Abstract:
A successful policy has three characteristics. It promises to produce net public value. It is operationally feasible—that is, the resources (financial, legal, technical, personnel, managerial) necessary to bring it about are available or realistically obtainable. And it is politically feasible, which means that the stakeholders whose support is required endorse its purposes and believe in its operational feasibility. "Strategic alignment" is a simple conceptual framework to reinforce the notion of aligning value, support, and operational feasibility when designing policy. Achieving strategic alignment typically requires a broad portfolio of analytical tools and concepts.