An article examined developments in European Union social policy 'discourse', and their potential determinants. It divided the discourse into three periods: the first associated with the 'Lisbon Strategy', the second with the reforms that followed (2005–2009), and the third with the Europe 2020 strategy for inclusive growth. The most recent period had witnessed a radical marginalization and 'tokenization' of social policy as compared with macroeconomic and financial concerns. At the same time, EU institutions had increasingly encroached upon national jurisdiction over social policy. These changes seemed to be explained by reshuffling among important actors.
Source: Jean-Claude Barbier, 'Tracing the fate of EU "social policy": changes in political discourse from the "Lisbon Strategy" to "Europe 2020"', International Labour Review, Volume 151 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A new book examined policy dismantling – a form of policy change involving the cutting, reduction, diminution, or complete removal of existing policies.
Source: Michael Bauer, Andrew Jordan, Christoffer Green-Pedersen, and Adrienne Heritier, Dismantling Public Policy: Preferences, strategies, and effects, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
The Prime Minister announced plans (subject to consultation) to place stricter conditions on judicial review applications in relation to government decisions. Applications would cost more, with less time put aside to to apply and fewer chances to appeal. He also announced the scrapping of equality impact assessments of new policy or legislation, calling them 'bureaucratic nonsense'. The Welsh Government said that it would continue to carry out equality impact assessments.
Source: Speech by David Cameron MP (Prime Minister), 19 November 2012 | Press release 22 November 2012, Welsh Government
Links: Speech | Downing Street press release | Hansard | MOJ press release | BPF press release | CFBT blog post | CPRE press release | Full Fact comment | IRR press release | Labour Party press release | NAVCA press release | NEF blog post | TUC press release | UKHRB press release | Welsh Government press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that despite widespread recognition that more preventative investment could reap great benefits to society and the public purse, it remained a marginal component of expenditure. There was a need for preventative investment to be more strategic, moving from being a part of service delivery to an explicit, deliberate, and integral part of the policy-making and commissioning process – in order to identify where harm could be prevented and cost savings realized.
Source: Ruth Puttick, Innovations in Prevention, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
Links: Report | NESTA blog post
Date: 2012-Oct
A report examined the challenge of creating legitimate space for innovation within the systems and processes of public administration.
Source: Jesper Christiansen and Laura Bunt, Innovation in Policy: Allowing for creativity, social complexity and uncertainty in public governance, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
Date: 2012-Oct
An article said that recognition of the importance of interactions between policies had fuelled demand for larger, longer-term, more holistic studies of their impacts and effectiveness. The broader perspective provided by evaluations of this kind appeared to have been useful to policy-makers: but their scale and complexity present practical and methodological challenges. Research funders needed to commission and co-ordinate groups of studies rather than procuring research on an ad-hoc basis. Researchers needed to be willing to share data and develop methods of collecting evidence relating to overarching themes, as opposed to more narrowly defined programme and policy objectives.
Source: James Downe, Steve Martin and Tony Bovaird, 'Learning from complex policy evaluations', Policy & Politics, Volume 40 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A report examined the contributions to policy-making made by social scientists in government. Social scientists in central government viewed their role very positively as contributors to policy at all stages of the policy cycle, although many said that they would like to be even more involved at an earlier stage in order to maximize their policy contributions.
Source: Mariell Juhlin, Puay Tang, and Jordi Molas-Gallart, Study of the Contribution of Social Scientists to Government Policy and Practice, Economic and Social Research Council
Links: Report | ESRC press release
Date: 2012-Oct
A new book said that the dominant methods used in evidence-based policy-making – broadly speaking, methods that imitated standard practices in medicine such as randomized control trials – did not work. They failed because they did not enhance the ability to predict whether policies would be effective.
Source: Nancy Cartwright and Jeremy Hardie, Evidence-Based Policy: A practical guide to doing it better, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined initial applications of behavioural economics to policy-making. It identified three routes through which behavioural economics had influenced policy: the theory of libertarian paternalism ('nudges'); the provision of toolkits for policy-makers seeking behavioural change; and the expansion of the skill-set of applied economists (and scientists in related disciplines). The last of these was the only route that could adapt to the ongoing and rapid evolution of what was a young science. Successful policy development was more likely where there was expert input and the capacity to engage in applied experimentation, piloting, and evaluation. Countries were more likely to reap the benefits of behavioural economics if they created an active and effective interface between applied economists and policy-makers.
