The Role of Consumer Information in Public Policy - Essay Example

The Role of Consumer Information in Public Policy Public Policy In every society, governments enact laws and make policies as wellas distributing resources. Public policy can therefore be defined as the system of laws, regulatory measures and funding priorities regarding a given topic promulgated by the government as well as its representatives (Hupe, 2008). Government regulations enable them deal with problems of market failure. Individuals as well as community groups, regularly shape public policies by means of education, advocacy and mobilization. Shaping public policy is different in western democracies compared to other forms of government. The major aspect of public policy is law, which include specific legislation and clear provisions of constitutional and international law. Consumer Policy Consumer policy also referred to as consumer information standards (CIS) regulations are created to provide the purchaser with information about commodities and services that they cannot readily determine on their own. The information is used by the consumer to make more informed purchase decisions. In mandating the disclosure of the required consumer information, the regulations may announce that one or more official values, or part of the official standards to be consumer information values. The regulation-making authorities facilitate the declared standards to vary as seen necessary. Competition Policy Competition policy plays a key role in modern regulatory policies. Competition policy is a government course of action that promotes competition in any part of the economy (Phlips. 1995). The objectives of competition policies are to guarantee the proficient and fair operation of markets of markets in order to capitalize on total economic welfare. Market based system is the optimal way for the society wealth to be allocated between competing users. Hence, greater competition will guarantee better efficiency as well as improving the levels of total economic welfare. Therefore, competition policies are inherently deregulator. They generally promote the removal of excessive government regulations in order to ensure that the markets can operate freely without government interference. Competition policies put a business under constant pressure to offer the best possible assortment of goods at the best price; this is because if they do not, consumers have the choice to buy the same merchandise from a different merchant. In a free business market, a business entity should be competitive with the consumers as the beneficiaries. At times companies try to limit competition for their own benefit so as to preserve a well-functioning product market. Therefore, commissions must do all they can to prevent and correct anti-competitive behavior. Environmental Policy Environmental policies agree acknowledged statements of the organization stand towards the environment in which the business entity operates. The policies are a cornerstone of the company’s intent to lessen its carbon track, improve recycling also reduce its reliance on casing, waste reduction, and efficiencies on limited natural resources in all the company’s operations. All such environmental commitments should be an important part of the daily operations, should clearly communicated to the organizations employees and form part of applications for certification or registration. The environmental policy act provides a way to recognize environmental impacts that may result from governmental decisions. These decisions may be associated to issuing government permits for private projects and constructing public facilities or adopting regulations, policies or plans. How is Information Policy Presented Openness is the heart of today’s modern system of government. Hence, it is necessary for a healthy democracy that allows the members of the public an opportunity to contribute to policy improvement and decision-making, there are public scrutiny and accountability of the government. Public access to information in the control of government agencies helps to make this possible. There are some circumstances where overriding public concern in maintaining the confidentiality of certain information held by the government. This being so, governments are required to thump a balance between the public’s interests in being able to access information as well as the public’s interests in ensuring the effectiveness and proper conduct of the government and its institutions. Disclosing information wrongly is against the public’s interest for a number of reasons. It can damage security and reputation and in some cases, it puts the lives of the officials and others at risk. Inappropriate disclosure of information can also damage the trust between the government and its public service advisors. This may result in the unwillingness of the government to seek the advice of the public service. Agencies should employ the public, and its stakeholders to guarantee the policies are well informed and their policies be administered effectively. Policy Objectives: The purpose of policies is to make certain that communication across the government and the representatives are well coordinated successfully and responsive to the various information needs of the society. Policy objectives present an all-inclusive picture of what the government plans to achieve in relation to different policy areas. The following elements will discuss various policy areas Policy objectives- They set out the general results that are to be met by the relevant policies. Key result areas- They describe the key components to delivering the entire policy objectives and the progress made. Indicators- They stipulates how the government assesses performance in order to achieve results in key areas. Initiative- they explain the key measures to deliver results in the relevant result areas. It is the government’s responsibility to; Provide the public with accurate, clear objectives- The government has a responsibility to explain its policies and decisions as well as informing the public of the plans for the country. It will ensure that institutions of the government are visible and accessible and accountable to the public- To be accountable the government and its institutions must be noticeable wherever they are present. This allows the public to see the governments work to access its services as well as, asses its activities. Utilizing of an assortment of ways to communicate and provide information in numerous formats- It is important for information to be easily accessible throughout the world. Hence, the needs of all the citizens from physical abilities, language skills should be recognized and accommodated. Information should be accessible to citizens in order to be liable members of the public and also understand, respond in order to influence the implementation of policies. Consult the public and take account of the people’s interests and concerns when developing policies - The government’s obligation is to communicate with its citizens in order to address and heard by the government. When it comes to democracy, listening, researching and evaluating the needs of the public is of vital importance to the government. Informational Needs of Consumers Information seeking sources refer to the concept of having information needs met, which state where an individual’s needs trigger the search behavior characteristics of information seeking. While such terms have developed from everyday use, their use in design research is questioned just like any other research. The need for information goes back to the definition from Taylors(1962) which discusses “The Process of asking questions’’ which describes four types: The actual, unexpressed need for information The conscious, within-brain description of the need Formal statements of the question The issues as offered to the information system Taylor’s points are of great importance because they have been applied for the past 50 years and have become more valid over the years; this is due to their referrals in current research. Consider how consumer information services are based when it comes to health services and the basis of information knowing. Information needs cannot be simple constructs and hence, they remain to be continuously researched. Healthcare professionals have interests in seeking information about patients since such information reveals patterns of interest. Information as well as service designers, does well to realize the difference in the information form presented to patients and care professionals. Hence, the process involved in health seeking information designs perspectives having increasingly shifted information from professionals to the libraries to the web where thousands of health oriented data that have been available since. When it comes to healthcare, professionals undergo various steps to get the correct information, which include; i. Understanding what is wrong ii. Gaining a realistic idea of prognosis iii. Make the most of consultation iv. Understand the process and outcomes of possible tests and treatments v. Offer help in self-care vi. Learn about available sources of help vii. Provide assurance and help to get by viii. Help others identify with ix. Legitimize seeking help and concerns x. Learn how to avert further illness xi. Identify further information and help groups xii. Identify the best health-care How Consumer Information can be Effective in Empowering Consumers Consumer policies can help the society by changing their lifestyles as well as reducing individual constraints and limitations. They attempt to loosen some of the external constraints that make changes towards a sustainable lifestyle. The two approaches are equivalent. Policies that amplify a feeling of empowerment may have positive effects on the purchaser motivation to make an effort thus, amplifying its effects. Motivational psychology suggests that the empowerment at the individual level can be attained through the stipulation of potential for acquiring a sense of capability and independence. Education and information regarding sustainability in relation to ones current lifestyle and behavior changes are crucial and when mastered offer the individual some sense of freedom in relation to choice. References Bergmann, K. (2002). Dealing with consumer uncertainty: Springer: New Jersey. Hupe, P. (2008). Implementing Public Policy: SAGE: London. Phlips, L. (1995). Competition Policy: A Game-Theoretic Perspective. SAGE: London . Read More