Editing Policy analysis (section)

===Policy process===
[[File:Policycycle.png|thumb|281x281px|Example of a policy cycle, used in the PROCSEE Approach<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://procsee.eu/ |title=PROCSEE – Strengthening Professional Higher Education and VET in Central & South Eastern Europe |access-date=19 April 2019}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2023|reason=This is not a link to a specific online article, but a link to the existence of an organizational website at all, which is not a source.}}</ref>]]
The policy process approach puts its focal point onto political processes and involved [[stakeholder analysis|stakeholders]]; its scope is the broader meso-scale and it interprets problems using a political lens (i.e., the interests and goals of elected officials). It aims at determining what processes, means and policy instruments (e.g., [[regulation]], [[legislation]], [[subsidy]]) are used. As well, it tries to explain the role and influence of stakeholders within the policy process.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hult |first=F. M. |date=2015 |contribution=Making policy connections across scales using nexus analysis |editor1-first=F. M. |editor1-last=Hult |editor2-first=D. C. |editor2-last=Johnson |title=Research Methods in Language Policy and Planning: A Practical Guide |pages=217–231 |location=Malden, Massachusetts |publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]]}}</ref> ''Stakeholders'' is defined broadly to include citizens, community groups, non-governmental organizations, businesses and even opposing political parties. By changing the relative power and influence of certain groups (e.g., enhancing public participation and consultation), solutions to problems may be identified that have more "buy in" from a wider group. One way of doing this follows a [[heuristic]] model called the ''[[Policy#Policy cycle|policy cycle]]''. In its simplest form, the policy cycle, which is often depicted visually as a loop or circle, starts with the identification of the problem, proceeds to an examination of the different policy tools that could be used to respond to that problem, then goes on to the implementation stage, in which one or more policies are put into practice (e.g., a new regulation or subsidy is set in place), and then finally, once the policy has been implemented and run for a certain period, the policy is evaluated. A number of different viewpoints can be used during evaluation, including looking at a policy's effectiveness, [[cost-effectiveness]], value for money, outcomes or outputs.