THE POLITICS OF POLICY MAKING: THINKING CROSS-SECTORALLY

Seminar Series 2008

DSA-EADI Knowledge, Policy and Power Group

DSA-EADI Multi-dimensional Poverty Group

Call for interest/papers

Background

Together, the DSA-EADI Knowledge, Policy and Power Group and the DSA-EADI Multi-dimensional Poverty Group are planning four meetings in 2008. The series theme is linking knowledge, policy and practice cross-sectorally. The objective is to bring together those interested in the knowledge-policy interface and ask what are the similarities and differences of policy making and knowledge use in different policy sectors a common set of three guiding questions as follows:

  1. In what ways do the available policy spaces (closed, invited, demanded) in different policy areas shape research-policy-practice linkages?
  2. How does the constellation of governmental and civil society issue champions influence opportunities for evidence-informed policy dialogue in different policy areas?
  3. Are there different hierarchies of knowledge (quantitative, qualitative, participatory/experiential) in different policy areas, and if so how does this shape policy influencing strategies?

The meetings will be a mix of plenary presentations/discussion and workshop sessions. Although there is a growing literature on the relationship between knowledge, 'evidence', research and policy processes, there has been little systematic discussion about whether and if so how these different variables vary across different policy arenas. Does for example the high level of technical expertise required to engage in trade and fiscal policy debates provide different sorts of dynamics for policy narratives, agents and context than policies on citizenship rights?

Do policy ‘asks’ tend to different across different policy areas (e.g. discursive changes vs increased resources vs legislative revisions vs paradigm shifts) and if so how does this shape the knowledge/policy interface?  In what ways might policy influencing strategies need to be tailored differently to engage in value-charged policy debates about issues such as sexual and reproductive health policy compared to infrastructure development? Do some policy issues lend themselves to greater civil society participation and engagement? If so what lessons might we distill in order to strengthen civic engagement in other policy areas?

We want to engage by exploring the dynamics of the policy making process in general, but at the same time focus on the relative importance of various types of 'evidence' or knowledge in that process. In sum, our approach is not just about researching policy processes per se, but ensuring there is more of a dialogue between various knowledge generators (including researchers) on the one hand, and policy makers and policy outcomes on the other.

Please contact n.jones(AT)odi.org.uk or a.sumner(AT)ids.ac.uk

Meetings

When?

Where?

Times?

Theme?

April 2008

ODI, London

10:30-5:30pm

Comparative social and economic policy

June 2008

EADI conference, Geneva

2 panels (1.5hrs)

EU development and poverty policy

Sept. 2008

DSA conference, London (30 years of the DSA)

2 panels (1.5hrs)

30 years review of evolution of politics of poverty policy making

Nov. 2008

IDS, Sussex

10:30-5:30pm

Cross-sectoral development and poverty policies – how do links between knowledge, policy and power differ between sectoral and cross-sectoral policy making?