Looking for a specific piece of public policy related jargon
June 1, 2016 10:10 PM Subscribe
The other day I heard/read a new word that struck me as really useful, and now I can't remember it. Please help! I think it was an acronym. The idea was, you've designed the best policy you can, but you know it will be executed less well than was intended, because the implementation will be carried out by real people who are flawed.
I have the impression the word is used as part of target-setting or evaluation planning, descriptively/neutrally rather than pejoratively, and by civil servants not politicians. I may have heard it on the Ezra Klein podcast, in his interview with founding CBO director Alice Rivlin, but I've re-listened 3x and if it's there I am missing it. Please help if you can!
I have the impression the word is used as part of target-setting or evaluation planning, descriptively/neutrally rather than pejoratively, and by civil servants not politicians. I may have heard it on the Ezra Klein podcast, in his interview with founding CBO director Alice Rivlin, but I've re-listened 3x and if it's there I am missing it. Please help if you can!
This reminds me a little of the concept of ALARA, used in radiation physics and health safety. It stands for "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" and refers to the target goals for radiation (or other exposure) dose levels, balancing the scientific or medical goals, economic decisions in building and implementation, practical use, and so on. There are related acronyms such as SFAIRP (So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable) and ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable).
posted by spelunkingplato at 5:03 AM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by spelunkingplato at 5:03 AM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Maybe "muddling through"? "Charles Lindblom's classic article 'The Science of Muddling Through' (1959) outlined his view that the U.S. executive bureaucracy uses limited policy analysis, bounded rationality, and limited or no theory at all in formulating policy."
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:18 AM on June 2, 2016
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:18 AM on June 2, 2016
Not an acronym but this concept seems similar to "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy"
Also not an acronym but I can see how this concept might apply to the Pareto principle (you get 80% of the benefit for 20% of the work -- if you want to idiot proof your thing, you'll do 80% of the work for that last 20% of benefit)
posted by sparklemotion at 9:33 AM on June 2, 2016
Also not an acronym but I can see how this concept might apply to the Pareto principle (you get 80% of the benefit for 20% of the work -- if you want to idiot proof your thing, you'll do 80% of the work for that last 20% of benefit)
posted by sparklemotion at 9:33 AM on June 2, 2016
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posted by hawthorne at 3:25 AM on June 2, 2016