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DESIGNING RESEARCH TO INFLUENCE POLICY: RECIPROCITY AND EXCHANGE [PART I] BY LORNE FOSTER YORK UNIVERSITY. RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY OUTLINE. Situating the Academic Research Tradition in the “Public Policy Space” Sources / Authority / Influence Model-ling [And Trends Toward]
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DESIGNING RESEARCH TO INFLUENCE POLICY: RECIPROCITY AND EXCHANGE [PART I] BY LORNE FOSTER YORK UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY OUTLINE • Situating the Academic Research Tradition in the “Public Policy Space” • Sources / Authority / Influence Model-ling[And Trends Toward] • Collaborative knowledge model • Knowledge mobilization • Conclusions Enhancing Research-Action Linkages • Toward systematic advice on how to maximize the academic impacts of research • Policy entrepreneurship [issues require entrepreneurial responses from researchers]
DEFINITIONS • Public Policy – “A decision or action of government that addresses problems and issues.” www.congresslink.org/print_lp_whyneedcongress_voccb.htm • Public Policy-Making – “The process by which governments translate their political vision into… actions to deliver changes in the real world.” www.policyhub.gov.uk/evalpolicy/index.cap • The Policy Cycle – “The steps that display the sequential flow, or a logical sequence of recurring events, in the policy process.” http://profwork.org/pp/study/cycle.html
THE SCIENTIFIC TRADITION‘THE CALLING’ The responsibility of academic research is “to marshal evidence and explanations so as to help to mobilize forces of change” – John Porter (1987: 3 – The Measure Of Canadian Society) In Porter’s sense, academic research is about gaining understanding in order to provide people with participatory resources.
THE OSMOSIS STRATEGY Conventionally, clinical and/or social research has been conceived as having osmotic properties – where it ‘naturally’ penetrates the membrane(s) of society – as a higher concentration of intelligence it equalizes the intelligence solution of society. A) Self-deprecating ‘lab ratting’ (under estimating import of work) B) Self-denying “ivory towerism” (knowledge for knowledge sake) C) Self-aggrandizing ‘scientism’ (unproblematic/ authoritative discourse)
THE RECIPROCITY AND EXCHANGE LENS • Today research is more and more recognized as one actor in the public policy-making process • Today most researchers understand it’s no longer enough to do research, write up the results and present them at a conference of like-minded peers • The work has to be mobilized–out of the ivory tower and into the hands and minds of those who will use it to shape emerging policies and practices. • Mobilize the forces of social change by mobilizing research out of its ivory tower
CONDISERING THE POLICY-MAKING SYSTEM TODAY • As Carol Weiss notes, ‘‘instead of concentrating solely on the effect of research on individuals in policy-making positions [evaluators] have begun to take the policy-making system as their canvas’’ (Weiss 2003: 5) . • What does this mean? Two things, ‘process’ and ‘structure’: 1) Research is one actor in the public policy-making process. 2) Build stakeholder considerations into your research [i.e., collaborative knowledge building models].
WHO INFLUENCES PUBLIC POLICY:THE POLICY-MAKING SYSTEM AS CANVAS
FISCALIZED NEOLIBERALISM AS A CONTEXT • Blending political views with emphasis on economic growth and market reasoning – free market methods and profit motives. • The elevation in the importance of this ‘fiscalized consciousness’ is often traced to the Johnson Administration – 1960s – ‘Great Society Reforms’ – birth of “program evaluation”. • Similarly in Canada – the 1990s is said to marked the rise of ‘the debt, deficit, budgetary balance & surplus’ discourses that still dominate policy space.
POLITICIANS AND SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS: PUPLIC POLICY DECISION MAKERS They want research to be (1) collaborative (2) output-focused [service definitions and measures] • Bang for buck – fiscal / fiduciary responsibility • Reduce government ‘foot print’ • Program evaluation with an outcome focus In other words, researchers are often expected to be involved throughout the policy cycle – agenda-setting, option-formation, implementation & evaluation.
TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO POLICY AND PRACTICE • To enhance the uptake of evidence-based interventions, several steps are needed to move science/ evidence-based research upstream: • creating a research-use strategy • place greater emphasis on workforce development/ outcome-focused • developing multi-format communication products • breaking down barriers to usage • using feedback effectively
POLICY SPACE TRENDS CENTRAL TO MODERN OR POST-MODERN EPISTEMIC PRACTICE • The reciprocity-exchange lens implies the authority of a more ‘collaborative market-based knowledge’ model for policy space • Collaborative knowledge management [in terms for the creation, exchange, and transformation of knowledge] • Collaborative and out-put focused [service definitions and measures] • Cross-sector solutions to complex problems • Relationships and networks [as opposed to concentrating solely on the effect of research on individuals in policy-making positions’’]
RECIPROCITY AND EXCHANGE TOOLBOX • Knowledge Mobilization – process to make research matter more in policy and practice for the benefit of society “…moving knowledge into active service for the broadest possible common good.” (SSHRC, 2008, para 5) • Community Engagement – “The purpose of community engagement is to involve the public in decisions that will ultimately affect their lives. This requires interaction and communication between citizens, scientists and policy-makers.” (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 2003). • Social Innovation – is a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than present solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals. http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/social-innovation
SIX LESSONS HELPING RESEARCHERS BECOME POLICY ENTREPRENEURS • Policy processes are complex and rarely linear or logical. • Many policy processes are only weakly informed by research-based evidence. • Research-based evidence can contribute to policies that have a dramatic impact on lives [careful combination of pilot field-level projects, institutional research and proactive communication]. • Policy entrepreneurs need a holistic understanding of the context in which they are working [social contexts of issues and solution]. • Policy entrepreneurs need clear intent [building multidisciplinary teams,
POLICY ENTREPRENEURSHIP • A policy entrepreneur can be defined as “an individual who exploits an opportunity to influence policy outcomes in order to maximize his/her self interests – without having the resources required for achieving this goal alone” (Cohen, 2011). • Policy entrepreneurship can be understood within more encompassing theorizations of policy change: incrementalism, policy streams, institutionalism, punctuated equilibrium [spurt theory], and advocacy coalitions. Recent applications of policy entrepreneurship as a key explanation of policy change are presented as models for future work. Room exists for further conceptual development and empirical testing.
WHAT WOULD A SYSTEMATIC AND ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH LOOK LIKE? • Recognizing academic-based research is only one type of evidence that informs government decision-making • Early and ongoing involvement of decision-makers • Build the desired outcome into the research design • Recognize research and decision-making linkages are less of a product or event, but are on-going social processes. • Partnering competency – ‘relational contracting’ competencies • Community engagement • Facilitate collaborative research • Knowledge mobilization [Knowledge transfer] • User -oriented program evaluation approach • Knowledge brokers should be the prime focus for km and kt activities by academics and community researchers. • Multi-formatted public communication
CONCLUSIONS • Research has to be reciprocity-and-exchange centred to ‘mobilized–out’ of the ivory tower and into the hands and minds of those who will use it to shape emerging policies and practices. • Researchers need to design and conduct studies that are policy relevant and to develop outcome-strategies to translate their research into policy and practice • stakeholder consultation – linkage with those most directly affected • knowledge mobilization – build stakeholder’s considerations into your research • research accessibility – in multiple formats