behaviors that caused road accident

behaviors that caused road accidents and produced deaths and injuries, Although it sounds reasonable to define a problem first before committing resources, in the road rage case, the administrator of the NHTSA said that "we would rather not debate the definition because we have a huge problem staring us in the face and we should focus on solutions" (Davis and Smith 1998, 223). Here is almost a textbook case of how not to proceed with policy formulation, Using appropriate problem-definition techniques that demand empirical evidence could eliminate over broad classification of existing problems and prevent hyping of non problems. In this chapter we will cover some of the basic problem-structuring techniques. This will all w us to clarify terms and narrow definitional differences before proceeding to the analytic phase. It should be noted that beyond methods and techniques, the failure to rigor­ ously define policy problems is related to three more basic causes.

First, analysts themselves can impede problem analysis by unconsciously imposing definitions that lead them astray. Conceptual straight jackets are often self-imposed A classic example of this is the "nine-dot problem,"which allows the linear imagination to fall into a trap. Suppose a transportation department must link nine cities with only four highways,and because of technical and budgetary reasons, all roads must be straight. No retracing is allowed If the analyst attempts to solve the problem by trying to stay within its implied boundaries (the implied border formed by nine dots arranged in a square with three rows, as shown in figure 2.1), it cannot be done. A familiar path followed by inveterate number crunchers is to do a quantitative estimate of the distance between the points to demonstrate that the problem is insoluble (Dunn 2008,94). A recommendation that more roads and funding are needed would then be based on a false formulation of the problem-or solving the wrong problem. The creative solution lies in ignoring the implied boundary of the problem and connecting the dots by going beyond the implied boundaries of the three rows, as indicated in figure 2.1. The point is that the analyst often lacks the critical perspective needed to move beyond a traditional definition if the problem. This may account for the many insoluble problems desCribed by expert analysts in fields ranging from domestic health care to foreign policy.

Second, institutional values and organizational culture may converge in procedures that contribute to the misdefinition of a problem. Given the strength of bureaucratic institutions, this convergence often creates enormous momentum in the wrong direction, which can take years to reverse through legal and budgetary change. For instance, organizations often use decision­ making models based on top-down financial control, which tend to screen out or discourage reporting of needed information by subordinates. This can lead