12. Government Science and Policy Advice: Evidence-based Policymaking at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Its Implications for the Practice of Policy Analysis

2017 ◽  
pp. 207-223 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Policy Advice ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Science And Policy

scholarly journals Multifunctionality of agriculture, public policies and scientific evidences: Some critical issues of contemporary controversies

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 53-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Laurent ◽  
Marielle Berriet-Solliec ◽  
Marc Kirsch ◽  
Pierre Labarthe ◽  
AurélieT AurélieTrouvé
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Public Policy Analysis ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
The Status ◽  
New Situation

Various theoretical models of public policy analysis are used to treat situations of decision-making in which public deciders have to take into account the multifunctionality of agriculture. For some, science-society relations are not really problematical. Others acknowledge the current attempts of these policy-makers to find adequate scientific knowledge, and the difficulties they encounter. These difficulties stem partly from the very content of knowledge produced by research. Could other modes of production be more efficient? The status of the knowledge produced by these approaches is a subject of debate. Bridging the divide between science and policy more effectively is not only a question of knowledge brokerage.Accessibility and reliability of the existing evidences are also problems to be addressed. The debates around evidence-based practices may provide some landmarks in this new situation although they also emphasize the limits of the tools that can be built for this purpose.  

scholarly journals Agriculture at a Crossroads: Ensuring Conservation and Income Support in the Farm Bill

2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Amy Fredregill
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Income Support ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
Policy Alternatives

While most farmers take steps to enhance natural resources, times of low prices and high costs may create difficulties for farmers who wish to spend resources on agriculture conservation. Consequently, farming can have a harmful effect on natural resources. Because many farmers rely on income support payments, and most income programs do not require farmers to utilize environmental conservation practices, environmental degradation continues. To ensure adequate protection of water quality, soil quality and wildlife habitat, and to provide income support for farms of all sizes, politically feasible legislation is needed to link income payments with conservation practices. This article follows the outline of atraditional policy analysis to examine four policy options for the farm bill the Conservation Security Program (CSP), Flex Fallow, the Conservation Reserve Program, and conservation easements. The options range from conservative to liberal, with differing environmental and income impacts. Policy options for achieving these goals were judged using the following criteria: effectiveness in achieving conservation goals,' effectiveness in supporting farmer income,' political feasibility,' and strength of the linkage between conservation practices and income payments. Based on this analysis, CSP is the best option for the farm bill, because it is a compromise approach to achieving the goals of this analysis. This evaluation is presented as a policy analysis in order to provide a systematic technique for identifying solutions to current farm policy problems. The elements of a policy analysis traditionally include formulating a problem, identifying policy alternatives, forecasting the future, modeling the impacts of alternatives, and comparing and ranking the policy alternatives.

scholarly journals Miasmas, mental models and preventive public health: some philosophical reflections on science in the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trisha Greenhalgh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Models ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Hierarchy Of Evidence ◽  
John Snow ◽  
History Of ◽  
Support Policy ◽  
Preventive Public Health ◽  
Based Medicine

When the history of the COVID-19 pandemic is written, it is likely to show that the mental models held by scientists sometimes facilitated their thinking, thereby leading to lives saved, and at other times constrained their thinking, thereby leading to lives lost. This paper explores some competing mental models of how infectious diseases spread and shows how these models influenced the scientific process and the kinds of facts that were generated, legitimized and used to support policy. A central theme in the paper is the relative weight given by dominant scientific voices to probabilistic arguments based on experimental measurements versus mechanistic arguments based on theory. Two examples are explored: the cholera epidemic in nineteenth century London—in which the story of John Snow and the Broad Street pump is retold—and the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and early 2021—in which the evidence-based medicine movement and its hierarchy of evidence features prominently. In each case, it is shown that prevailing mental models—which were assumed by some to transcend theory but were actually heavily theory-laden—powerfully shaped both science and policy, with fatal consequences for some.

Policy analysis and evidence-based decision making at the local level

2018 ◽  
pp. 131-152
Author(s):  
Karen Mossberger ◽  
David Swindell ◽  
Nicholet Deschine Parkhurst ◽  
Kuang-Ting Tai
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evidence Based Decision Making

Infusing Innovation in the Policy Analysis and Evaluation Phases of the Policy Cycle

2015 ◽  
pp. 1236-1252
Author(s):  
Ourania I. Markaki ◽  
Panagiotis Kokkinakos ◽  
Sotirios Koussouris ◽  
John Psarras ◽  
Habin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Fuzzy Cognitive Maps ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Policy Cycle ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Lay Public

This paper introduces an innovative approach for more factual, evidence-based and accountable policy analysis and evaluation, based on open public data, prosperity indicators, fuzzy cognitive maps and argumentation technology. The approach is inspired by the Policy Compass FP7 project and assumes to make better use of Europe's open public data resources, so as to enable both the lay public and domain experts to create, apply, annotate, share and discuss progress metrics and causal models of policies. The aim is to empower stakeholders in assessing the governments' course of actions and contribute in transforming government structures to a more participatory and democratic form. The paper attempts to make a rather complete and comprehensive statement for policy analysis and evaluation, as it provides a thorough description of the proposed approach, including both its theoretical framework and technical approach, as well as a series of indicative use case scenarios and anticipated benefits. The paper concludes with relevant implementation concerns as well as future plans for the validation of the approach and its benefits.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document