A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving

Just when you thought a great book couldn’t get any better, Eugene Bardach improves his "gem" of a handbook. Presenting dozens of concrete tips, interesting case studies, and step-by-step strategies for the budding analyst as well as the seasoned professional, Bardach’s eightfold approach encapsulates more than 20 years of teaching and guiding students towards effective, accurate, and persuasive policy analysis.

Some of the enhancements to this edition?

• A separate appendix that provides sample questions for policy analysts to ask about public and nonprofit institutions in order to aid their analysis and implementation.
• New attention to troubleshooting problems―how to avoid linguistic pitfalls, confusing "alternatives" and "criteria," and projecting outcomes that lead to design problems.
• Expanded coverage of cost-effectiveness analysis (including a new excerpt from a RAND Corporation report).
• Explanation of evidence and justification, as well as additional semantic tips in the appendices

Readers will also find a sample document of real world policy analysis, a primer in how to "talk the talk" of policy analysis, and a cheat sheet of strategies for solving a host of policy problems.