MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS PER THEME

THEME 1
CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE
The concept public policy has certain dimensions in common regarding its outcomes.
(a) public policies are purposeful and designed to reach specific objectives or to produce
specific results, which are always realised.
(b) public policies come into being as a reaction by the government regardless of policy
demands or demands for action or non-action by society.
(c) public policy comprises that which government does, and not merely what they plan
to do or what public servants say they are going to do.

In a responsive society public policy can be described as

(a) the actions and decisions of government and government institutions.

(b) the response to policy demands (or calls for action) from different actors in the political
process.
(c) a dynamic continuous process consisting of independent phases.

The nature of the policy process indicates that:

(a) Policies refer to separate decisions or statements rather than to courses or patterns
of action over time.
(b) A policy includes not only to the decision to make a law, but also the subsequent
decisions to implement and enforce the law.
(c) Public policy implies authority or legitimate power in although government cannot
legally enforce policy through sanctions, incentives, and punishments.
Understanding public policy requires the analysis of

1
Understanding public policy requires the analysis of

(a) all variables in the policymaking environment like the physical environment, non-
tangible factors such as values and expectations, stakeholders and public institutions
involved in the policy process.
(b) the physical environment in which the policy will be implemented.
(c) Mainly the non-tangible factors such as values and expectations.

Public policies’ ability to deal with all societal issues to everyone’s satisfaction is limited because
(a) policies can solve the problems of one group without creating problems for other
groups or lead to problems in other policy areas.
(b) policies can simultaneously attain mutually exclusive goals or ends.
(c) societal problems can have multiple causes which a specific policy may not be able
to eradicate.

In a welfare state
(a) the government is the protector of the society and acts as stimulator, planner and
sometimes entrepreneur in social and economic activities.
(b) government services are limited because it will infringe on self-interest and market
forces.
(c) The government determines the reasons for poverty and implements policies to combat
it.
(d) None of the above

The statement that public policies are purposeful means that

a) policies should aim to reach specific objectives and produce specific results.
b) politicians know the needs in society and are therefore in the best position to identify and
formulate policies to solve problems.
c) all needs are satisfied, and all problems are solved through the policy process.

To ensure legality, optimal transparency, accessibility, and unambiguousness for all citizens of
the country

2
 (a) public policies are expressed in official documents. This may be acts of legislators,
proclamations, regulations, ordinances, and official statements that are published in
the Government Gazette.
(b) public policy is not necessarily based on the law that has been authoritatively
confirmed in court.
(c) public policies do not affect all citizens of the country and they therefore do not have
to constantly respect the legality thereof.

Administrative Executive Implementation Policy is generally the responsibility of:

a) public officials
b) political parties
c) the courts

CHOOSE THE INCORRECT OPTION

In a responsive society public policy can be described as

(a) the actions and decisions of government and government institutions.

(b) the response to policy demands (or calls for action) from different actors in the political
process.
(c) a dynamic continuous process consisting of independent phases.

In distributive policies where goods and services are allocated to society

(a) all goods and services are delivered to everyone in society free of cost.
(b) policy areas compete with one another in the budgetary process to get funding through
the fiscus.
(c) No group in society is responsible for the financing of general services like defence and
police services.

Self-regulating policies about behaviour, qualifications and experience for particular professions

(a) are set up and implemented by the appropriate professional body.

3
 (b) are the sole prerogative and responsibility of members of the group to initiate, change
and implement the rules without any oversight from government institutions.
(c) Government can intervene in certain circumstances.

In Regulatory policies

(a) government imposes restrictions or limitations on the behaviour of individuals and

groups.
(b) do not limit their freedom or discretion to act.
(c) can set general rules of behaviour for all members of society or groups such as
businesses, directing actions to be taken (paying taxes) or prohibiting others
(pollution).

In the Interactive Approach to the understanding of the role of the state in Africa
(a) social structures (e.g., religious institutions) are not as important as structures of
the State.
(b) social groupings develop their own sets of rules and regulations, competing with
and sometimes in conflict with the rules of the State.
(c) social rules and conventions can influence the interpretation and implementation
of State rules and regulations.
(d) rules and the way they are made for society can only be understood if the
interaction between social groups and state institutions is understood.

The traditional role of the state can be described in the basic functions of government:

(a) Providing the statutory and constitutional environment by identifying institutions and
processes for authoritative rule making and implementation.
(b) Providing economic infrastructure.
(c) Providing collective goods and services
(d) Abstaining from the resolution and adjustment of conflicts, leaving it to civil society to
fulfil the function.

4
In the Organic Approach to the understanding of the role of the state in Africa in institutionalising
central power and authority process, implies that the State has the following characteristics:

(a) The State is the dominant structure in society.

(b) The State is a unitary actor but does not function autonomously from society.
(c) The State is not regarded as an important force in society with no direct influence on
social and economic outcomes.

