Policy formulation

This chapter addresses the stages, actors and issues which are relevant to the formulation of national FLW policies As the chapter observes, national policy development can be regarded as a cyclical process commencing with the identification of policy issues through diagnosis and analysis, identifying policy options and policy tools, identifying consultation needs, managing government coordination, deciding whether to proceed, implementation and concluding with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy. It is understood that policy-makers can enter the cycle at any stage and leap phases where appropriate. Inevitably, the way in which a problem is defined will affect the policy solutions put forward to address the problem. These policy development phases, can relate to the formulation of government policy in any field, but in this chapter are related to the issue of FLW minimization with sustainable development objectives and with a food security perspective. The chapter does not discuss the parliamentary process, as this will differ between countries.