Policy analytical capacity and evidence‐based policy‐making: Lessons from Canada

Abstract

Evidence‐based policy‐making represents a contemporary effort to reform or re‐structure policy processes in order to prioritize evidentiary or data‐based decision‐making. Like earlier efforts in the “policy analysis movement,” its aim is to avoid or minimize policy failures caused by a mismatch between government expectations and actual, on‐the‐ground conditions through the provision of greater amounts of policy‐relevant information. A significant factor affecting the ability of policy‐makers to engage in evidence‐based policy‐making pertains to both governmental and non‐governmental “policy analytical capacity.” That is, governments require a reasonably high level of policy analytical capacity to perform the tasks associated with managing the policy process in order to implement evidence‐based policy‐making and avoid several of the most common sources of policy failures. Recent studies, however, suggest that, even in advanced countries such as Canada, the level of policy analytical capacity found in many governments and non‐governmental actors is low, potentially contributing to both a failure of evidence‐based policy‐making as well as effectively dealing with many complex contemporary policy challenges. Sommaire: L'élaboration de politiques axée sur des éléments probants représente un effort contemporain de réforme ou de structuration des processus de politiques dans le but de donner la prioritéà la prise de décisions s'appuyant sur les preuves ou fondée sur les données. Comme pour les efforts antérieurs du « mouvement d'analyse de politiques », le but est d'éviter ou de minimiser les échecs de politiques causés par un décalage entre les attentes du gouvernement et les conditions réelles sur le terrain, grâce à la disposition de plus amples informations pertinentes aux politiques. Un facteur important touchant à l'aptitude des élaborateurs de politiques à s'engager dans une élaboration de politiques axée sur les éléments probants est liéà la « capacité d'analyse de politiques » aussi bien gouvernementale que non gouvernementale. C'est‐à‐dire que les gouvernements exigent un niveau raisonnablement élevé de capacité d'analyse de politiques en vue d'exécuter les tâches associées à la gestion du processus politique pour mettre en œuvre l'élaboration de politiques axée sur les éléments probants et éviter ainsi plusieurs sources courantes d'échecs de politiques. Néanmoins, des études récentes laissent entendre que, même dans les pays développés comme le Canada, le niveau de capacité d'analyse de politiques observé dans de nombreux gouvernements et chez un grand nombre d'acteurs non gouvernementaux est faible ; cela pourrait éventuellement contribuer à la fois à un échec de l'élaboration de politiques axées sur les éléments probants ainsi qu'à l'échec de régler efficacement de nombreux problèmes contemporains complexes en matière de politiques.

Evidence-Based Policy Making and the Implementation of Regulatory Impact Assessment in Croatia

“…There is a number of contributions to this approach (Howlett, 2009;Nilsson et al, 2008;Sanderson, 2002) underlining the importance of this ex ante policy analysis-based model to increase the efficiency of the public policy-making and implementation process. "The evidence-based policy movement is thus the latest in a series of efforts undertaken by reformers in governments over the past half-century to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public policy-making" (Howlett, 2009, p. 154).…”

“…One can disregard here the "technocrats' optimism" of a sort underlying this viewpoint. It is much more important to emphasize the inherent problems of the approach itself, as indicated by numerous authors (Davies, 2004;Howlett, 2009;Tenbensel, 2004) 2 . The obvious tendency to modernize government and give prominence to the aspect of knowledge do not necessarily result in more effective policy-making and implementation (Parsons, 2001;.…”

“Never mind the logic, give me the numbers”: Former Australian health ministers' perspectives on the social determinants of health

“…Consequently, modern policy analysis frequently follows Bacchi's (2009) In researching the influence of evidence on policy in Canada, Lomas and Brown (2009) found that complex forces compete with research for the attention of civil servants and politicians and that research evidence is variably received at different stages of policy development. Other research has shown how research collaboration between academics and policymakers facilitates translation of evidence into policy (Best et al, 2009;Howlett, 2009), but it tends to underplay Kingdon's insights about political support and timeliness as a vital feature of policymaking. Knowledge translation and knowledge exchange models appear naïve unless they can recognise the role of political will.…”

Impact of the decision-making environment on policy responses to road worker fatality in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

“…Recent research has suggested that there is an ongoing shift toward evidence-based justice policy, 14 and that policy-making bodies have different capacities for the collection and use of empirical evidence. 15 It has also been illustrated that Canadian federal budgets have effects on policy decisions, including, for example, cuts to programs that affect public health. 16 Policy responses to worker safety, then, are not exempt from budgetary influence, and the influence of budgets has also been illustrated at the municipal level.…”