Earlier this week I was at the Communities in Control
conference http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/control/control_main.jsp,
which was very practical and inspiring.
Alison McCleland (Department of Planning and Community Development) spoke
on ‘How to persuade government with hard and soft data’ which provided some
clear practical advice on influencing government policy.
Alison referred to useful a journal article by Brian Head (2008)
entitled The three lenses of
evidence-based policy. Following is an outline of the practical tips
contained in the article by Brian Head.
Policy decisions emerge from
politics, judgement and debate, rather than being deduced from empirical
analysis. Policy debate and analysis involves an interplay between facts, norms
and desired actions, in which ‘evidence’ is diverse and contestable. There are
three types of evidence or three perspectives that are especially relevant in
the modern era:
- Political knowledge
- Scientific knowledge
- Practical implementation knowledge or ‘What
works?’
These different bodies of knowledge provide a range of evidence to inform and influence policy rather than determine it.
Political knowledge
This is the know-how, analysis
and judgement of political actors.
This involves:
- Considering and adjusting strategies or tactics
- Undertaking agenda-setting
- Determining priorities
- Undertaking persuasion or advocacy
- Communicating key messages and ideological spin
- Shaping and responding to positions of accountability
- Building coalitions of support
- Negotiating trade-offs and compromises
Policy seen through the political
lens, is about persuasion and support rather than about objective veracity.
Scientific knowledge
This is the product of systematic
analysis of current and past conditions and trends, and analysis of the causal
inter-relationships that explain conditions and trends. In relation to policy review and
assessment, there is a range of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary
knowledge. Inter-disciplinary
approaches have some to the fore in recent decades for addressing multi-layered
social problems. Researchers are sometimes naïve about what policy analysis
will be seen as relevant and about how to communicate and package their
research outcomes effectively to inform government policy.
Practical implementation knowledge
This knowledge focuses on program
effectiveness and the ‘practical wisdom’ of professionals in their ‘communities
of practice’ and the organisational knowledge associated with managing program
implementation. These managers and professionals wrestle with everyday problems
of program implementation and client service.
Getting an issue on the government agenda
For governments, problems and
issues become seen as worthy of investigation owing to a confluence of
circumstances such as:
- A perception of crisis or urgency
- The role of political mandates and priorities
- The role of expert judgement and advice
(consultants, inquiries etc.)
- Organisational and issue histories
- The changing context of social values and public
opinion
Policies related to young people in nursing homes
The issue of young people in nursing homes is currently on
the national government agenda.
However there is a risk that once the current five-year $244 million
initiative finishes in July 2011, that 700 Australians under 50 will continue
to be admitted to aged care each year.
What evidence do we need to take to government? (Alison
McClelland, 2009)
1. Highlight
issues and focus policy debates
2. Describe
the impacts of existing policies
3. Consider
new policies and programs through evidence from our service experience about
what works
No one organisation is able to do all of the work or provide
the range of information required to effectively influence policy, practice and
funding related to the issue of young people in nursing homes. In order to
resolve the issue of young people in nursing homes we need to develop a ‘policy
network’ or ‘policy community’ that includes participants that are able to
provide knowledge from all three of the ‘lenses’ outlines above.
The Young People in Nursing Homes Alliance has been
effective in raising public awareness, developing relationships with state and
federal politicians and getting the issue on the government agenda. The Summer
Foundation is undertaking a range of studies to provide an evidence based to
influence policy, practice and funding.
Through the Building Better Lives initiative
(buildingbetterlives.org.au), the Summer Foundation is also engaging a
community of practice to provide government with the practical knowledge and
experience of what works for this group of people.
One critical area that was not identified in the three
lenses outlined by Head (2008) was a community building approach to influencing
government policy that empowers the target group involved. A grassroots approach to resolving social
justice issues was a recurring theme throughout the Communities in Control conference. In order to resolve the issue of
young people in nursing homes we need to work with people with disabilities and
their families as empowered partners.
We need to start by finding out what young people in nursing homes and
their families care about. Once we
know what they want to work on, we need to give people with disabilities and
their families agency and control over their destiny. We need to work with them, get them to select a problem they
want to fix and resource them to resolve it.
Head, B. (2008). The three lenses of evidence-based policy. The Australian Journal of Public Administration
Vol 67, No.1 pp. 1-11
