CSS Public Administration Public Policy, Planning and Financial Management Syllabus

Public Policy, Planning and Financial Management syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Public Policy, Planning and Financial Management in CSS Public Administration, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Public Policy Planning, Implementation and Evaluation

   3 topics

   • Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis
   • Policy Implementation and Program Evaluation
   • Planning Machinery in Pakistan
2. 2

   Budgeting and Financial Management

   3 topics

   • Functions and Principles of Budgeting
   • Budgeting Approaches
   • Pakistan's Budgeting Framework
3. 3

   Managing Human Resources

   3 topics

   • Merit and Employment Systems
   • From Personnel Administration to HRM
   • HRM Challenges in the Public Sector of Pakistan

Public Policy, Planning and Financial Management flashcards for CSS Public Administration

25 of 50 cards from the Public Policy, Planning and Financial Management deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is strategic planning in the context of public policy?

   A systematic, long-term process by which an organization defines its mission, vision, goals, and the strategies/resources needed to achieve them, while scanning the internal and external environment (e.g., via SWOT analysis).

2. Define policy analysis.

   The systematic evaluation of alternative policy options using techniques such as cost-benefit analysis to determine which alternative best achieves a set of goals; it informs decision-making before and after a policy is adopted.

3. List the main stages of the public policy cycle (policy process).

   Agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption/legitimation, policy implementation, and policy evaluation.

4. What are the four components of a SWOT analysis used in strategic planning?

   Strengths and Weaknesses (internal factors) and Opportunities and Threats (external factors).

5. In policy analysis, what does cost-benefit analysis (CBA) measure?

   It compares the total expected monetary costs of a policy option against its total expected monetary benefits to judge economic efficiency; a policy is justified when benefits exceed costs (benefit-cost ratio > 1).

6. Distinguish 'rational-comprehensive' from 'incremental' models of decision-making.

   The rational-comprehensive model assumes full information and evaluation of all alternatives to maximize goals; the incremental model (Lindblom's 'muddling through') makes small, marginal changes from existing policy due to limited information and time.

7. What is Lindblom's concept of 'muddling through'?

   Disjointed incrementalism: the view that policymakers make limited, successive comparisons and small marginal adjustments to existing policies rather than fully rational, comprehensive choices.

8. What is the difference between policy outputs and policy outcomes?

   Outputs are the goods/services/activities actually delivered by a program (e.g., schools built); outcomes are the resulting changes or impacts on the target population (e.g., higher literacy).

9. Define policy implementation.

   The stage of the policy process in which adopted policies are translated into action through programs, administrative structures, resources, and rules to achieve intended objectives.

10. What is the 'top-down' approach to policy implementation?

    It views implementation as a hierarchical, centrally controlled process that flows from authoritative policy decisions downward, emphasizing clear objectives, control, and compliance by lower-level actors.

11. What is the 'bottom-up' approach to policy implementation?

    It emphasizes the discretion and behavior of street-level bureaucrats and local actors who actually deliver policy, arguing that effective implementation depends on their adaptation and cooperation.

12. Who coined the term 'street-level bureaucrats' and what does it mean?

    Michael Lipsky; it refers to frontline public employees (e.g., teachers, police, social workers) who exercise significant discretion and directly interact with citizens, effectively shaping policy in practice.

13. Name common causes of policy implementation failure (implementation gap).

    Vague/conflicting objectives, inadequate resources, poor communication, lack of inter-agency coordination, resistance from implementers, and weak monitoring or political support.

14. Define program evaluation.

    The systematic assessment of a program's design, implementation, and results to determine its effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and impact, in order to improve programs or inform decisions.

15. Differentiate formative and summative evaluation.

    Formative evaluation is conducted during program development/implementation to improve it; summative evaluation is conducted after completion to judge its overall effectiveness, value, or impact.

16. What is the difference between process (or monitoring) evaluation and impact (outcome) evaluation?

    Process evaluation assesses how a program is being delivered (activities, outputs, fidelity); impact evaluation measures the net effects and outcomes attributable to the program.

17. What are the five OECD/DAC criteria commonly used to evaluate programs?

    Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, and Sustainability.

18. Define 'effectiveness' versus 'efficiency' in program evaluation.

    Effectiveness is the extent to which objectives/outcomes are achieved; efficiency is the relationship between outputs/outcomes achieved and the resources (inputs) used to achieve them.

19. What is the logical framework (logframe) chain in program design?

    Inputs → Activities → Outputs → Outcomes → Impact, linking resources to results with assumptions and indicators at each level.

20. Which body is the principal planning agency at the federal level in Pakistan?

    The Planning Commission of Pakistan (under the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives).

21. When and why was Pakistan's Planning Commission established?

    It evolved from the Planning Board set up in 1953 and was reconstituted as the Planning Commission in 1958 to formulate national development plans and coordinate economic planning.

22. What is the National Economic Council (NEC) in Pakistan's planning machinery?

    The apex constitutional body (under Article 156) that reviews the overall economic condition of the country and approves national development plans and the Annual Plan; headed by the Prime Minister.

23. What is the role of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC)?

    ECNEC approves development projects above a financial threshold, sanctions schemes within the framework of national plans, and oversees implementation of economic policies.

24. What is the Central Development Working Party (CDWP)?

    A forum chaired by the Deputy Chairman/Secretary of the Planning Commission that scrutinizes and approves development projects up to a set cost limit and recommends larger projects to ECNEC.

25. What is the PSDP in Pakistan?

    The Public Sector Development Programme - the federal government's annual portfolio of development projects and their allocations, prepared by the Planning Commission as part of the budget.

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