Transcript The impact of academic research in the policy making process. - LSE conference on the Impact of Academic Research: 13th June 2011 This presentation reflects.

The impact of academic
research in the policy
making process.
- LSE conference on the Impact of Academic
Research: 13th June 2011
This presentation reflects the views of the author/presenter and does not
represent Departmental or Government policy.
Points covered in this presentation
1. How evidence and analysis is used in the policy making process.
2. Types of academic activities that have informed policy making.
3. Working together to increase impact and value for money from our
evidence and analysis.
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The Policy Making Process (PMP) and the
role of evidence and analysis
Policy framework
Evidence and analysis is required to:
- fully understand the policy problem and the wider
Social Technical Economic Environmental Political context;
- help identify the most effective, efficient policy
option/s to achieve the best public policy
benefits/outcomes;
- spot and understand future challenges and
opportunities to support the next wave of policy
making;
- demonstrate the impacts from policies and
programmes of work; and
- share lessons on what works best with others.
Where evidence and analysis feeds into the PMP
This means drawing upon a wide range of sources of evidence and analysis:
including academics, but also commercial research providers; think-tanks;
experts, charities as well as in-house analysts too.
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The types of academic activities that have
informed the policy making process
DCLG is an extensive user of academic research, analysis and thinking…
•
New primary research to explain/understand a policy topic – including
scoping research.
•
Secondary analysis of quantitative data [e.g. survey data; management
information data; statistical data].
•
Systematic reviews of existing evidence [research papers; published
reports; grey literature].
•
Modelling [economic/ statistical].
•
Technical/ scientific research to inform regulation and guidance.
•
Think pieces/ position papers on emerging issues to shape new policies.
•
Peer reviews of research commissions.
•
Dissemination and discussion of existing knowledge through
presentations, roundtable discussions; seminars and workshops.
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A small snapshot of recent examples of
academic collaboration with policy impact
We have, in partnership, with the ESRC sponsored research fellowships
to provide original secondary analysis of data to help identify how to
achieve greater value for money in local authority services and to better
understand the implications of migration patterns for local social cohesion.
The synthesis of academic research and analysis has fed directly into the
policy development on decentralisation and Localism.
In partnership with other Departments we have contributed along with the
ESRC to fund the Spatial Economics Research Centre at the London
School of Economics and the analysis from the Centre has fed directly
into our policies on economic regeneration; the Local Enterprise
Partnerships and new Growth White Paper.
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Working together to increase impact and value
for money from our evidence and analysis
Possible Challenges
Some of the common barriers to having greater impact include:
• Working to different objectives - e.g. Academics need to meet
the Research Excellence Framework (REF) criteria while
officials are focused on accessing the latest/best evidence to
improve public policy impacts.
• Policy context is constantly changing and evolving… this can
make it difficult to produce timely, relevant research outputs.
• Outputs are not tailored for use in policy making – e.g not
readily applicable to the policy making process (e.g. too
theoretical in nature).
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Working together to increase impact and value
for money from our evidence and analysis
cont/d…
Potential Opportunities
More scope to increase impact of evidence and analysis through:
• Sharing new evidence with analysts/officials on the policies.
• Compiling co-ordinated updates about new research to
professional bodies like GESR/ GSS.
• Getting involved in activities/ programmes run by Research
Councils as part of their Concordats with other Departments.
• Including current policy priorities in your academic
programme/ curriculum – e.g. Decentralisation and Localism
to build capacity and knowledge.
• Better dissemination – events to share knowledge such as
policy picnics in the Department.
• Sharing your new ideas/concepts/ approaches with us as well
as your primary research.
• Sharing knowledge on ‘what works well’ and ‘how we can do
better and more’ with reduced resources.
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