In a welfare state

(a) the government is the protector of the society and also acts as stimulator, planner and
sometimes entrepreneur in social and economic activities.
(b) government services are limited because it will infringe on self-interest and market
forces.
(c) the government determines the reasons for poverty and implements policies to combat
it.
(d) None of the above

Public policy as government’s programme of action means that

(a) all issues and problems in society will be dealt with through public policy.
(b) all issues and problems perceived to be policy problems are dealt with.
(c) public policies are aimed at particular selected goals and actions.

Decentralisation can promote the effectiveness of public administration and good governance
by:
(a) Limiting the powers of lower government spheres that can serve as mechanisms
through which more stakeholders can communicate their needs and preferences
to political decision makers.
(b) Strengthening the institutional capacity to mobilise resources, to deliberate
issues logically within fair procedures and to respond effectively to demands of
social and economic problems.
(c) Institutionalising and promoting checks and balances between national, regional
and local spheres of government.

In a responsive society public policy can be described as

5
 (a) the preferences and perceptions of the Government and government institutions.
(b) the response to policy demands (or calls for action) from different actors in the political
process.
(c) a dynamic continuous process consisting of interdependent phases.
(d) a mechanism for realization of goals in society.

TRUE OR FALSE STATEMENTS

Public policy is a dynamic and continuing process consisting of independent phases or

subprocesses.

The way policy is implemented is the result of the interaction between several stakeholders,
interest groups and government institutions in the same policy area.

Government is the only player in the policy process.

Public policy allocates values to only certain groups in society.

New incumbents of offices or regime changes necessarily lead to radically different policies.

Government is the only and most important role player in the policy process.

Groups and individuals will not differ about the nature or definition of a policy issue.

Policies are the result of conscious decisions to deal with issues. (Make sure you understand
what “conscious” mean)

The boundary between public and private matters that influences the nature of public policy as
well as its scope and range is the same in all societies and does not change over time.

It is possible to distinguish watertight categories in policy areas because government functions

are not interdependent.

Non-decisions and conscious lack of action can be regarded as public policies about a matter.

According to the ideology of laissez-faire, the actions of government should be restricted to the
protection of the state and maintaining law and order with minimal influence of government in
the activities of the individual.

Good governance can be attained by limiting participation of civil society in the policymaking
process because it causes diversity and promotes articulating conflicting interests.

6
Good governance and stability can be attained by limiting the free flow of information, providing
just enough information so that members of society know and understand what is expected of
them.

The specific goals and nature of government intervention to achieve development can differ
over time and from society to society and there is no international agreement about the broad
goals of development.

All goals, needs and issues in society are acted on through the policy process.

The concept “public policy” implies authority or legitimate power with a government that can
enforce the policy on everyone in society through sanctions, incentives and punishments.

Only certain variables should be taken in account to understand a policy issue.

The boundary between “public” and “private” interest is clear and applies to all situations and all
societies.

The political system is structured in a way to make completely rational decisions possible.

No policy can simultaneously attain mutually exclusive or all goals in society.

The Municipal Systems Act 2000 (Act 32 of 200) is an example of a constituent policy.

(Make sure that you know the different effects of policies when implemented discussed on p. 11
of the Internal Handbook)

Political parties contribute to the policymaking process on political policy level through
manifestos and resolutions taken at party conferences.

The subjective environment refers to the variables a policy actor perceives as important factors
that will determine policy decisions.

Symbolic policies have no tangible advantages and therefore cannot have any influence on
groups’ values and identity.

Public policy allocates values to only certain groups in society.

Regulatory policies refer to policies where organisations must check with higher authority before
carrying out an action.

7
There is no interdependence between policy area such as foreign policy, education policy or
defence policy.

In the Configuration Approach to the understanding of the role of the state in Africa, the State is
not the only or dominant actor, but rather provides the main framework in which social groups
form and in which political actions are possible.

All states can be regarded as purely socialist, complete laissez-faire or a pure welfare state.

The term “governance” places more emphasis on the government’s obligation to provide public
services to the community as stakeholders and clients, while the term “government” refers to the
enforceable rules and decisions in society and the institutions that make and apply these rules.

Decentralisation includes political devolution of political authority to lower levels of government

and the concentration of functions in central departments.

THEME 2

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

Safeguards to provide stability in the interpretation and prevent arbitrary interpretation by the
executive are the following:

a) The process of regulation should be fair and open, providing time for review by the
legislature and public comment before promulgation.
b) Regulatory authority given to members of the executive should be discretionary and
open-ended.
c) The regulations themselves or the empowering statute in terms of which they are issued
should set out broad principles and criteria to accommodate the views of the official.

