What rapid development requires is not a predetermined policy package, but the continual formulation and implementation of public policies that enable the country to achieve the fundamental goal that it sets for itself. Institutional innovation for public policy management must, therefore, constitute an integral part of its development agenda. This is a reality which has tended to be ignored in Sri Lanka ever since its emergence as an independent state. It is necessary, therefore, to address the issues which relate to effective public policy management in Sri Lanka – a process that this discussion seeks to initiate.