Social Problem and Policy
Analysis Frameworks
Foundations of Social Work Policy
Practice
Analyzing Social Problems
{ Not all conditions are defined as social
‘problems’ and not all ‘problems’ are ‘social
problems’.
{ Problems are identified based on
incongruence with powerful values/priorities,
status of those affected, and sheer number
affected.
{ “To understand a social problem is to
understand how and what another
person/group thinks and believes about the
social events being defined as a problem.”
Defining Social Problems
{ State the concrete observable signs by which
its existence is to be known—how do you
know a problem when you see it?
{ Examine the causes of the social problem,
and its consequences (causal chain).
{ Identify the values and assumptions
embedded in the problem definition.
{ Who gains and who loses through the
existence of this social problem (who pays,
who benefits, and how much?)
z We’re all affected—the key is how and how much?
Refining the Problem
Statement
{ Population
{ Problem
{ Perspective of stakeholders
z Values
z Interests
z Beliefs
z Ethics
z Slants
{ Policy area
Social Policies to Address Social
Problems
{ Although social policies are designed to
address problems, sometimes they
create social problems.
{ Each component of the problem analysis
corresponds to a policy piece:
z Definition—eligibility rules, target
populations
z Causal Analysis—types of benefits, services
z Ideology/values—goals, amount of financing
z Gainer/loser Analysis—method of financing
Elements of Good Analysis
Framework
{ Analyze systematically
{ Context sensitive
{ Rational methods of analysis, reliable,
evidence-based
{ Explicit (others able to reach same
conclusion)
{ Commitment to greatest good at smallest cost
{ Take into account unintended consequences
{ Considers alternative policies, use of
resources
{ Examine potential impact of policy on public,
other policies
{ Explicit about value preferences
{ Grounded in practice experience
Value-Critical/Criteria-Based Policy
Analysis
{ Use value-based criteria to analyze policy problems,
assumptions, functioning, and goals.
{ Goal=provide frame of reference for determining if
social policy is a good one re: goal of attempting to
correct injustice.
{ First must decide criteria on which to evaluate, and then
battle over interpretation of data.
{ Evaluation criteria:
z Basic elements consistent with social problem analysis
(including practice wisdom)?
z Equity (both horizontal/absolute and vertical/proportional)
z Adequacy
z Efficiency
z Trade-offs
z Access/coverage effects
Framework for Policy Analysis
{ Policy Elements (in each, examine range of
alternatives, social values that support,
theories/assumptions implicit)
z Mission, goals, objectives
z Forms of benefits/services
z Entitlement rules (basis for allocation)
z Structure/strategy for delivery
z Financing (public vs. private, also level)
z Interaction among elements
{ Evaluation Criteria
z Fit of policy element to social problem
z Consequences for adequacy, efficiency, equity
z Criteria uniquely useful to one element
Policy Goals
{ “Statement of the desired human
condition or social environment
expected to result from
implementation of the policy” (Chapin,
2007 p. 135, emphasis added)
{ Both stated/manifest and
implicit/latent
{ Both short-term and long-term
{ How do you find them?
{ How to incorporate clients’
perspectives?
Benefits and Services
{ Types of benefits
z Personal social services
z Hard benefits (cash, goods)
z Positive discrimination/status
z Credits/vouchers
z Subsidies
z Loan guarantees
z Protective regulations
z Supervision of deviance
z Power over decisions/access
{ Adequacy, equity, stigma, target efficiency,
trade-offs, substitutability
{ Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
Eligibility Rules
{ Types
z Prior contributions
z Administrative rule
z Private contracts
z Relationship to eligible person
z Professional discretion
z Administrative discretion
z Judicial decision
z Means testing
{ Type of resource counted
{ Concept underlying idea of need
{ Beneficiary unit
z Attachment to the workforce
{ Residual vs. institutional
{ Rational?
{ Avoids excessive social control/stigmatization?