The phenomenon of “inertia” or non-involvement in the policymaking process occurs in societies

because

8
 a) people are apathetic and ill-informed, partly because technological development leads to
issues being so technical that people do not have enough knowledge to form an opinion
about it.
b) society trusts their government to always promote their interests.
c) there are no conflicting interests or values in society.

Effective democratic/political accountability can be achieved by

(a) regular and fair elections of political leaders.

(b) effective oversight by legislators.
(c) selective sanctions and inability and unwillingness to punish transgressions.

Constitutionalism and the rule of law is only possible if

(a) there is a single physical document or institution enforcing the rules of government.
(b) the judiciary is independent, and its rulings are respected by government.
(c) the prosecution service is influenced by political power.

The principle that society should be governed by legal principles and not by the arbitrary
decisions of individuals is known as

(a) rule of law

(b) socialism
(c) individualism

CHOOSE THE INCORRECT OPTION

“Topography” as an element of the policy environment refers to

(a) population size, age distribution and gender distribution.

(b) landscape and climate.
(c) availability of natural resources.
(d) None of the above.

In globalisation the process of deterritorialisation influences the policymaking process in the

sense that

9
 (a) social activities are not limited by geographical places, distances, and boundaries.
(b) because it leads to increasing globalisation, benefits are spread evenly between and
within societies.
(c) a global civil society develops necessitating closer cooperation between authorities to
overcome shared policy problems.

Implementation of the principle of the rule of law requires

(a) an independent judiciary.

(b) an independent prosecution service.
(c) statutes that leave officials room to interpret it as circumstances necessitate.

Effective democratic/political accountability can be achieved by

(a) regular and fair elections of political leaders.

(b) effective oversight by legislators.
(c) selective sanctions and inability and unwillingness to punish transgressions.

Risk management means

(a) identifying and analysing risks associated with the delivering of services.
(b) taking adequate steps to eliminate or mitigate risks.
(c) ignoring possible risks because of scarce resources, time constraints or political
pressure.

Effective “amendatory accountability” implies that:

a) public officials accept and acknowledge in public that something has gone wrong in
the policy process.
b) Making sure that appropriate corrective action has been taken.
c) not ensuring that reoccurrence will be prevented.

……. refers to a set of predominant values, beliefs and institutional processes that operate
systematically to the benefit of some and the disadvantage of others

10
 (a) Mobilisation of bias
(b) Constitutionalism
(c) Globalism

FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

……. refers to a set of predominant values, beliefs and institutional processes that operate
systematically to the benefit of some and the disadvantage of others.

The …… leads to the widening of the range of public matters members of society want
government to tend to through public policy.

Government consists of three different components institutions on the central sphere namely
…….

Policy is linked to ……rather than random behaviour or chance occurrences.

……. involve deliberate efforts by government to shift the allocation of wealth,

property or rights to redress socio-economic imbalances in society.

At ……political executive institutions and office bearers must make decisions to implement
policies as stated in legislation.

……determine which institutions will be responsible for legislation, the implementation of

legislation and the adjudication of legislation.

According to the ideology of …… the state, controlled by the workers should own or at least
control the means of production to distribute it for the benefit of society as a whole.

Decentralisation includes …… to lower levels of government.

In the process of ……… governance mediates between different interests to reach broad
consensus on policies that are in the best interest of the group or society.

In a centralised decision structure decisions flow from bottom to the top of the hierarchy and the
discretion of the officials will depend on their position in the hierarchy.

11
…… specify that certain actions must be taken, how it should be taken and what results should
be achieved.

In 1994 the doctrine of …… was abandoned and replaced with constitutional sovereignty and
constitutional supremacy.

……refers to the principle that society should be governed by legal principles and not by the
arbitrary decisions of individuals.

……deals with the control and monitoring of resources in service delivery to ensure that
resources are used for their intended purpose according to proper and transparent procedures.

An…… can be described as anything that increases opportunities to get what one wants or
needs.

The phenomenon of …… refers to the reluctance to get involved in the policy process because
people are apathetic or ill-informed.

……. refers to the view that public officials can comment on policy proposals, but once a
decision is taken, they have to support it in public, even if they initially did not agree with it.

(a) Socialism
(b) Collective responsibility
(c) Constitutions, statutory enactments, and conventions.
(d) Goal-orientated action
(e) Inertia
(f) Rule of law
(g) rising expectation phenomenon
(h) legislative, executive, and judicial authority
(i) Parliamentary sovereignty
(j) Redistributive policies
(k) Proscriptive policies
(l) Political implementation level
(m) interest
(n) consensus orientation
(o) Political implementation level
(p) interest
(q) Political devolution of political authority

12
 (r) Financial accountability

TRUE OR FALSE STATEMENTS

In a centralised decision structure decisions flow from bottom to the top of the hierarchy and the
discretion of the officials will depend on their position in the hierarchy.

