Decision Making(Donald F. Kettl, 2012, The Politics of Administrative Process,

5th Edition, SAGE: London) p317-356

Yogi Suwarno

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

Basic Problems

• Information– Common knowledge, instinct and bias can drive the most complex of

decisions, but public administrators are hired for their bias but for their expertise

– Dilemma of good information i.e. (1) difficulties to uncover and channel useful information to relevant decision-makers and (2) knowledge brings power

– Neutral competence vs political accountability• Values

– Decision making is inherently subjective– It includes questions, weighs preferences, value-laden process– The need of political support from either formal institutions (top

level of executive, congress etc.) or public

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

Approaches

• Rational Approach• Bargaining Approach• Participative decision making Approach• Public choice Approach

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

#1 Rational decision making

• Efficiency is the highest value• Goals of any activity is to get the biggest

return for any investment, to get the most bang for the buck

• Rests on system theory: input-process-output• Basic steps (define goals, identify alternatives,

calculate consequences, decide, and begin again)

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

#2 Bargaining

• Different view of rationality• Decision making involves conflict, negotiation,

persuasion and individuals• Incrementalism (Lindblom), to conduct limited

analysis and to bargain over decision to attract political support

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

Graham Allison on the Cuban Missile crisis

• Model IDecision making guided by national position and interests

• Model IIOrganisational processes, simply an SOP of bureaucracies on both sides

• Model IIIBureaucratic politics perspective, decision as a resultant of various bargaining games among players in the national government

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

#3 Participative Decision Making

• Calls at the most general level of participation by those who will be affected by the decision

• Those who entitled to participate– The employees of the organisation making the decision– The persons whom organisation serves or regulates (the

clientele)– The taxpayer whose pocketbooks the decision will affect– The whole public or the voting public of the country

• NIMBY phenomenon

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

Public Choice

• Public choice theory argues that public officials are self-interested, which leads them to avoid risk and to promote their careers, by enlarging their programmes and increasing their budget

• Privatisation, public functions to be contracted out to the private sector

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

Approaches to Decision MakingApproach Information Values

Rational Collect comprehensive information to maximize rationality

Assumed

Bargaining Limited Struggled over

Participative Acquired through those affected by decision

Focus on clients’ values

Public choice Use self-policing forces of the market

Use self-interest of players

Yogi Suwarno

University of Birmingham

Problems and Limitations

• Each approach is single-mindedly focused, not adequate for complex reality of the political world

• Each approach has its own virtues and idiosyncratic problems

• Shared limitations:– Uncertainty, due to complexity of environment– Information pathologies, with regard to bureaucracy

structure– Crisis, upsetting the normal decision making and

increase the difficulty of many potential strategies

Thank You