Choose a public policy in Hong Kong Essays

Choose a public policy in Hong Kong Essays Choose a public policy in Hong Kong Essay Choose a public policy in Hong Kong Essay Incremental decision making model has contributed much to our understanding of how policies are made and implemented. The purpose of this paper is to address the decision making model applied in Hong Kong by illustrating the environmental policies that have been made in the last two decades. Environmental policy was chosen in this paper because it has again become a popular point of discussion in Hong Kong due to the massive concern by the Chief Executive in his policy address. Besides, there are few controversial issues in recent years that aroused public concern and discussion too, such as the building of Disneyland, the development of Sha Lo Tung and the Western Railway Project by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC). This essay mainly comprised of three parts. First, I will mention the main features and characteristics of the incremental decision making model. Secondly, I will briefly discuss the environmental policies in Hong Kong in the last two decades, especially the Ordinances imposed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). Finally, I will analyze how the environmental policies have been made in the period and if they can be explained by the incremental decision making model. The main argument of this paper is that the incremental model is the most appropriate one in explaining the Hong Kong government in making environmental policies. Incrementalism Levine (1990, p. 82) suggests, incrementalism is the prevailing mode of describing and explaining decision-making in some government. Their public decision making seems as muddling through rather than as a comprehensive search for the best policy possible. So incrementalism basically refers to the decision makers take what they are currently doing as given, and make small, incremental, marginal adjustments in their current behaviors. Lindblom (Levine, 1990, p. 83) argued that public decisions are best made in small steps, as Human intelligence and decision making capacity are limited; the world and its policy problems are complex. Collins (1995, p. 79) added, instead of specifying objectives and specifying what policies would fulfill these objectives, the decision maker reaches decisions by comparing specific policies and the extent to which these policies will help in achieving the aims. The alternative strategy of small steps away from the status quo is called disjointed incrementalism, which involves examining policies which differ slightly from each other. There is a general consensus that disjointed incrementalism is a good description of how decisions are actually made in organisations. Incrementalism is a good description of how policies are actually made and a good example of how policies should be made. In fact, the central features of incrementalism can be outlined in four points. First, there is limited number of alternatives are considered, only marginally different from the status quo and from each other. Second, policy problems can never be solved once and for all, but through a series of trial-and-error modifications. Third, it is characterized by consensual which all policy makers agree upon after negotiation and compromise. Fourth, most policies are remedial in nature. Policy makers are reactive in only responding to problems already occurred, not to pursue any desirable societal value. In short, incremental policy-making is a process of mutual adjustment among a multiplicity of actors having different self-interests and divergent conceptions of the public interest (Hayes 1992, 13). According to the model, decision-making produces policies that depart ever so slightly from previous ones (Lindblom 1979, 517). Hence, this type of decision-making is incremental in nature. Therefore, it can be predicted that better policy will be resulted if decision makers launch only small departures from existing policies, assess how well those small departures work, and then make any additional adjustments that are necessary or desirable. According to Levine (1990, p. 83), decision making is by successive limited comparisons rather than by large leaps into the unknown and perhaps unknowable. The approach helps to avoid major expensive errors and permits erroneous decisions to be revised. Moreover, Levine (1990, p. 83) further suggested that incremental decisions aimed to minimize costs rather than maximize benefits. If a policy problem is difficult to understand and policy makers lack any firm knowledge about the root causes of it, searching for perfect policy (rational approach) seems to be illogical and impossible. Background of the Environmental Policy in Hong Kong Pollution has been concerned very much by the government in recent decades and it has been commonly regarded as the major environmental problem in Hong Kong. Therefore, several Ordinances that have been imposed in order to tackle the problem. However, these Ordinances are mainly focus on four types of pollution: water pollution, noise pollution, air pollution and waste pollution. (i) Water Pollution Control Ordinance All discharges, other than domestic sewage to a foul sewer or unpolluted water to a storm drain, must be covered by an effluent discharge licence. The licence specifies the permitted physical, chemical and microbial quality of the effluent and the general guidelines are that the effluent does not damage sewers or pollute inland or inshore marine waters (EPD, 2003). (ii) Noise Pollution Control Ordinance Neighbourhood noise and noise from construction, industrial and commercial activities are controlled by the Noise Control Ordinance. Neighbourhood noise in the context of providing quick relief to the public is generally controlled by the police (EPD, 2003). (iii) Air Pollution Control Ordinance Air pollution was already a concern in the early 1970s when the Government began monitoring sulphur dioxide levels. In the light of this, Air Pollution Control (Fuel Restriction) Regulation introduced in 1990. This monitoring, which has expanded over the years to cover seven major pollutants and provide daily information and forecasts, provided evidence of a worsening problem (EPD, 2003). (iv) Waste Control Ordinance It regulates the dumping of waste in public places or on Government land, or on private premises without the consent of the owner or occupier. Apart from this general provision, there are Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) General Regulations; Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations; and Import and Export of Waste Control (EPD, 2003). Environmental Policy-making since 1980s Nowadays, the pollution problem still exist in Hong Kong, though the government has put extensive attention and resources it. Since 1980s, nevertheless, the major sources of pollution in Hong Kong are not only from households or factories, but also attributed to the developments and construction projects carried out by both the private developers and government itself. In fact, environmental degradation is not just an incidental and unwanted result of some minor deficiencies in the economic process. Rather, its roots may go as deep as the decision-making mechanisms at work within the economic process and the social and political forces that operates on it. Undoubtedly, some development proposals and projects could bring significant benefits to the Hong Kong community. However, they also have the potential to cause environmental damage unless they adopt environmentally sound design and implementation practice. Instead of looking for a perfect policy or full solution to the environmental problems, the Hong Kong government may alleviate the problem on a step-by-step basis by using the following two means.