The objective environment refers to the variables a policy actor perceives as important factors
that will determine policy decisions.

A written constitution and an institution to enforce it are necessary but not adequate guarantees
of constitutionalism as a guiding principle in public policy.

Accountability means that an official or organization must be answerable to someone or

something beyond itself.

To ensure full, effective, and efficient accountability in the public sector officials must only
explain to the Legislature and the Auditor-General how much of the allocated money in the
budget was spent and the activities and outputs it was spent on.

Overlapping values and interests and possible cooperation in policymaking is never possible in
cases where groups have sharply conflicting interests.

Some policy problems became global problems that cannot be solved by individual
governments and necessitate policy frameworks overseen by an active global civil society and
non-governmental institutions.

Globalisation, and increased communication, expose members of communities to viewpoints,

beliefs and values not necessarily reconcilable with policy values within their own communities.
This can make consensus about national policies easier.

Political office bearers who have an influential position in the political party hierarchy or are
members of important Cabinet clusters, may have more influence in the development of overall
national and government policy than other members of government.
Only certain variables should be taken in account to understand a policy issue.
If a policymaker is also a member of another group with strong values and beliefs, it may
determine or at least strongly influence his/her decisions in policymaking.

13
To ensure full, effective, and efficient accountability in the public sector officials must only
explain to the Legislature and the Auditor-General how much of the allocated money in the
budget was spent and the activities and outputs it was spent on.
A distinction can be made between the subjective (facts as they are) and the objective the facts
as perceived and interpreted by the policy actor) environment.
There is consensus about the causes and solutions of problems on the policy agenda.
Non-physical or social environment refers to tangible characteristics of the policy environment
and includes geographic characteristics such as spatial location, topography and demography

In a “constitutional democracy” the legislative authority and its decisions cannot be set aside by
other institutions
The subjective environment refers to the variables a policy actor perceives as important factors
that will determine policy decisions.

Political parties contribute to the policymaking process on political policy level through
manifestos and resolutions taken my party structures.

According to the ideology of laissez-faire, the actions of government should be restricted to the
protection of the state and maintaining law and order with minimal influence of government in
the activities of the individual.

Ministers should have full discretion and open-ended authority to make regulations to facilitate
the daily implementation of legislation.

Democratic and political accountability through regular elections of political leaders and public
policies does extend to the permanent administrative machinery of government.

Globalisation, and increased communication, expose members of communities to viewpoints,

beliefs, and values not necessarily reconcilable with policy values within their own communities.
This can make consensus about national policies more difficult.

Society’s expectations of what government can and should achieve through public policy always
stay the same.

Formalised rules and policy directives can promote accountability but can be a hindrance in
adapting to different and changing circumstances when policy is implemented.

Risk assessment and risk management are necessary elements in policymaking because it is
not always possible to predict future circumstances accurately.

14
One of the requirements of rationality in accountability is that the public official must be able to
give proper account that the action or decision is at least reasonably capable of achieving the
desired aims.

Rationality and reasonableness in accountability do not require a rational connection between

the purpose of the decision and the authority the official must make the decision or to take the
action.

Because groups have sharply conflicting interests, opposing groups cannot have overlapping
common interests.

THEME 3

TRUE OR FALSE STATEMENTS

The systemic agenda contains the problems government institutions will give attention to.

Mathematical and statistical models, methods and techniques are useful in the identification of
policy goals and can be used with reference to all social needs, values, and preferences.

In the policy option generation process, the ideal is to emphasise alternatives with obvious,
unacceptable, and unworkable results to get policymakers to agree to preferred options.

There is always only one systemic agenda in the policy process.

In the policy generation process vague and broadly stated goals can benefit coalition building as
all parties can interpret it as reflecting their own goals.

Goals and objectives in the policy generation process can be accepted as legitimate although
the process through which it was done is not acceptable to all parties.

The more difficult a goal is, the lower the level of performance can be.

Alternative ways to attain policy goals should be described in terms of concrete actions so that it
is clear how it will be implemented and who will be responsible to do it.

Individuals may have a limited information processing capability and an overload of information
can lead to policymakers relying on intuition, preconceived notions, and biases.

15
Oral communication of information has the advantage that it can save time responses can be
given quickly. (What is the disadvantage of this way of communicating information?)

A cost-minimization analysis as a technique in policy generation is aimed at controlling costs

and avoiding unnecessary innovation.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION

The number of new items on policy agendas is decreasing because

(a) clear policies to handle all possible issues and problems are already in place.

(b) political apathy prevents all members of society from taking part in the policymaking process.

(c) existing commitments and the lack of resources make public officials disinclined to include
new items on the agenda.

In the process of identifying and structuring policy problem

(a) the symptoms of the problem are more important than the underlying cause.
(b) the way a problem is structured and described will determine the contents of the policy
to solve it.
(c) all groups and individuals define the problem in the same way.

