare facilities today have added substantial quantities of biomedical waste into waste stream with severe environmental and human health consequences. This paper examines the level of biomedical waste in Malaysia. It also addresses the impacts of these biomedical wastes and the strategic measures taken by Malaysian government. Finally, it identifies some potential issues associated with policy measures and put forward some policy recommendations for precautionary measures in the future

Servant leadership’s values and staff’s commitment: policy implementation focus Abdul Raufu

Leadership and commitment issues are points of reference to public policy implementation in public organizations and always warrant the attention of governments around the globe. Success of formulated public policy and its implementation by the agency or organization in charge solely depends on the leader’s characteristic attributes andcommitment of the followers. Given that research about servant leadership attributes (SLA)and its constructs are still at an early stage of development in the literature, the study sets a platform to provide the basic framework on the level of perception about servant leadership attributes possessed by leaders in a public workplace and tries to link this leadership style to organizational commitment of the staff and how they affect public policy implementation in a resource-rich economy such as Malaysia. While many other leadership styles have been empirically tested against organizational commitment of staff (OCS), it is hard to see much work testing the servant leadership’s values influence on OCS. Among the few works found in the literature is the work of Gilbert (2006) on “Servant Leadership and Follower Commitment”. Here, however, servant leadership was used as moderator rather than its direct influence on organizational commitment of staff. Such gap needs to be filled up. Therefore, this study bridges the gap to complement Gilbert’s study and finds SLA’s direct relationship with OCS as well as the extent to which it can influence OCS. In other words, the study attempts to address threefold significant objectives (a) it identifies the commitment level given by the public servants towards the organization, which is assumed to be the behavioural outcomes of the way the leaders handled their followers in the organization for implementing policy (b) It also identifies the level of SLA possessed by the leaders from the perception of the followers and (c) finally, given that past Servant Leadership’s Values and Staff’s Commitment: Policy Implementation Focus 19 researchers have generalized the significant influence of all leadership attributes on organizational commitment of staff, this study specifically identifies the most servant leader’s value that influences the commitment of the staff towards the organization thereby facilitating the success of the policies being implemented in public sector. According to the findings of the study, a positive relationship exists between SLA and OCS and the main influential value of servant leadership on OCS is the level of integrity possessed by leaders in the organization. This suggests, among all other characteristic attributes, the hierarchical importance of integrity quality of leaders that can significantly bring public policy implementation to success as compared to other attributes of servant leadership

Investigating Salmonella Eko from Various Sources in Nigeria by Whole Genome Sequencing to Identify the Source of Human Infections

Twenty-six Salmonella enterica serovar Eko isolated from various sources in Nigeria were investigated by whole genome sequencing to identify the source of human infections. Diversity among the isolates was observed and camel and cattle were identified as the primary reservoirs and the most likely source of the human infections

SERVANT LEADERSHIP MEASURES AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT

ABSTRAC

Phylogenetic reconstruction of the genetic relationships among the <i>S</i>. Eko isolates from cattle, camel, humans and fish in the north-eastern region of Nigeria.

<p>Phylogenetic reconstruction of the genetic relationships among the <i>S</i>. Eko isolates from cattle, camel, humans and fish in the north-eastern region of Nigeria.</p

Investigating <i>Salmonella</i> Eko from Various Sources in Nigeria by Whole Genome Sequencing to Identify the Source of Human Infections

<div><p>Twenty-six <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar Eko isolated from various sources in Nigeria were investigated by whole genome sequencing to identify the source of human infections. Diversity among the isolates was observed and camel and cattle were identified as the primary reservoirs and the most likely source of the human infections.</p></div