Source: Peter Lunn, 'Behavioural economics and policymaking: learning from the early adopters', Economic and Social Review, Volume 43 Number 3
Links: Article
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined how political science theories could provide useful insights into the way European Union policy evaluation was carried out, by reference to cohesion policy programmes. Contrary to the 'mixed methods rhetoric' of the European Commission, positivism remained the dominant approach when evaluating the structural funds.
Source: Julian Hoerner and Paul Stephenson, 'Theoretical perspectives on approaches to policy evaluation in the EU: the case of cohesion policy', Public Administration, Volume 90 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
A collection of essays explored new policy ideas for the opposition Labour party.
Source: John Denham (ed.), The Shape of Things to Come: Labour s new thinking, Fabian Society
Links: Summary
Notes: Individual essays included: Kate Green, 'A new welfare bargain' | Kitty Ussher, 'Taking the long view on welfare policy' | Rick Muir, 'Social democratic public services' | Andrew Harrop, 'Home affairs: too hot to handle?'
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the relationship between evidence-based policy-making and policy transfer. The policy transfer framework had been widely employed across a range of disciplines in recent years, yet had also attracted criticism for its failure to adequately explain why policy officials engaged in transfer at all. The transfer of welfare-to-work policy ideas from the United States of America after the election of New Labour in 1997 had been at least partly driven by pressure to develop evidence-based policy; and, in addition to welfare policy ideas, UK policy officials had adopted policy evaluation techniques from the USA.
Source: Timothy Legrand, 'Overseas and over here: policy transfer and evidence-based policy-making', Policy Studies, Volume 33 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined recent social policy developments in Northern Ireland. In many areas Northern Ireland lags behind other parts of the United Kingdom. The lack of progress or vision evident in the previous period of government showed no sign of improving during the existing mandate. The authors provided examples to illustrate problems caused by the failure to link economic and social policy, a 'silo' mentality, and the dominance of a neo-liberal agenda.
Source: Goretti Horgan and Ann Marie Gray, 'Devolution in Northern Ireland: a lost opportunity?', Critical Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A book chapter examined the history of the open method of co-ordination in the social policy field in Europe, and identified its value as a benchmarking tool.
Source: Bart Vanhercke and Peter Lelie, 'Benchmarking social Europe a decade on: demystifying the OMC s learning tools', in Alan Fenna and Felix Knuepling (eds), Benchmarking in Federal Systems: Australian and international experiences, Productivity Commission (Melbourne)
Links: Chapter
Notes: The open method of coordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the 'governance architecture' of the Europe 2020 agenda, and in particular its social dimension. Insofar as Europe 2020 had a social dimension it was located within a suite of thematic 'flagship initiatives', as well as within a policy co-ordination framework that built on the Lisbon agenda's governance architecture. The role to be played by the 'open method of co-ordination' as a 'new' form of social governance remained unclear. Indeed, the risk was that political energy would be concentrated on policy co-ordination as a means of strengthening economic governance rather than as a vehicle for articulating a progressive social policy vision.
Source: Kenneth Armstrong, 'EU social policy and the governance architecture of Europe 2020', Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, Volume 18 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
The coalition announced (in a written parliamentary statement on the last day before the summer recess) that it was changing the procedures under which government departments and other public bodies consulted when developing policy and legislation. There would be a 'more proportionate and targeted approach' rather than following the same 'bureaucratic' process. It said that government departments would no longer follow a 'default' 12-week consultation period, and that the expectation was that consultation would normally be carried out by digital means.
Source: Consultation Principles, Cabinet Office | Written Ministerial Statement 17 July 2012, column 117WS, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Guidelines | Hansard
Date: 2012-Jul
A new book provided a critical analysis of the contribution of evaluation research to policy-making.
Source: Colin Palfrey, Paul Thomas, and Ceri Phillips, Evaluation for the Real World: The impact of evidence in policy making, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
A new book examined social policy developments under the coalition government across a range of key policy areas. It included chapters dealing with health, housing, family support, and the proposed new universal credit.
