A Systematic Conceptualization and Structuring of the Discourse on Public Policy Problems

This paper develops an ontological framework to conceptualize
the ideal type of public policy discourse using a structured Input
Process–Output model. Drawing on insights from unpublished
institutional documents—including internal observation notes
and moderator reflections from policy roundtables—three Input
elements (information, stakeholders, structure), four Process
sub-elements (awareness, intervention, approach, ability), and
two Output forms (structured and unstructured discourse) are
systematically defined. Their combinatorial configuration yields
24 possible pathways through which a discourse may evolve.
The ontology demonstrates how coherent inputs, supported by
effective process elements, produce structured and goal-oriented
discourse, whereas weak or misaligned inputs activate alternative
pathways that culminate in unstructured engagement. By providing
a parsimonious and analytically rigorous specification of discourse
dynamics, this framework advances the methodological foundations
of public policy analysis and offers a diagnostic tool for enhancing
the design and facilitation of deliberative policy engagements