The decision making, or problem solving, process can be broken down into six phases, some of which overlap in some situations: recognizing the need for a decision; identifying the objectives; identifying alternatives; evaluating alternatives; selecting the best alternative; and, implementing the decision (Steers, 1991, p. 243).

Recognizing the need for a decision may be the most important step in the decision making process. If the manager does not recognize that there is a decision to made or a problem to be solved, he or she cannot take the necessary steps to resolve the situation. In the public sector, there are guidelines in many situations which determine when public input must be sought; in other situations, bureaucrats and public employees will be able to identify issues which require problem solving tech

Once alternatives have been generated, they must be evaluated. Some alternatives can be dismissed because they are not in keeping with the standards or expectations of the community. Conservative communities may be hard-pressed to implement an extreme solution, while other communities may not have the resources necessary for some alternatives. Other alternatives may have certain characteristics that make them untenable, such as being heavily laden with restrictions, or requiring that the community stray from its long-term goals (Behn, 1998, p. 213).

niques (Brache & Rummler, 1997, p. 69).

In still other situations, there may be no alternative which adequately addresses the objective. In this situation, the manager may choose to restate the problem in the hope of finding alternatives which may be more appropriate. If there is no alternative which is acceptable, it may be that the core problem has not yet been uncovered, or that there is not a real problem to be solved. Managers must also realize that doing nothing, or choosing to take no action, is an acceptable course.

However, there are other considerations which need to be taken into account besides the possible outcomes of particular alternatives. Consideration must be given to the cost of implementation, the amount of time required to put each alternative into effect, and the likelihood that the necessary resources can be obtained to implement a specific alternative. If the problem facing the organization is acute, long-term solutions may have to be delayed in favor of short-term "fixes".

In many situations, there is only one alternative which meets the objectives set out earlier. In other situations, there can be several, or even many, solutions which accomplish that goal (such as increasing production by some percentage). In the latter situation, the public administrator is likely to establish additional criteria by which the alternatives may be judged. This may include a combi

Some topics in this essay:
Van Dine, Brache Rummler, Organizations Public, decision process, recognizing decision, public administrator, solving process, behn 1998, implementation plan, key public, alternatives appropriate, situations alternative, situation public,