Editing Best practice (section)

== In public policy ==
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Best practice is a form of [[program evaluation]] in public policy. It is the process of reviewing policy alternatives that have been effective in addressing similar issues in the past and could be applied to a current problem. Determining best practices to address a particular policy problem is a commonly used but little understood tool of analysis because the concept is vague and should therefore be examined with caution. Vagueness stems from the term "best" which is subjective. While some research and evidence must go into determining a practice the "best" it is more helpful to simply determine if a practice has worked exceptionally well and why. Instead of it being "the best", a practice might simply be a smart practice, a good practice, or a promising practice. This allows for a mix and match approach for making recommendations that might encompass pieces of many good practices. [[Eugene Bardach]] provides the following theoretical framework ([[Eightfold Path (policy analysis)|eightfold path]] for best practices) in his book ''[[A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving|A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis]]'', in 2011:

# Define the problem
# Assemble the evidence
# Construct the alternatives
# Select the criteria
# Project the outcomes
# Confront the trade-offs
# Decide
# Tell your story

Excessive optimism about the expected impact of untested smart practices is a common critique.  If a current practice is known to be ineffective, implementing a promising alternative after weighing the alternatives may be worth the risk.<ref name=Bardach/>

===Methodology according to Bretschneider et al.===

Bretschneider et al. offers an alternate methodology for Best Practices research in 2005. Bretschneider's approach is much more technical than Bardach's, and explores issues of completeness and comparability. He addresses the fact that fully establishing whether a practice is truly a best practice would require assessment in all contexts, while in practice, only example cases are analyzed. Bretschneider also stresses the fact that in order for something to be considered a "best practice" it must be arrived at through a comparative process between methodologies. In order for a "best practice" to be valid, it must take into account all relevant approaches, since neglecting to do so would lead to inappropriate usage of the term "best." Comparing sample practices may yield a good practice, but may also be altogether unreliable, depending on how the sample was selected.<ref name="Bretschneider, Marc-Aurele, & Wu 2014, pp. 307–323">{{cite journal |last1=Bretschneider |first1=Stuart |last2=Marc-Aurele |first2=Frederick J |last3=Wu |first3=Jiannan |title="Best Practices" Research: A Methodological Guide for the Perplexed |journal=Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory |publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) |volume=15 |issue=2 |date=2004-12-16 |issn=1053-1858 |doi=10.1093/jopart/mui017 |oclc=8092322334 |pages=307–323|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Examples===

There are many examples of the use of best/smart practice evaluations in Public Policy. The [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) produces a document called [[The Clean Energy-Environment Guide to Action]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/guide_action_full.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-09-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713125427/http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/guide_action_full.pdf |archive-date=2012-07-13 }}</ref> designed to share practices found to be successful and best by states, to determine what is most suitable for them to use in generating clean energy policies and programs.  The guide includes 16 clean energy policies and programs that offer opportunities for states to save energy, improve air quality, lower [[greenhouse gas emissions|greenhouse gas emission]] and increase economic development.

An example of a successful best practice from the guide is building codes for [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]]. This practice is to use building energy codes to set requirements that establish a minimum level of energy efficiency standards for residential and commercial buildings. [[California Energy Code]] Title 24 is one "best practice" that is highlighted in this guide.  The following points for energy code implementation is to educate and train key audiences, supply the right resources, and to provide budget and staff for the program.

Eugene Bardach has a list of smart practice candidates in his book ''A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis'', [[Eightfold Path (policy analysis)]].  One example is the tutoring program for children in grades 1-3 called Reading One-to-One.  The program from Texas includes one on one tutoring with supervision and simple structured instruction in [[phonemic awareness]]. Phonemic awareness is one highly regarded predictor of how well a child will learn to read in the first two years of school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/33830/|title=Reading 101 for English Language Learners|last=Anonymous|date=19 October 2009|website=colorincolorado.org|access-date=5 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904084006/http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/33830/|archive-date=4 September 2015}}</ref>  The program takes advantage of the fact that many children, especially [[ESL]] students, fail in reading because it is very hard for second language students to understand and pronounce sounds in English. The program is easily duplicated at a relatively low cost because of the straight forward teaching materials, systematic methods and administrative oversight.

In September 2013 at the New York State Conference for Mayors and Municipal Officials,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nycom.org/|title=New York Conference of Mayors - Home|website=www.nycom.org|access-date=5 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307193702/https://nycom.org/|archive-date=7 March 2018}}</ref> successes, ideas and information on best practices were shared among government peers. A best practice that was highlighted at the conference was how [[Salinas, California]] is rebuilding their economy by engaging technology companies with their agricultural business in order to grow jobs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/09/27/to-create-jobs-a-city-becomes-an-investor/ |title=To Create Jobs, Salinas Seeks to Tap into the Ag-Tech Boom &#124; News Fix &#124; KQED Public Media for Northern CA |access-date=2013-09-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002160837/http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/09/27/to-create-jobs-a-city-becomes-an-investor/ |archive-date=2013-10-02 }}</ref>  Salinas is taking advantage of an idle opportunity.  The area already has abundant lettuce fields and now the city is marketing itself as a lab for agricultural technology.  This public/private partnership includes a new nonprofit called the Steinbeck Innovation Foundation to increase investment in new technologies to help the area's agricultural industry.