17. Teaching Public Policy in Kenya: Approaches and Current Issues

This chapter provides an overview of the theoretical perspectives that highlight the cyclical nature of the policy process and thus constitute the mainstay of curricula in universities, colleges, and administrative training institutions. Although the material is inevitably a simplification that leaves out details that may appear significant to the policy practitioner, it is the standard way of making sense of this complex and intertwined process. Thus, in line with other literature on the subject, this chapter discusses how the cycle begins with problem identification and definition before the issue becomes subject to formulation into policy, decided upon in an authoritative context and manner, implemented, and finally reviewed and evaluated. The chapter also looks more specifically at the Kenyan situation to identify the issues that arise in teaching the subject. It points to the lack of teaching material, the difficulty of accessing public information, and the value of bringing academics and policy practitioners together to generate relevant teaching material and spur innovations in the public service.