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Government Social Research Unit

HOW CAN RESEARCH CONTRIBUTE TO POLICY?

SRA, IRELAND

13 JANUARY 2006

Sue Duncan

Chief Government Social Researcher

Cabinet Office

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The Policy Iceberg

Implementation

Legislation

Policy Announcement

Policy Idea

Sea level

Party PoliticsManifesto commitments

ElectionsNo 10 priorities

Cabinet/MinisterialPublic OpinionPolitical careers

Public

Political

Budgets/ResourcesPriorities

Legal powersOperational issues

Parliamentary timetablesHuman nature

Practical

Costing optionsReviews of evidenceAnalysis of admin data

Political research

(opinion polling etc)

Commissioned research and evaluation

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The Black Box of Policy Research

OR

Long, boring reportInconclusive results

Irrelevant resultsResults too late

Research expensivePolitical embarrassment

‘Wrong answer’

OR

Regular feedback of resultsPolicy question answered

Research on timeNo last minute surprisesResearch useful and used

Policy QuestionResearch Activity

? Research findings

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•Clarify research question•Check existing knowledge/re-analyse data

•Check budget/procurement rules•Design research

•Commission research• Field work

•Data processing•Data analysis

•Report writing •Research-based advice

•Publication

Inside the Black Box

•Clarify research question•Check existing knowledge/re-analyse data

•Check budget/procurement rules•Design research

•Commission research• Field work

•Data processing•Data analysis

•Report writing •Research-based advice

•Publication

Policy Question

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The Policy Research Relationship•Last minute research involvement•Unclear information requirements•Changing needs•Poor communication (mistrust)•Junior level discussion•Inflexible research•No ownership•Too busy

• Early research involvement

•Ongoing dialogue•Senior level discussion•Research flexibility•Policy ownership

BAD RESULT

UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER

GOOD RESULT

SATISFIED CUSTOMER

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The Policy Iceberg

Implementation

Legislation

Policy Announcement

Policy Idea

Sea level

Party PoliticsManifesto commitments

ElectionsNo 10 priorities

Cabinet/MinisterialPublic OpinionPolitical careers

Public

Political

Budgets/ResourcesPriorities

Legal powersOperational issues

Parliamentary timetablesHuman nature

Practical

Costing optionsReviews of evidenceAnalysis of admin data

Political research

(opinion polling etc)

Commissioned research and evaluation

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Key Uses

• Understanding client groups

• Understanding problems/issues

• Monitoring progress

• Evaluating policy impacts

• Evaluating delivery

• Testing policy/delivery

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Current Priorities

• Inclusive policy making

• Performance measurement and delivery

• Joined up government

• Strategic thinking

• ‘What works is what counts’

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Instrumental Conceptual

Leads directly to decision Leads to changes in knowledge,

making for policy and practice understanding or attitude

Mobilisation Wider Influence

Used as instrument of persuasion Leads to larger scale shifts in

to legitimise action/in action thinking

(Nutley et al 2002)

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… Government should regard policy making as a continuous, learning process, not as a series of one-off initiatives. We will improve our use of evidence and research so that we understand better the problems we are trying to address …

(Modernising Government White Paper 1999)

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… Good quality policy making depends on high quality information derived from a number of sources - expert knowledge; existing domestic and international research; existing statistics; stakeholder consultation; evaluation of previous policies, new research …

(‘Professional Policy Making in the 21st Century’)

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… there is nothing a government hates more than to be well informed; for it makes the process of arriving at decisions much more complicated and difficult …

(J M Keynes)

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What is evidence?

• Research

• Experience

• Judgement

• Resources

• Values

• Public Opinion

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… Social science should be at the heart of policy making. We need a revolution in relation between government and the social research community - we need social scientists to help determine what works and why, and what type of policy initiatives are likely to be most effective …

(David Blunkett 2000)

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… I had hoped to find research to support or to conclusively oppose my belief that quality integrated education is the most promising approach. But I have found very little conclusive evidence. For every study, statistical or theoretical, that contains a proposed solution or recommendation, there is always another, equally well documented, challenging the assumption or conclusions of the first. No one seems to agree with anyone else’s approach. But more distressing no one seems to know what works. As a result I must confess, I stand with my colleagues confused and often disheartened...

(Senator Walter Mondale, 1970)

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… There are significant problems with the exploitation of social science research in government, local government, commerce, the voluntary sector and the media. These come about because of ‘interface management’ and communication problems, though the caution of some academics towards close engagement with practitioners is a source of great disappointment to many users of social science research …

(‘Great expectations: the social sciences in Britain’ March 2003)

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