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Strategy Skills > Appraising Options

Tools & Approaches

It is unlikely that there will ever be one 'correct' response to a public policy issue or problem. Different stakeholders, and even different members of the team, may hold differing views on the most appropriate strategy and policies for addressing it.

Taking a strategic approach to solution generation means resisting the pressure to jump directly to a solution, and instead taking the time to consider the alternatives and use a rational and reasoned process for selecting the most suitable, feasible, and acceptable option.

Taking such an open-minded approach will not only serve to incorporate divergent viewpoints in the process, but also open the possibility of forging hybrid solutions.

The three criteria of suitability, feasibility and acceptability should underpin the iterative process of generating, detailing and appraising options. At the outset they may be applied informally to guide and shape the thinking, but as options are worked up and the final selection approaches more structured and rigorous appraisal methods are needed.

Multi-criteria analysis provides a structured process for determining the criteria by which the options will be assessed and the relative importance of the each of the criteria. This then enables a single preferred option to be identified.

Alternatively, cost-benefit & cost-effectiveness analysis can be used to determine the net cost or benefit of each option using a single metric. All options with a net benefit are worth doing - the one with the greatest net benefit is the most worth doing.

Underlying the appraisal of options should be an evaluation of the rationale for government intervention.

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