Source: Majella Kilkey, Gaby Ramia, and Kevin Farnsworth (eds.), Social Policy Review 24: Analysis and debate in social policy, 2012, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
A think-tank paper said that state funding weakened the independence of charities, making them less inclined to criticize government policy. This could create a 'sock puppet' version of civil society, giving the illusion of grassroots support for new legislation. State-funded charities usually campaigned for causes that did not enjoy widespread support among the general public (such as foreign aid). They typically lobbied for bigger government, higher taxes, greater regulation, and the creation of new agencies to oversee and enforce new laws. Unrestricted grants to charities should be abolished, and a new category of 'non-profit organization' should be created for organizations that received substantial funds from statutory sources.
Source: Christopher Snowdon, Sock Puppets: How the government lobbies itself and why, Institute of Economic Affairs
Links: Paper | Summary | NCVO press release | Charity Times report | Public Finance report
Date: 2012-Jun
A think-tank report examined ways in which the coalition government could renew its political programme at the mid-term point, and find a shared approach to major policy challenges such as adult social care reform and local government finance.
Source: Akash Paun and Stuart Hallifax, A Game of Two Halves: How coalition governments renew in mid-term and last the full term, Institute for Government
Links: Report | IFG press release
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined whether positive behaviour change was most effectively achieved through central government action or at a local level (through the combined efforts of local agencies, the voluntary sector, and citizens). The exact relationship between government action, citizen behaviour, and effective public outcomes remained hazy, despite examples of good practice and robust evidence across government. There were real opportunities to use the 'nudge' approach at a local level: but without more experiments to close the gap in evidence, the government might have to settle for only moderate changes in citizen behaviour.
Source: Peter John (with Liz Richardson), Nudging Citizens Towards Localism?, British Academy
Links: Report | Summary | British Academy press release
Date: 2012-May
An article formulated a preliminary model of the role of the precautionary principle in evidence-based policy. Although precaution might be a barrier to evidence-based policy-making, this was not always so: depending on the contextual factors, it could also be enabling, encouraging policy-makers to engage with the evidence.
Source: Mark Monaghan, Ray Pawson, and Kate Wicker, 'The precautionary principle and evidence-based policy', Evidence & Policy, Volume 8 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined European Union constitutional law in relation to economic and social integration, contrasting 'liberal' and 'socially embedded' constitutionalism. It proposed a 'constitution of social governance', under which the European Court of Justice and EU institutions would encourage steps towards social integration at EU level to be taken by transnational societal actors.
Source: Dagmar Schiek, Economic and Social Integration: The Challenge for EU Constitutional Law, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined what the Lisbon Treaty meant for social law and social policy at the European level.
Source: Niklas Bruun, Klaus Lorcher, and Isabelle Schomann (eds.), The Lisbon Treaty and Social Europe, Hart Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the involvement of sub-national authorities and national parliaments in policy co-ordination in the area of welfare policy in the European Union. The involvement of sub-national authorities was uneven, depending on their constitutional structures, as federal and regionalized states in general had more elaborate mechanisms: but some centralized states had sophisticated systems too, which pointed to governance practices also playing a role. Throughout the EU, national parliaments remained largely decoupled from the open method of co-ordination. In the case of both sub-national authorities and parliaments, their input was greater in the preparatory phase than in the ex-post evaluation, which had implications for democratic policy-making.
Source: Anna Michalski, 'Social welfare and levels of democratic government in the EU', Journal of European Economic Integration, Volume 34 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
The Queen's Speech set out the coalition government's legislative programme for 2012-13. It included plans for:
• A Children and Families Bill.
• A Draft Care and Support Bill.
• A Pensions Bill and a Public Service Pensions Bill.
• A Crime and Courts Bill, a Justice and Security Bill, and a Draft Communications Data Bill.
An Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.
Source: Queen's Speech, 9 May 2012, columns 3-5, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Hansard | Cabinet Office briefing | Labour Party press release | TUC press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2012-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that it had 'little confidence' that the coalition government's policies were informed by a clear, coherent, strategic approach. The government was failing to co-ordinate and reconcile priorities, to ensure that long-term and short-term goals were coherent across departments. Policy decisions were made for short-term reasons, little reflecting the longer-term interests of the nation. The MPs called on the government to publish an annual 'Statement of National Strategy' in Parliament, reflecting the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom and the devolved policy agendas.
Source: Strategic Thinking in Government: Without national strategy, can viable government strategy emerge?, Twenty Fourth Report (Session 2010-12), HC 1625, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | IFG press release | BBC report
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper examined the potential for documentary film to generate social change, focusing on the extent to which the social sector could use film to influence policy-makers directly.
