This 20 slide presentation What is Policy? is Module 1 of a nine (9) module online course for adult education policy makers and practitioners to complement an innovative toolkit to guide adult education policy and practice. Participation in adult education varies significantly across states and regions of Europe! Why? Evidence and literature suggests a wide disparity in policy making, programming and implementation skills in the adult education sector across Europe. It is imperative that policy makers and programme managers address this disparity to foster life-long learning for a smart-sustainable Europe (see EU2020 https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-economic-governance-monitoring-prevention-correction/european-semester/framework/europe-2020-strategy_en) and to achieve a European target of 15% of the adult population engaged in learning. In response to this challenge, the ERASMUS+ DIMA project (See https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/, 2015 to 2017) developed a practical 9 module online course to complement an innovative toolkit to guide adult education policy and practice. The DIMA toolkit (See https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/toolkit) introduces tools for developing, implementing, and monitoring adult education policies, strategies, and practices. Author: Michael Kenny and DIMA Project partners (https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/partners)

1. www.dima-project.eu
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication]
and all its content reflect the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use which may be made of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2015-1-CY01-KA204-011850
Module 1: What is Policy?
The Content of the following presentation was prepared
jointly by the ERASMUS+ DIMA Project consortium partners
working collaboratively – Voice overs added for the purposes
of the Irish partner by Michael Kenny, Department of Adult &
Community Education, Maynooth University.
(See partner list following …)

2. DIMA Consortium
The consortium consists of 6 partners, from 5 European
countries which cover a wide range of expertise related
to the aims of the project
 Cyprus: Ministry of Education and Culture
 Cyprus: Centre for Advancement of Research and Development in
Education Technology Ltd – Cardet
 Ireland: Department of Adult & Community Education, Maynooth
University
 Slovenia: Slovenian Institute for Adult Education
 Slovakia: National Institute of Lifelong Learning
 Belgium: European Association for the Education
of Adults

3. At the end of this module learners
will be able to:
• Discuss the importance of policy for
adult education.
• Describe the elements and stages of
policy-making.
Learning Outcomes

4. A wide range of definitions exist. Policies are:
What is Policy?
General statements to guide thinking and action in
decision-making.
A line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a
government.
A plan or course of action intended to influence and
determine decisions, actions, and/or other outcomes.

5. Policy may also refer to:
What is Policy? (Continued)
A process of decision-making e.g. a parliament motion,
etc.
A product or outcome of an engagement or consultation
e.g. a white or green paper, etc.
What government actually delivers e.g. Delivery of
services or enforcement of regulations in education,
health, etc.
Policies can be understood as political, management,
financial, and administrative mechanisms arranged to
reach explicit goals.

6. A definition of policy
The sum total of actions from
signals of intent to final outcomes
(Adapted from Cairney, P. 2011)

7. • Public policy is a course of government action or
inaction in response to public problems.
• Public policy is whatever government chooses to do or
not to do" (Dye 1984).
• Public policy is an attempt by a government to address
a public issue by instituting laws, regulations, decisions,
or actions pertinent to the problem at hand.
What is Public Policy?

8. Purposes of Public Policy
Resolving conflict
over scarce
resources
Regulating behavior
Motivating
collective action
Protecting rights
Directing benefits
towards the public
interests
PUBLIC POLICY

9. Public policy:
Characteristics of Public Policy
… is made by public authorities
… is not random
… is response to a perceived problem
… is purposive action/inaction
… is a product of demand/pressure
… is backed by coercive power of state
… has a pattern of actions over time

10. Policies are NOT Procedures
Policies are distinct from procedures or strategies
which are operational instructions for applying a policy
decision.
Operational procedures interpret policy and define
activities that must be carried out to implement the
directions and goals set by policies.

11. Dye’s view
Dye (1992) suggests that defining
policy can “… degenerate into a
word game”

12. Elements of the Policy System
Policy
Stakeholders
Public
Policy
Policy
Environment
Enforcement
Economic /
Employment
Human Resources
Social Protection
Discrimination
Citizenship
Crime
Inflation
Unemployment
Discrimination
Disadvantage /
Poverty
State Agencies
Social Partners
Political
Engagement
Citizen Discourse
Inclusive Strategy
Source: Adapted from Thomas R. Dye, Understanding Public Policy 3rd ed.

13. Stages in the Policy Cycle
Agenda Setting /
identification of
Issues or Problems
Policy
Formulation
Policy
Assessment /
Evaluation
Policy Adoption
Legitimization
Policy
Implementation
The Policy Cycle has 5 stages:

14. authorized means for pursuing goals
specific actions to develop plans, and implement/evaluate programs
intended or unintended effects
purposes of government action
stated ends to be achieved
means for achieving goals
Elements of Policy
Intentions
Goals
Plans or Proposals
Programs or Strategy
Decisions or choices
Effects

15. • Goals are what policies hope to achieve.
• A goal is a specific measurable statement of
an expected outcome.
• The terms “aim” and “goal” is perceived in
a variety of perspectives … and are often
used, wrongly, interchangeably.
Policy Goals

16. Policy outputs
The formal actions that
government takes to pursue
its goals
Policy outcomes
The effects such actions have
on society
Policy Outputs V’s Outcomes

17. Policies …
• emerge in response to demand or need
• signal what governments intends to do
• may be either positive or negative
• are still policies even if not implemented
• in their positive form are based on law, i.e.
are authoritative
What do policies Do?

18. • The making of policy is generally retained
by the elite in the name of the semi-
sovereign-public and policy is expressed in
a wide range of, often unrecognised
instruments.
• See ‘Who makes policy’ (Module 1) and the
‘Process of policy making’ (Module 1 & 4)
in “Toolkit for Developing, Implementing
and Monitoring Adult Education Strategies”
(2017).
Who makes policy?
(Download toolkit from E-Prints
http://eprints.maynoothuniversity.ie/10121/
Or https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/toolkit)
i

19. What is Policy: A checklist?
See the checklist in the DIMA Toolkit
(See https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/toolkit, p.10.)
for ‘What is Policy in Adult Education’
in the Toolkit for Developing, Implementing and
Monitoring Adult Education Strategies (2017).

20. www.dima-project.eu
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication]
and all its content reflect the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use which may be made of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2015-1-CY01-KA204-011850
End of Module 1 of 9
Thank you