International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

"A set of principles laid out for the purpose of regulating simultaneously and in a viable mode a multitude of interacting relationships pertaining to many qualities and dimensions of human life" (E. JANTSCH, 1975, p.6).

This definition by JANTSCH puts in a crude light the shortcomings of what is generally meant by "policy" (and politics!). As to JANTSCH "viable mode", let us observe that defining this is not easy and implies a very deep knowledge of the various and variable ways systems are working. Such knowledge is moreover, by necessity, forever incomplete. Regulations should thus, as expressed by JANTSCH, be evolutive. This supposes an evermore conscious and not contradictory design process.

Moreover the concept of regulation already implies the presupposition that the considered system is homeostatic, i.e. maintaining the permanence of its structural and functional characteristics. It is now well known that many complex systems – and mostly human ones – are dissipative, chaotic and emergent, and thus cannot be stabilized until they reach a new dynamic equilibrium condition. Unfortunately, deciders are generally unaware of this and pay no heed to it.

J. WARFIELD studies policy making in an extensive way (1988, p.89-118). His subjects of interest are:

- A census and critical appraisal on traditional ways of policy making;

- The nature of policy making;

- The stakeholders in policy;

- Policy evaluation;

- Methods for studying policy making;

- Constraints on policy making;

- The concept of metapolicy, i.e. "policy about how to make policy" (Quoted from Y. DROR)

The subject has also been interestingly explored by P.M. ALLEN et al. (1984) and by W.D. GROSSMANN and K.E.F. WATT (1992).