Reducing Delivery by Program Recycling: An Analysis of the Poverty Reduction Strategy in Ontario, Canada
Keywords:
Policy analysis, poverty reduction, policy and program recyclingAbstract
The literatures on policy development and the agenda-setting power of governments often point to governments’ ability to strategically use in-place programming to supplement existing policy, although this type of policy or program recycling is rarely discussed as a standalone type of strategic policy development. Yet, governments often credit-claim based on the appearance of a robust set of programming that is, in fact, a cobbled together pastiche of new initiatives and existing programming – often emphasizing its novelty, but relying on existing programs and budget measures to deliver. The benefit to governments is obvious: policymakers are able to appear innovative and committed to solving a policy problem while keeping budget costs down. In this article, we present this phenomenon – “policy and program recycling” – as a unique way in which governments develop policy while foregoing new programming or resources. In doing so, we set out several concrete indicators that empirically identify cases of policy and program recycling across policy sub-fields, suggesting both its costs and benefits and discussing how this behaviour can affect citizens’ use of programs. Our theoretical argument is empirically supported through a study of the Poverty Reduction Strategy in Ontario, Canada – an example of program recycling that impacts Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens.
Résumé
La littérature au sujet de l’élaboration des politiques et du pouvoir d’influence des gouvernements souligne souvent la manière stratégique dont les gouvernements utilisent des programmes déjà établis pour compléter les politiques existantes. Cela dit, ce genre de politique ou de recyclage des programmes est rarement mentionné comme une stratégie distincte d’élaboration des politiques. Pourtant, les demandes de crédit des gouvernements sont fondées sur un ensemble de planification, en apparence solide, qui est en fait un pastiche enchevêtré de nouvelles initiatives et de programmes existants. Bien qu’on souligne son caractère novateur, sa réalisation dépend des programmes et des mesures budgétaires existantes. Évidemment, cela bénéficie aux gouvernements, car les responsables politiques paraissent novateurs et déterminés à résoudre les problèmes politiques sans affecter les coûts budgétaires. Dans cet article, nous présentons le phénomène de « recyclage des politiques et des programmes » comme un concept unique par lequel les gouvernements développement des politiques tout en précédant des planifications ou des ressources nouvelles. Ce faisant, nous avons établi plusieurs indicateurs concrets qui identifient de manière empirique des cas de recyclage des politiques et des programmes dans différents sous-domaines de la politique. Nous indiquons ses coûts et ses avantages et nous discutons de la manière dont ce comportement peut affecter l’utilisation des programmes par les citoyens. Nous appuyons notre argument par les données empiriques d’une étude sur la stratégie de réduction de la pauvreté en Ontario (Canada), un exemple de recyclage de programme qui affecte les Ontariens les plus vulnérables.
Mots clés: Analyse des politiques; réduction de la pauvreté; recyclage des politiques et des programmes
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