The ranking of problems on the policy agenda

(a) plays no role in the policymaking process.
(b) is an automatic process controlled by computer programmes designed for this purpose.
(c) is an indication of the importance of the problem.

Identifying appropriate goals and objectives in the design phase of the policy process can be
improved by
(a) ignoring or overriding opposing views.
(b) negotiating and establishing a system of relative value and trade-off between
different goals and objectives.
(c) choosing the view of the most influential group.

The quality of forecasts and their use in policy decisions is determined by

(a) how acceptable the results are for decision makers.
(b) who commissioned the research.

16
 (c) their institutional, time and historical context.

Some of the factors that should be considered during the policy option generation process:

(a) Information cannot be manipulated by supporters of a particular option.

(b) Preconceived notions and foregone conclusions cannot influence the choice
between alternatives.
(c) The availability of resources plays an important role in a policymaker’s choice
between alternatives.
What are the other biases that can play a role in a policymaker’s decisions?

In the process of generating programs and strategies to attain identified goals and
objectives, the following guidelines should be followed:

(a) Because it is necessary that the preferred strategy should always be unanimous, the
preferred alternative should be proposed and contrasted with obviously
unacceptable and unworkable alternative options.
(b) Broad and all-inclusive alternatives should be avoided.
(c) Alternatives should be precise and described in concrete actions.

The top-down approach in policymaking refers to…

(a) the advice and decisions of officials at lower levels rather than the top structure.
(b) the advice and opinions of revered and respected leaders
(c) the advice of appointed consultants.

Issues on the policy agenda are characterised by the following aspects:

(a) They are neatly packaged and there is consensus about what the issues are.
(b) Individuals and interest groups may differ about the causes of the problem.
(c) An issue becomes a policy issue when there is agreement about how it should be
handled.

The position of a policy issue on the policy agenda

17
 (a) can never change.
(b) has no influence on the priority of the issue.
(c) is determined by the way the issue is brought to public attention.

A "satisficing" or "good enough" solution to a policy problem means that

(a) all the policy goals of all interest groups are attained.
(b) the solution is acceptable to all competing parties.
(c) all the policy goals of one of the competing parties are attained, irrespective of the
consequences.

Cost-benefit analysis in decision making refers to….

(a) the evaluation of alternatives according to a comparison of both their physical and
social costs and benefits.
(b) comparing only the social and economic costs of each alternative.
(c) considering the benefits an alternative will bring irrespective of the costs involved.

In brainstorming as a technique in decision making

(a) analysis and deliberations are structured according to set procedures.

(b) participants are encouraged to identify as many ideas as they wish in a given length
of time.
(c) the group leader defines the issue and give guidelines for possible solutions.

Written communication is an effective and efficient way to convey correct information

because

(a) it guarantees immediate response.

(b) It cannot be interpreted differently than the sender intended.
(c) It provides the sender and receiver with a verifiable record.

Identifying appropriate goals and objectives in the design phase of the policy process can

18
be improved by

(a) Ignoring or overriding opposing views.

(b) Ignoring existing legislation and departmental regulations
(c) Negotiating a system of relative value and trade-off between different goals and
objectives

THEME 4

INDICATE THE INCORRECT OPTION

In the process of identifying and structuring policy problem
(a) the symptoms of the problem are more important than the underlying cause.
(b) the way a problem is structured and described will determine the contents of the policy
to solve it.
(c) all groups and individuals define the problem in the same way.

The ranking of problems on the policy agenda

(a) plays no role in the policymaking process.
(b) is an automatic process controlled by computer programmes designed for this purpose.
(c) is an indication of the importance of the problem.

Identifying appropriate goals and objectives in the design phase of the policy process can be
improved by
(a) ignoring or overriding opposing views.
(b) negotiating and establishing a system of relative value and trade-off between different
goals and objectives.
(c) choosing the view of the most influential group.

When policy decisions are made by individuals

(a) the individual is often unaware of the processes by which he or she reaches the
decision.
(b) subconscious processes play no role in the decision-making process.
(c) the individual’s decision can be influenced by his or her emotional and physical state.

Scenario planning and writing

(a) predicts a single state at a single stage in the future.

19
 (b) describes a set of alternative futures.
(c) considers a broad range of variables.

Organisational decision making tends to

(a) follow precedents, standard decision making and regulations.

(b) adapt a strategy of radical rather than incremental change.
(c) defer to decisions of higher authorities.

The quality of forecasts and their use in policy decisions is determined by

(a) how acceptable the results are for decision makers.
(b) Who commissioned the research.
(c) their institutional, time and historical context.

Some of the factors that should be considered during the policy option generation process:

(d) Information cannot be manipulated by supporters of a particular option.