Service Delivery Systems
{ Subtypes
z Centralization
z Federation
z Case management
z Staffing with indigenous workers
z Referral agency
z Client-controlled
z Privatization
{ Utilizes existing resources?
{ Cost-efficient?
{ Integrated?
{ Empowering/offers choice?
{ Strong accountability?
{ Easy to navigate?
Financing
{ Sources of funding—influences stability,
interference, adequacy, equity, public
perception
z General revenue (state, federal, local)
z Special revenue funds
z Employee benefits
z Tax expenditure
z Social insurance/prior contributions
z Voluntary contributions
z Fees for service
{ Amount
{ Means of funding
Barusch’s Questions for Policy Analysis
from a Social Justice Perspective
{ What are the costs and/or benefits under
consideration?
{ Who bears the cost, who receives the
benefits, and what is the relationship
between these two entities?
{ Is anyone who is affected by this policy
being labeled ‘other’, and does everyone
affected by this policy have an equal voice?
{ What are the rules, both formal and
informal, that govern who receives and who
pays?
{ Is this policy fair?
Sections of Analysis
Framework
{ Historical background of policy
z How handled previously, original understanding of
problem, past support/opposition
{ Description of problem that necessitated policy
z Nature, scope, magnitude, population affected,
causes
{ Description of policy
z Opportunities expected to provide, eligibility,
implementation, goals/outcomes, administration,
funding mechanism, evaluation, theory underlying
{ Policy analysis
z Political/economic/administrative feasibility, policy
goals, effectiveness/efficiency
Crafting Policy Alternatives
{ Good policy solutions are:
z Reasonable Cost (cost-effectiveness)
z Stable (successes maintained despite social change)
z Reliable (consistently effective, transferable)
z Invulnerable (works even if part fails)
z Flexible (serves multiple purposes)
z Low-risk (likely to succeed)
z Communicable
z Reversible (can be undone)
z Acceptable (context can be softened to facilitate)
{ This includes political calculations
z Residually valuable (benefit gained from proposing)
z Meritorious (has face validity)
International Comparative
Policy Analysis
{ National variables (need similar variables and
measures to allow comparison)
z Culture
z Political structure
z Economic system (capitalist, socialist)
z Population characteristics (demographics)
{ Factors influencing policy development in a
country
z Interest groups, political pressures
z Needs
z Resources (can they finance social welfare?)
z Goals (general direction regarding objective)
z Means (delivery system)
z Outcomes (social indicators provide macro-level
information about output of a social welfare system)
Class Discussion Questions
{ Where is vertical equity more
appropriate than horizontal?
{ What are the advantages of the value
critical vs. value committed approach
to policy analysis? Vice versa?
{ Is social control a legitimate social
policy goal? When and why?
{ What social welfare benefits do you
receive? Have you thought of them
that way?
More Questions
{ What are the relative merits of cash
vs. in-kind benefits? As a social
work administrator, what would
influence your choices?
{ Do the costs of means-testing
outweigh the benefits in targeting?
What about the increased stigma?
{ Why is it important for social work
administrators today to have a
framework for international
comparative policy analysis?
More Questions
{ Have you experienced social
programs run by indigenous workers?
What advantages and challenges do
you see?
{ Privatization is most appropriately
understood as a continuum. What
challenges and strengths do you see
for service delivery along that
continuum?
{ What are the costs of ‘unfunded’
policies? How do we calculate these?
Final Questions!
{ Using the policy analysis framework, how do
you understand the differences between child
welfare, anti-poverty, and children/family
policies in the countries studied?
{ What cautions are there in attempting to
apply these lessons?
{ How does the U.S. compare on values of
equity, adequacy, and efficiency?
{ How do differences in the understandings of
social indicators influence these comparisons?
Tasks for Policy Practice
{ Social problem and policy analysis
are only parts of policy practice
{ Also must include:
z Agenda-setting and softening the
context
z Proposal preparation and
communication (developing specific
solutions)
z Policy enactment (legislative and/or
agency advocacy) and implementation
