He notes that policies arise from a web of decisions and actions rather than a single decision, that decision without action does not make a policy, and that non-decision making and inaction are often important in policy genesis. It is therefore unsurprising that policy formulation is rarely a simple rational deductive process in which a series of sequential steps are taken to attain a given objective. Much more often policy formulation is incremental, consisting of no more than marginal adjustments to existing policies and structures. These adjustments are limited to what is deemed possible on the basis of value judgements and careful negotiations with interested parties. Sometimes both rational-deductive and incremental elements can be identified in policy making. Health Impact Assessment can contribute to both rational-deductive and incremental approaches.