scholarly journals Policy formulation, policy advice and policy appraisal: the distribution of analytical tools

2015 ◽  
pp. 163-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Howlett ◽  
Seck L. Tan ◽  
Andrea Migone ◽  
Adam Wellstead ◽  
Bryan Evans
Keyword(s):  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Policy Advice ◽  
Policy Appraisal ◽  
Analytical Tools

Policy advisory styles in the francophone Belgian civil service

2018 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Aubin ◽  
Marleen Brans
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Policy Advice ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Administrative System ◽  
Policy Work ◽  
Internal Information

In a context of the rising importance of ministerial advisers, this article provides empirical evidence about the nature of involvement of civil servants in policy work. Based on a survey of graduated civil servants in francophone Belgium, it shows that civil servants are much involved in policy work even in a politico-administrative system characterised by strong ministerial cabinets. Belgian francophone civil servants are ‘incidental advisors’. They are less process generalists than issue specialists who mostly deal with policy implementation. Their policy advisory style oscillates between ‘rational technician’ and ‘client advisor’. Despite a low institutionalisation of policy advice in the civil service, civil servants significantly serve the ministers in the policy formulation (for harmonization) phase, supplying information and analysis and participating to the writing of policy-related texts. Points for practitioners The francophone Belgian case shows the importance of policy tasks conducted by civil servants. It also provides evidence about the importance of in-house policy-analytical capacity as it shows that civil servants primarily rely on internal information sources and consultation when involved in policy formulation.

Policy Formulation, Analytical Frameworks, and Program Design

Policy Papers ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 2004 (44) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Program Design ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Debt Sustainability ◽  
Programming Framework ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Analytical Frameworks

The first part of this paper lays out the process of program design and briefly describes some of the analytical tools--including the financial programming framework, the balance sheet approach, and the debt sustainability template--employed by Fund country teams in advising national authorities on policy formulation. The second part of paper seeks to assess how well this process works in practice.

scholarly journals The use of policy formulation tools in the venue of policy appraisal: patterns and underlying motivations

2015 ◽  
pp. 184-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Turnpenny ◽  
Andrew J. Jordan ◽  
Camilla Adelle ◽  
Stephan Bartke ◽  
Thomas Bournaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Policy Appraisal

The “lumpiness” thesis revisited: the venues of policy work and the distribution of analytical techniques in Canada

2018 ◽  
pp. 49-68
Author(s):  
Michael Howlett ◽  
Seck Tan ◽  
Adam Wellstead ◽  
Andrea Migone ◽  
Bryan Evans
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Policy Analysts ◽  
Policy Work ◽  
Territorial Government ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Policy Proposals

This chapter contributes to the understanding of analytical practices and tools employed by policy analysts involved in policy formulation and appraisal by examining data drawn from 15 surveys of federal, provincial and territorial government policy analysts in Canada conducted in 2009-2010, two surveys of NGO analysts conducted in 2010-2011 and two surveys of external policy consultants conducted in 2012-2013. Data from these surveys allows the exploration of several facets of the use of analytical tools, ranging from more precise description of the frequency of use of specific kinds of tools and techniques in government to their distribution between permanent government officials and external policy analysts. As the chapter shows, the frequency of use of major types of analytical techniques used in policy formulation is not the same between the three types of actors and also varies within government by Department and issue type. Nevertheless some general patterns in the use of policy appraisal tools in government can be discerned, with all groups employing process- related tools more frequently than ‘substantive’ tools related to the technical analysis of policy proposals.

Policy formulation, governance shifts and policy influence: location and content in policy advisory systems

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Craft ◽  
Michael Howlett
Keyword(s):  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Policy Advice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Policy Influence ◽  
Advisory System ◽  
Policy Advisory Systems ◽  
Political Dimensions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Governance Arrangements

AbstractMost studies of policy formulation focus on the nature and kind of advice provided to decision-makers and think of this as originating from a system of interacting elements: a “policy advisory system”. Policy influence in such models has historically been viewed as based on considerations of the proximate location of policy advisors vis à vis the government, linked to related factors such as the extent to which governments are able to control sources of advice. While not explicitly stated, this approach typically presents the content of policy advice as either partisan “political” or administratively “technical” in nature. This article assesses the merits of these locational models against evidence of shifts in governance arrangements that have blurred both the inside vs outside and technical vs political dimensions of policy formulation environments. It argues that the growing plurality of advisory sources and the polycentrism associated with these governance shifts challenge the utility of both the implied content and locational dimensions of traditional models of policy advice systems. A revised approach is advanced that sees influence more as a product of content than location. The article concludes by raising several hypotheses for future research linking advisory system behaviour to governance arrangements.

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