(e) Preconceived notions and foregone conclusions cannot influence the choice between
alternatives.
(f) The availability of resources plays an important role in a policymaker’s choice between
alternatives.

"Anchoring bias" in decision making refers to the tendency to...

(a) hold on to initial information and refusing to adjust to new information.

(b) rely on information readily available.
(c) rely on decisions that were successful in the past.
What are the other biases that can play a role in policy decisions?

The top-down approach in policymaking refers to…

(a) the advice and decisions of officials at lower levels rather than the top structure.
(b) the advice and opinions of revered and respected leaders

20
 (c) the advice of appointed consultants.

Issues on the policy agenda are characterised by the following aspects:

(a) They are neatly packaged and there is consensus about what the issues are.
(b) Individuals and interest groups may differ about the causes of the problem.
(c) An issue becomes a policy issue when there is agreement about how it should be handled.

The position of a policy issue on the policy agenda

(a) can never change.

(b) has no influence on the priority of the issue.
(c) is determined by the way the issue is brought to public attention.

A "satisficing" or "good enough" solution to a policy problem means that

(a) all the policy goals of all interest groups are attained.
(b) the solution is acceptable to all competing parties.
(c) all the policy goals of one of the competing parties are attained, irrespective of the
consequences.

Cost-benefit analysis in decision making refers to….

(a) the evaluation of alternatives according to a comparison of both their physical and social
costs and benefits.
(b) comparing only the social and economic costs of each alternative.
(c) considering the benefits an alternative will bring irrespective of the costs involved.

In brainstorming as a technique in decision making

(a) analysis and deliberations are structured according to set procedures.

(b) participants are encouraged to identify as many ideas as they wish in a given length of

21
 time.
(c) the group leader defines the issue and give guidelines for possible solutions.

The quality of forecasts and their uses in policy decision making is determined by:

(a) the availability of pertinent data.

(b) the experience of the researcher.
(c) the time allowed to do research.
(d) the gender of the researcher.

THEME 4

INDICATE THE INCORRECT OPTION

Organisational strategy for successful implementation must deal with three challenges:

(a) Any organisation can be charged with the implementation of the policy regardless of the
original mission and purpose of the organisation.
(b) Determine the sources of support and legitimacy to attain authority and attract funding
from the political environment to sustain society’s commitment to the organisation.
(c) Achieve administrative feasibility and to operate effectively and efficiently within
available resources.

The Classical School in the study of policy implementation assumes that

a) implementation is a function of the administrative machine.

b) effective policy implementation will follow automatically once the appropriate
policies are proclaimed.
c) implementation can be studied by following a bottom-up approach.

In the top-down view of policy implementation, the following conditions are necessary for
successful implementation:

(a) An army-like organization with clear lines of authority.

22
 (b) Perfect communication in and between units of the organisation.
(c) Workers have discretion on how decisions can be implemented.

The top-down approach refers to…

(a) The advice and experience of officials at lower level rather than merely relying on the top
structure.
(b) The advice and opinion of revered and respected party leaders
(c) The advice of appointed consultants

TRUE OR FALSE STATEMENT

Policy implementation can be described as those actions by government directed at the

achievement of goals and objectives set out in prior policy decisions. It involves the conversion
of physical, financial, and intellectual resources into service delivery outputs in the form of
facilities and services or into other concrete outputs.

When responsibilities for policy areas are assigned to different ministries and government
spheres, the coordination of policy implementation is not problematic.

Bureaucracy and policy implementation is an irrational, legalistic, authoritarian, and

unpredictable system.

Non-linear unpredictable changes means that the change happens in a foreseeable pattern.

After WWII the policy implementation process was seen as a complex process and a function of
the political process where factors that influence the policy process in general (subject to
sometimes non-linear unpredictable changes), can influence the way policy is implemented.

The top-down approach to policy implementation tended to ignore the impact of the
implementers and service providers on the success of policy.

Street level bureaucrats do not play a key role in ensuring the performance of a policy and do
not exercise their own discretion on how they apply policy directives in their day-today
situations.

23
After WWII the policy implementation process was seen as a complex process and a function of
the political process where factors that influence the policy process in general (subject to
sometimes non-linear unpredictable changes), can influence the way policy is implemented.

Policy is shaped at the implementation stage can occur both through failure and through
creative filling in and application of a broad framework.

Policy implementation can change the contents of policies and alters resources and objectives.

INDICATE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

A project has the following characteristics:

(a) it is a unique enterprise aimed at fulfilling a particular task.

(b) it is undertaken because objectives cannot be achieved through routine activities.
(c) it has cost and quality constraints.
(d) it is a long term rather than a temporary endeavour.

To determine the success of the implementation of policy, the analysis should

(a) describe and analyse circumstances and conditions influencing implementation.

