What is policy?

As with most political terminology the term policy can be a difficult concept to define. One definition is that policy is a set of ideas and proposals for action, which culminates in a government decision. Typically policy will become a rule or regulation, enforceable by law.

What is public policy?

You may also hear the term public policy - this refers to how government addresses (or doesn't address) issues that affect the public - this could be through regulation, legislation, funding priorities or other actions.

How can policy be influenced?

It is generally accepted that central government holds the most control over the direction of policy. However, there is room for other groups to influence policy. This is unofficially referred to as the ‘policy community’, which is seen as a group of interconnecting bodies that have an interest in a given policy area.

Normally this community is made up of pressure groups, cause groups (including charities and other voluntary and community organisations), trade unions, academics and the media. Access to this policy community is somewhat restricted to groups who act constitutionally, make reasonable demands, accept government’s authority and understand (or are willing to entertain) the changeable world of party politics.

What do we do?

NCVO is perhaps best defined as a cause group and that represents the views of its members to the official decision makers. If you would like a more detailed account of the way in which our policy work operates take a look at our policy blog - how NCVO’s policy work can make a difference to your organisation. Or if you want to get involved with our policy work please email us at policy@ncvo-vol.org.uk.

How is policy formulated?

The British Parliamentary system is a complex fusion of official and unofficial bodies of influence, which is is depicted in this diagram - a visual interpretation of the British Parliamentary system (PDF 6.86 KB).

There is much debate on how policy is formulated, as well as how best it is created. In modern UK politics, policy decisions are generally made in Parliament by those who represent and interpret the public will. These representatives (Members of Parliament) normally belong to a political party and have varying ranks of status, stretching from Government Cabinet Minister to Opposition back-bencher. In theory policy is formulated by Ministers and impartially implemented by civil servants.

The way in which policy is made is often referred to as a cycle, with three clear stages:

Initiation
Formulation
Implementation

Initiation

There are many ways that a policy initiative can come into being, these include, but are not limited to:

Non-party sources – for example debates in Ministerial Departments, Departmental Select Committees and through the introduction of Private Members’ Bills
Party sources – these are deliberately introduced by the governing party and are often ideological
In reaction to a national or international event.

Formulation

After the initial ‘ideas’ process, there are a number of official and unofficial procedures that are undertaken to actually create policy. These include, but are not limited to:

Royal commissions, task forces and enquiries
Consultations with think-tanks and quangos
Central government practice, such as Cabinet Committees, the Cabinet Office, the No. 10 Policy unit and Policy advisers.

Policy can be developed at both micro and macro levels and its formulation does tend to vary depending on the policy area, as well as according to the preferences of the party in government.

Implementation

Once a policy concept receives political endorsement and fed into the system by:

Civil servants
Ministers
Key pressure group leaders and outside experts.

Following this, there is a session of information gathering, which includes the drafting of Green and White papers. These are consultation documents produced by government departments to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to debate the subject and give the relevant department feedback on its suggestions.

A Green paper tends to outline the overall policy proposals, which is followed by a White paper that sets out the details of the future policy.

Once this process ends, the parliamentary counsel (experienced barristers and solicitors who assist government departments in preparing Bills) turns the policy into a Parliamentary Bill (a document that proposes a new or change to an existing, law, that is presented for debate before Parliament).

This marks the end of the policy cycle just in time for the legislative procedure to begin. This is when Bills are introduced into Parliament for discussion and amendment. This can either be through the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Either way, once both Houses have agreed on the content of a Bill it is then presented to the reigning monarch for approval. This is known as Royal Assent and once given; a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament and is law.

The UK Parliament’s website has a good interactive demonstration of the full stages of the passage of a Bill.

Why does policy change?

Policy is often (but not always) aligned to the ideology of a political party. It is typically refreshed following a general election, particularly if the party in government has changed. It is seen as a cycle because once a policy has been implemented (and becomes an Act of Parliament) it can be subject to review in line with economic, sociological and or political change. Voluntary and Community Organisations can play a powerful role in this process ensuring that policy is informed by and reflects the needs of the groups that it affects - for more on this see how to influence section.

Are there any limitations to UK policy making?

Policy makers face many restraints when implementing policy, including political timing, strategic coordination and the often complex effects of international events.

In addition, with the increasing interdependence of large economies, sometimes policy will be influenced, or will even be initiated by EU or UN law. Policy making is also be heavily affected by sanctions made by supranational bodies, such as the IMF.