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Strategy Development > Policy & Delivery Design

Phase

Tasks

Output

The final phase of the project is concerned with designing policies that will deliver the chosen strategic direction, and planning for their implementation.

It will involve:

• developing alternative policy options and identifying appropriate policy instruments
• narrowing down the number of options under consideration by appraising them against a broad set of criteria
• progressively detailing the remaining options
• using the appraisal criteria to select the preferred option(s)
• planning the roll out of the policies.

It can be helpful to adopt a creative as well as a structured approach to generating policy options, which should consider the full range of ways in which government might intervene. As each option is developed, increasing consideration should be given to designing not only the policy itself, but also the system for delivering it.

As in the last phase, involving stakeholders - particularly those responsible for implementation - in developing policy options and planning their roll out, is central to the success of this phase and indeed to the success of the entire project.

The detail of the final policy proposal and the plan for its roll out should be documented in a final report and implementation plan. Agreement and commitment to this plan will mark the conclusion of the strategy development process.

If due attention has been given to all key stakeholders, the outcome of this phase and of the entire project should be a shared recognition for the need for change, a common vision for the nature of change and clear ownership of the delivery of change.

Skills relevant to this phase include:

> appraising options

> planning delivery

> managing people and the project

> managing stakeholders and communications

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