(b) describe the goals and objectives of the policy.
(c) ignore other policies that could have affected the implementation.
(d) an analysis of both the actions of private individuals or groups affected by the policy and
officials implementing the policy.

Implementing a policy as intended by the policymakers will mean that

(a) circumstances will necessarily change, and the policy goals will be attained.
(b) policies in other policy areas will not influence the success of the policy.
(c) it can change the environment in a negative way, thereby complicating the
implementation of future policies.

Supportive interest groups can assist with the successful implementation policies by

(a) discouraging clients and affected groups to compel officials to comply with policy
directives.
(b) demand regular progress reports, preferably from independent experts.

24
 (c) refrain from intervening to ensure the policy is implemented as intended by the
policymakers.

Policy instruments to control behaviour in line with policy directives are aimed at

(a) members of both the private and public sector.

(b) only members of the private sector.
(c) only those guilty of unlawful acts.

Mandatory policies refer to policies that…

(a) certain actions must be taken as well as how it should be done

(b) cover cases where organisations have to check with higher authority before carrying out
an action.
(c) specify that certain actions must not take place or take place only under certain
circumstances.

INDICATE THE INCORRECT ALTERNATIVE

In good and effective governance, the results of policy evaluation should be used to

(a) promote and show cost-effective use of public resources

(b) conceal unlawful and incompetent acts by officials
(c) mislead members of the legislature and the public in their oversight function.

THEME 5

INDICATE THE INCORRECT ALTERNATIVE

“Policy impact” refers to…

(a) the resources spent for the implementation of a policy.

(b) the effect the implementation of the policy has in a community.
(c) the knock-on effect it has for the success of policies in other policy areas.

25
Explain how can policy evaluation be used as an assessment tool? Use an example from the
public sector to illustrate the five functions

Define policy evaluation and indicate which aspects the implementation of policies must be
examined in policy evaluation?

What is the difference between policy outputs, policy impact and policy consequences and what
implications will the three concepts have for the policy evaluation process?

Why should public policies be continuously evaluated and on which aspects should the process
focus on?

How can the scope of the inquiry, the members tasked with the evaluation and the time allowed
influence the usefulness of the evaluation?

How can the executive institution, the opposition and interest groups in society use the findings
of the evaluation process?

Describe and analyse the management of policy evaluation with specific reference to the
following:

 Questions that should be asked before the evaluation is embarked on

 Strategies to improve policy evaluation.
 How can the findings of the evaluation be used to improve performance? Can the
findings be used in ways not consistent with the definition of policy evaluation?

TRUE OR FALSE

Ideally policy evaluation is the subjective assessment of the design, implementation and results
of an on-going project, programme or policy.

Ex-post evaluation is the formative appraisal of the feasibility of a policy and its constituent
programmes at the beginning or early stage of the process.

Poor policy results may not necessarily be the result of wrong decisions in the policy generation
stage, but they can be because good policies were badly implemented.

The commitment or disposition of the implementers has no effect on the way policies are
implemented.

26
Effective policy evaluation can only be done by government officials in a systematic way.

The evaluation process cannot be manipulated to hide the true state of affairs.

27
THEME 5

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

28
CHOOSE THE INCORRECT ALTERNATIVE
FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

TRUE OR FALSE STATEMENTS

THEME 6

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

CHOOSE THE INCORRECT ALTERNATIVE
FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

TRUE OR FALSE STATEMENTS

29
30
14

15

(a)risk assessment and risk management

(b)recurring issues
(c)Environmental Impact Assessment

(d) Goals

(e) Project time management.

(f) Personal value preferences and subjectivity

(g) coordinated strategic management

(h) Availability bias

(i) Mobilisation of bias

(j) Confirmation bias.

(k) position on the agenda

(l) Proscriptive policies

(m) cost-benefit analysis

(n) “satisficing or good enough”

(o) Systemic agendas

31
THEME 5
CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE
FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

TRUE AND FALSE STATEMENTS

CHOOSE THE INCORRECT OPTION

Choose the incorrect option by indicating the correct letter to the question
number in the answer table.

Choose the correct alternative

FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

CHOOSE THE INCORRECT OPTION

Choose the incorrect option by indicating the correct letter to the question
number in the answer table.

THEME 6

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

32
FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

TRUE AND FALSE STATEMENTS

CHOOSE THE INCORRECT OPTION

Choose the incorrect option by indicating the correct letter to the question
number in the answer table.

THEME 3

Choose the correct alternative

True or false

33
THEME 4

TRUE OR FALSE

QUESTION 36

QUESTION 41

Political office bearers who have an influential position in the political party hierarchy or
are members of important Cabinet clusters, may have more influence in the
development of overall national and government policy than other members of
government.

TRUE
QUESTION 45

Groups and individuals will not differ about the nature or definition of a policy issue.