Source: Kate Stanley with Laura Bradley, The Emotional Tipping Point: Can documentary film tip policy makers?, Save the Children
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book (in four volumes) examined public policy – including models of policy formation, the institutional context, policy implementation, policy-making at the street level, evidence and policy-making, and policy change.
Source: Peter Hupe and Michael Hill (eds.), Public Policy, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined the way in which think-tanks made a difference to social policy and politics in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Source: Hartwig Pautz, Think-Tanks, Social Democracy and Social Policy, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A think-tank report examined how the exercise of the power of legislative initiative by the European Commission had evolved over the years, and whether the role of the European Commission as initiator of legislative proposals really had been eroded.
Source: Paolo Ponzano, Costanza Hermanin, and Daniela Corona, The Power of Initiative of the European Commission: A progressive erosion?, Notre Europe
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the European Union s 'early warning system' for subsidiarity (introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon), and how national parliaments had responded to EU legislative proposals under the system.
Source: Philipp Kiiver, The Early Warning System for the Principle of Subsidiarity: Constitutional theory and empirical reality, Routledge
Links: Summary
Notes: The early warning mechanism allows national parliaments to object to European Commission proposals within 8 weeks of publication on the grounds that they breach the principle of subsidiarity – that is, that a given objective could be achieved better at a lower level.
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that randomized impact evaluations could provide an effective way to generate the information needed to make government more effective. Advances in the theory and practice of running randomized evaluations meant that a wider range of questions could be answered than ever before.
Source: Rachel Glennerster, 'The power of evidence: improving the effectiveness of government by investing in more rigorous evaluation', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 219 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined how and what petitions could contribute to social policy following the introduction of petitions systems by the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Parliament. In particular, it explored the extent to which petitions systems challenged or replicated existing inequalities; what voices and interests they enabled to be heard; and what impact they could have on social policy.
Source: Catherine Bochel, 'Petitions: different dimensions of voice and influence in the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 46 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the role of evidence in determining the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission for the national minimum wage. It considered the extent to which the national minimum wage might be regarded as a success, and whether the recent financial crisis would alter the evidence-based approach thus far adopted by the Commission.
Source: Tim Butcher, 'Still evidence-based? The role of policy evaluation in recession and beyond: the case of the national minimum wage', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 219 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A report by a committee of peers said that procedures should be overhauled in order to prevent government departments from ignoring and sidelining scientific evidence that affected their policies.
Source: The Role and Functions of Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers, 4th Report (Session 2010-12), HL 264, House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | British Academy press release | RSS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the perception that the European Court of Justice often failed to leave sufficient autonomy to European Union member states in developing their own legal and policy choices in areas where European and national competences overlapped.
Source: Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz and Bruno De Witte (eds.), The European Court of Justice and the Autonomy of the Member States, Intersentia
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined whether or not evidence-based policy evaluation had had an impact on policy formation and public service delivery. The fact that evidence was not always used instrumentally, in the sense of leading to action in specific, direct ways, did not mean that it had little or no influence.
Source: Philip Davies, 'The state of evidence-based policy evaluation and its role in policy formation', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 219 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined the quality of impact assessments by the European Commission and the United Kingdom government between 2005 and 2010. Impact assessment was not merely a perfunctory activity: quality had improved steadily over the years, arguably as a result of learning and regulatory oversight.
Source: Oliver Fritsch, Claudio Radaelli, Lorna Schrefler, and Andrea Renda, Regulatory Quality in the European Commission and the UK: Old questions and new findings, Working Paper 362, Centre for European Policy Studies (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined developments in the field of social impact assessment (SIA). A 'dramatic shift' was required in the way that socio-economic studies and community participation were undertaken: SIA needed to be the process of managing the social aspects of development, based on a holistic and integrated approach. Greater attention needed to be given to ensuring that the goals of development were attained and enhanced.
Source: Frank Vanclay and Ana Maria Esteves (eds.), New Directions in Social Impact Assessment: Conceptual and methodological advances, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined trends in the development of social policies in Northern Ireland during the period of restored devolution 2007-2011, and the thesis that policy formation had been characterized by the 'lowest common denominator' approach.
Source: Ann Marie Gray and Derek Birrell, 'Coalition government in Northern Ireland: social policy and the lowest common denominator thesis', Social Policy and Society, Volume 11 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan