4. Decision Making

The decision making stage of the Policy Lifecycle is nearly the same as that of the agenda setting, the analysis and the policy formulation and creation stage. It is completely affected by the domestic actors, their institutional setting and their ideas, the global or international influence and by the constraints under which decision makers operate. A focus on these variables can help to predict the type of outcome likely to arise from the particular style of decision adopted in the policy process in question. (Howlett et.al., 2009, p.158)

Based on the fine-tuned policy proposals and the resulting policy document elaborated in the policy formulation phase a decision is made by the relevant decision making body. This could be for example an assembly of representatives, a politician or a decision maker in the civil service. The policy document takes into account all the information from statistics, documents, social media and simulations. The decision making process itself is a political and not a technical one and public participation is not foreseen in this phase. At this stage the overall benefit of the FUPOL approach and its tools will be reaped. The decision will be better documented and will have a better acceptance level by the stakeholders.