A think-tank report called for a new social contract between experts and society, with responses to scientific issues formed through popular debate. It was just as important to recognize uncertainty as evidence. Rather than denying the political motivations for decisions, policy-makers should be clear when they were led by public opinion.
Source: Alan Irwin, Kevin Jones and Jack Stilgoe, The Received Wisdom: Opening up expert advice, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Date: 2006-Dec
A report by a committee of MPs examined the government's handling of scientific advice, risk and evidence in policy-making. It said that the government should not 'overplay' the concept of evidence-based policy-making: instead it should acknowledge more openly the many drivers of policy-making, as well as any gaps in the relevant research base. Scientific evidence was often misused or distorted to justify policy decisions which were really based on ideological or social grounds.
Source: Scientific Evidence, Risk and Evidence Based Policy Making, Seventh Report (Session 2005-06), HC 900, House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
An article examined the policy process behind recent welfare reforms. It considered the policy styles used in a broad range of social policy areas, on the basis of interviews with leading policy actors. A mix of policy-making methods was being used, including the classic 'top-down' approach, the use of external commissions, and a more 'bottom-up' approach where policy was to a large degree designed by external groups.
Source: Trine Larsen, Peter Taylor-Gooby and Johannes Kananen, 'New Labour's policy style: a mix of policy approaches', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 35 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
An article said that it was increasingly difficult to understand and explain the shape and delivery of contemporary social policy unless the role of business was considered.
Source: Kevin Farnsworth and Chris Holden, 'The business-social policy nexus: corporate power and corporate inputs into social policy', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 35 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A new book examined the concepts, methods, and techniques required to undertake the analysis and review of social policy and its implementation.
Source: Paul Spicker, Policy Analysis for Practice: Applying social policy, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jun
An annual publication contained a series of chapters analyzing recent progress and change in the main areas of social policy.
Source: Social Policy Review 18: Analysis and debate in social policy, 2006, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jun
A new book examined comparative methods for the improvement of policy analysis, bringing together contributions by methodologists and specialists from a broad range of social scientific disciplines and policy fields.
Source: Benoit Rihoux and Heike Grimm (eds.), Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis: Beyond the quantitative-qualitative divide, Springer (01483 734433)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined whether the central government policy process created 'political and regulatory risk' - uncertainty arising from actions or the structure of policy or regulatory processes.
Source: Political and Regulatory Risk, Regulatory Policy Institute (01865 792858)
Date: 2006-Feb
A new book provided an interim evaluation of the Labour administration under Gordon Brown's premiership, identifying continuities and discontinuities with the Blair governments from 1997.
Source: Matt Beech and Simon Lee (eds.), The Brown Government: A Policy Evaluation, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the system of central government and policy-making.
Source: Good Government: Government and Other Responses to the Committee's Eighth Report, Seventh Special Report (Session 2008-09), HC 1045, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2006-Jan
An article used findings from an evaluative review of the implementation of the Crime Reduction Programme to highlight the key challenges faced when seeking to deliver evidence-based policy programmes.
Source: Sandra Nutley and Peter Homel, 'Delivering evidence-based policy and practice: lessons from the implementation of the UK Crime Reduction Programme', Evidence & Policy, Volume 2 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
A new book examined the development of social policy thinking from the 1830s to the present day, providing an analysis of the relationship between social theory and social policy.
Source: John Offer, An Intellectual History of British Social Policy: Idealism versus non-idealism, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan