This short guide provides a concise and accessible overview of the entire policy cycle taking the reader through the various stages of agenda setting, policy formulation, decision making, policy implementation and policy evaluation.

Public officials at every level of government play a vital role in the development, adoption and implementation of government policies. Yet existing works focus only on senior politicians and public officials and, thus, fail to provide an insight into the work of the vast majority of other officials. This book provides an introduction to the key policy functions, the challenges they entail, and how the challenges may be addressed by public officials. Written from a comparative perspective, the authors include examples from a diverse range of countries at different stages of development, highlighting key principles and practices through which officials can effectively manage their policy processes and outcomes.

This important tool offers students of public policy and policy practitioners’ guidance on how to make, implement and evaluate public policies in ways that improve citizens’ lives.