Transcript Quality Circle Evaluierung

The role of policy advisers
in policy learning
Wolfgang Polt-
Joanneum Research
Institute for Technology and Regional Policy
[email protected]
6CP Conference
23-24 May 2006
Structure of the presentation
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Definition of policy learning
Barriers to policy learning
How not to do policy learning
What you need for policy learning
Role of policy advisers in policy
learning
Policy advise in a systemic context
What is ‚policy learning‘ ?
„Policy learning is defined as all those
processes by which policy systems generate
and incorporate knowledge and understanding
about (i) underlying causes and conditions of
policies and initiatives (ii) the effects of policy
and initiatives. This knowledge is derived
throughout the policy cycle and policy learning
provides feed-back to all stages“
(Hjelt et al., in OECD 2005: Governance of Innovation Systems, p.196)
Barriers to ‚policy learning‘

Reluctance to confront the past
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Communication failure(s)
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Lack of adoption capacity
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Loss of institutional memory
Reluctance to confront the past
 „Why look back at old programmes /
initiatives? We are forward looking !“
 Evaluations are dangerous because of
potential negative outcomes
Not ‚making‘ an experience, is not learning at
all !§
Communication failure(s)
 Communicating in different ‚codes‘
 Communicating not at all
Not accepting or understanding
different perspectives !
Lack of adoption capacities
 Policy stripped of ressources
 Information overflow
 Coordination overload
Not being able to capitalize on
available information !
Loss of institutional memory
 Loss of personell
 Institutional shake-ups
Not being able to retain and
pass on available knowledge !
How better not to learn…
 ‚Path dependency‘ of learning
(‚Superstitious learning‘)
 Indicator driven policy
(‚Superfical learning‘)
Available information is
processed, but without
knowledgable interpretation !
What you need for policy learning
 Ken‘s quadrants:
Current
Context
Past
Actions
Policy
Practice
Parallel
Activities
Future
Visions
What you need for policy learning
 Communication within a system of
‚distributed strategic intelligence‘
 Needs knowledge infrastructures,
institutions, openess, incentive
structures, shared ‚codes‘…
Role(s) of policy advisers
The policy adviser as…
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the irritation of the system
the process / communication enabler
the information filter
the store of information and
knowledge
Role(s) of policy advisers
The policy adviser as…
 the scapegoat
 the legitimizer
 the substitute policy maker
Policy advise in a systemic
context
 The relation to policy
makers: ‚truth speaks to
power‘?
 The policy advisor as an
expert: in superior
knowledge of the
system?
 The policy maker: in
posession of power?
Policy advise in a systemic
context
 Analysing the ‚RTDI policy system‘ with the
tools of system analysis
 Recognising the implications of the systemic
character of policymaking:
 Inherent limitations on what we can know about a
complex system
 Inherent limitation of communication between
systems
 Inherent limits to foresee the effects of an
intervention in a complex system
A sketch of the Austrian
Institutional STI policy landscape
Money from pri m a ry sources
Funding: com pet it ive m oney
in col our of prim ary source
Committee for
science, ind ustry
an d eco nomic affairs
Parliament
Pol icy advi ce
Coun cil for Research and
Techno log y Development
Government
Policy
BMF
BMWA
BMVIT
BMBWK
Austrian Scien ce Cou ncil
BIT
National Bank
FFF
Anniversa ry
Fund
CDG
FWF
Agencies
VT…
AWS, ERP
TIG
ACR
ASA
Umbrella
organisatio n
KFI
Performers
Polytechnics
T echnology
Cent res
Kind, Knet
CD-Lab.
LISA
ARC
Firms
Kplus-Centres
AplusB
Competence platforms, incubators
NANO
FIT-IT
Sustainable D.
A3
IBS
I2
protec 2002 +
Universities
…AW
LBG
fFORTE
Main thematic programmes
GENAU
The Austrian System
of IST / e-Government
Policy Making
(simplified version)
Policy advise in a systemic
context
 Policy adviser as an expert on the
subject matter of policy and the
related policy process
 Policy adviser as a the one who
asks the right questions – not the
one providing the ‚right‘ answers
from the position of superior
knowledge
 Policy adviser in co-evolution with
the ‚client‘s system‘, i.e. change of
roles in the policy cycle
Policy advise in a systemic
context
 Policy adviser as an expert on the subject matter of
policy and the related policy process
 Policy adviser as a the one who asks the right questions
– not the one providing the ‚right‘ answers from the
position of superior knowledge
 Policy adviser in co-evolution with the ‚client‘s system‘,
i.e. change of roles in the policy cycle
 Probably we need a rather fundamenal change
of our perception of the role of policy advise
.. A last look back at the Austrian
Info-Society case: successful
policy learning ??
Thank you for your attention !