Bureaucracy and Steps of Policy Making

  Most of the functions in Policy making process is done by the Bureaucracy. Because it is the vital Constitutionally accepted body, used for implementing the policy and decisions adopted by the Executives.

 Point :01 :- But at present its core function is not limited within the policy implementation only. The Cabinet Secretariat helps the Parliamentary Committees’ to discuss on any proposal for rule making function, by providing information and data. Even on many occasion, Ministers discuss any crucial issues directory with their respective Secretary and take their advice before taking any decision

. Point 02 :- Bureaucracy is the permanent executive part of the Government, while the members of Legislature are temporary part of the Government 

Point :03 :- Bureaucracy are recuited professionally through Examination and then they are given training to adopt the functions of the system. They join in the service, accepting the “Service Conditins” put on them at the time of joining. 

Point :04 :- There are important roles, that are played by the Bureaucrats in the process of Policy Making. These are :- (a) Agenda Setting; (b) Policy Formation; (c) Policy Adaptation; (d) Policy Implementation; (e) Policy Evaluation. 

 The Administrators are primarily a professional, trained and permanent Executive or Administrative Unit of Government. It is a structured body of maintaining the governance as a permanent establishment. Its primary role is to help the ministers in implementing Policies, and thus to execute it following the rule of law. It does its job with its own structural machinery, and also use it to measure the aftermath situation of policy implementation. 

 The responsibility of executing the enacted laws and rules of the Parliament are carried out by the ‘permanent units of bureaucrats under the de jure headship of the President.  Bureaucrats forms and build up their own process of implementation, in consultation with department Ministers and Secretary. In most of the incidents Bureaucrats generally enjoy a certain kind of autonomy in performing their role. 

 When there is any chance of disturbing the normal law and order situation during the process of implementation of any Law or Governmental decision, the concern Department of Secretariat make contact with the Home Department. 2 Five Major Steps in Policy Making Process:- 

1) Agenda Setting:- In the process of making policy, the members of Secretariat initially fix up the relevant issues for discussion. ‘Relevant Issues’ means, those which are required to be judged before finalizing the policy process. Members of the Secreatariat puts those issues in Agenda, and accumulate necessary information, social views, expert opinion on the matter placed for discussion. In a word prepared a draft-report for the members of the Cabinet. Placed the report at the time of discussion. 

2) Policy Formulation:- Members of the Cabinet, in maximum cases, pays full attention to those reports submitted by the Secretary. Thorough discussion held on the report. The prime intention of discussion is to reach a point of Resolution, taking the gist of the report and the opinion of Cabinet Members threon. On the basis of discussion the initial draft of the proposed policy is prepared. 

3) Policy Adaptations:- The Cabinet committee hold a detail discussion of the initial draft, and finally adopt the final draft proposal as resolution, with necessary addition and alteration, if anything is required. That draft resolution is prepared for placing in the Parliament. 

4) Policy Implementation:- When the final draft resolution of the Cabinet is placed in the Parliament, the members of the house discussed on it in detail. Opposition here gets the chance to ventilate their “point-to-point” impression and opinion on the Draft Proposal. The Members of the rulling party, replied the queries of the opposition and placed it to the House through Speaker for mandate. Here the detail discussions are made on Government’s planning, financial allocation etc. Ultimately the draft proposal with the majority mandate in the house, passed as a Bill. Bill is sent to the President for his “Signature”, which make it a Law/ policy of the Government. After implementation of the Law or Policy, a new cycle of feedback on that begins. Sometimes on the basis of Feedback, Government is forced to change the “face” of the implemented policy, and made consequential revision of the earlier policy. 

5) Policy Evaluation:- Policy making and implementation process thus ends with the Feedback result comes from society’s direct and indirect beneficiaries. 

Result of Excessive Dependencies on Temporary Political Executive in Policy making. Sometimes it is seen, that temporary Executive changes their Secretary or Departmental Bureaucrats, for some personal or to satisfy their Political Agenda. As for example UPA preferred Brijesh Mishra, was replaced by Narayan during NDA Government. These decisional informations of change of Permanent Executive generally do not reach to General Public, with any note on significance of Ministerial decision. 

 It shows that general people are not properly informed about the role of Bureaucrats in the Policy making process, although the leader of the Bureaucrat wields considerable influence over public policy. Bureaucrats also play very critical and significant role in complex relationship between various parts of the Government, economic elite and public. Role of Media as Responsive Process of public Policy and its reaction thereon. 

(1) Political machinery never trivialize the role and influence of Media on the National and International public opinion. Now with the innovation of new technology, the works and policy of any government with its all probable implications reach more quickly and pervasively to the Social periphery. Mideal plays the vital role in transmitting those to the Society. Media basically consider the Government policy as the “sum of government activities, that have an effect and influence on the lives of Citizens” . To Government policy is what Government says and does to fight against perceived problems f the society. Policy making: - policy making is how the Government decides, what would be done in a particular perceived problems. Media transmit both of these to the its audience, and help to create their “opinion output” structure to place it in the Feedback Channel. To form a particular opinion, Explanation, Debate, Assessment, Observation every thing are started as process of media activities. Even that continued after formation and implementation of the policy. It is said that, ‘observer on his own side and ‘end-users’ from his side form different metaphoric angle. At the sametime both these ends try to persuade their own metaphorik vision to the other end of users. At last power and influence of metaphoric vision of that part stands which possess majority support. This majority supprot base try to make their understanding spread among the other minority side with the help of Bureaucracy, Citizen support, social and political persuasion. So they start to mount their public relation, campaign, especially through Media ( may be Audio, Visual, print, or AudioVisual media, Postering, Public Meeting etc). Media here Plays three vital Role: 

 Creator:- Media creates message through writing article, holding debate by using visual media, and also using pront media. Now the media has become a most powerful source of persuading the public opinion. 

 Consumer:- In respect of consumer of message from society, media acts as a receiver as well as propagator. The target audiences, listeners are always available either to the print media or to the audio-visual media. The number of Media consumers are increasing every day. 

4  Gatekeeper:- Gatekeeper are those who mediate the flow of message and newsmedia plays the powerful role of gatekeeper. Media is also useful to the Policy maker, because:- 

 They at the beginning help the policy maker to understand the social reality. 

 Getting primary hint on proposed Policy from Media, general people of the society immediately decide to take side of the issues, that are coming to the fore by the Political System. 

 Media has got a strong power or hold of determining the probable trend of public opinion, through primary media campaigning. 

 When public policy making process or machinery aims to resolve any burning burning problem, then it try to take help of media. So Policy Personnel, before making any final decision on policy matter use the feedback coming from Mediato know the actual trends of Public Opinion.

  There is no doubt that new technology and Globalized trends have changed the face and form of Communication and information land scape.