FALSE
Risk assessment and risk management are necessary elements in policymaking
because it is not always possible to predict future circumstances accurately.

34
TRUE
There is always only one systemic agenda in the policy process.

FALSE

1 The …… leads to the widening of the range of public matters members of society
want government to tend to through public policy.

(g) rising expectation phenomenon

2 Government consists of three different components institutions on the central sphere

namely …….

(h) legislative, executive and judicial authority

3 Policy is linked to ……rather than random behaviour or chance occurrences.

3 (d) Goal-orientated action

4 …….involve deliberate efforts by government to shift the allocation of

wealth, property or rights to redress socio-economic imbalances in
society.

(j) Redistributive policies

5 At ……political executive institutions and office bearers have to make decisions to

implement policies as stated in legislation.

(l) Political implementation level

35
6 ……determine which institutions will be responsible for legislation, the implementation
of legislation and the adjudication of legislation.

(c) Constitutions, statutory enactments and conventions.

7 According to the ideology of …… the state, controlled by the workers should own or at
least control the means of production to distribute it for the benefit of society as a whole.

(a) socialism

8 Decentralisation includes …… to lower levels of government.

(n) Political devolution of political authority

9 In the process of ……… governance mediates between different interests to reach

broad consensus on policies that are in the best interest of the group or society.

(k) consensus orientation

10 In 1994 the doctrine of …… was abandoned and replaced with constitutional

sovereignty and constitutional supremacy.

(i) Parliamentary sovereignty

11……refers to the principle that society should be governed by legal principles and not
by the arbitrary decisions of individuals.

(f) Rule of law

36
12 ……deals with the control and monitoring of resources in service delivery to ensure
that resources are used for their intended purpose according to proper and transparent
procedures.

(o) Financial accountability

13 An…… can be described as anything that increases opportunities to get what one
wants or needs.

(m) Interest

14 The phenomenon of …… refers to the reluctance to get involved in the policy

process because people are apathetic or ill-informed.

(e) Inertia

15 ……. refers to the view that public officials have the opportunity to comment on
policy proposals, but once a decision is taken, they have to support it in public, even if
they initially did not agree with it.

b Collective responsibility

(a) Socialism
(b) Constitutions, statutory enactments and conventions.
(s) Goal-orientated action
(t) Inertia
(u) Rule of law
(v) rising expectation phenomenon
(w) legislative, executive and judicial authority
(x) Parliamentary sovereignty
(y) Redistributive policies

37
(z) consensus orientation
(aa) Political implementation level
(bb) interest
(cc) Political devolution of political authority
(dd) Financial accountability
(ee) Question 1
(ff)
(gg) Question 2 (h) legislative, executive and judicial authority
(hh)
(ii) Question 3 (d) Goal-orientated action
(jj)
(kk) Question 4 (j) Redistributive policies
(ll)
(mm) Question 5 (l) Political implementation level
(nn)
(oo) Question 6 (c) Constitutions, statutory enactments and conventions.
(pp)
(qq) Question 7 (a) socialism
(rr)
(ss) Question 8 (n) Political devolution of political authority
(tt)
(uu) Question 9 (k) consensus orientation
(vv)
(ww) Question 10 (i) Parliamentary sovereignty
(xx)
(yy) Question 11 (f) Rule of law
(zz)
(aaa) Question 12 (o) Financial accountability
(bbb)
(ccc) Question 13 (m) Interest
(ddd)

38
(eee) Question 14 (e) Inertia
(fff)
Question 15

(ggg)

ANSWERS: SECTION 1: TRUE OR FALSE

QUESTION TRUE FALSE

1 X

2 X

3 X

4 X

5 X

6 X

7 X

8 X

9 X

10 X

11 X

12 X

13 X

14 X

15 X

16 X

17 X

39
 18 X

19 X

20 X

21 X

22 X

23 X

24 X

25 X

SECTION 2 FILL IN THE MISSING PHRASES

Question 1 (g) rising expectation phenomenon

Question 2 (h) legislative, executive and judicial authority

Question 3 (d) Goal-orientated action

Question 4 (j) Redistributive policies

Question 5 (l) Political implementation level

40
Question 6 (c) Constitutions, statutory enactments and conventions.

Question 7 (a) socialism

Question 8 (n) Political devolution of political authority

Question 9 (k) consensus orientation

Question 10 (i) Parliamentary sovereignty

Question 11 (f) Rule of law

Question 12 (o) Financial accountability

Question 13 (m) Interest

Question 14 (e) Inertia

Question 15 (b) Collective responsibility

SECTION 3: CHOOSE THE INCORRECT OPTION

41
Question 1 (a)

Question 2 (a)

Question 3 (b)

Question 4 (b)

Question 5 (a)

Question 6 (b)

Question 7 (b)

Question 8 (c)

Question 9 (c)

Question 10 (c)

42