Table 1 General elements of the policy process to consider when identifying pathways to policy impact. Adapted from Cairney and Heikkila (2014)
From: An introduction to achieving policy impact for early career researchers
Element | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Policy actors | Organisations and individuals with an interest or concern with a policy process, and who directly or indirectly interact with policy processes. Synonymous with “stakeholder”. The “players of the game” (North, 1991). | Government bodies (local, regional, state, federal, national), peak industry bodies, community groups, non-government organisation, private companies, professional societies. Individual policymakers, senior and junior civil servants, lobbyists, members of the public, Members of Parliament, Members of Congress, key experts |
Networks | Relationships between policymakers and other policy actors, built on trust and mutual interest, which may enable greater influence on policy processes in exchange for information. Also referred to as “subsystems” | Usually informal, but may be facilitated by membership of professional associations, councils, peak bodies or personal networks. |
Institutions | Formal and informal rules, norms, practices, and traditions that influence individual and collective behaviour. The “rules of the game” (as per North, 1991). | Constitutions, Westminster system of governance, the judiciary, legislations, property rights, codes of conduct, cultural norms and traditions, formal meetings of governments, stakeholder consultation processes. |
Ideas | Beliefs, dominant forms of knowledge, paradigms and worldviews held by individuals and organisations or within networks and political systems that inform how policy problems are framed, and possible solutions. | Neoliberalism, social democracy, the market, universal healthcare, globalisation, protectionism, equity and inclusion, social (in)equality. |
Events | Routine, infrequent or unexpected events which may create small or large changes to the policy context, and can open or close “windows of opportunity” for policy change. | Elections, natural disasters, economic crisis, political crisis, shift in societal attitudes or opinion, change in Minister responsible for policy portfolio, change in head of a government department or body. |
Socioeconomic context | Economic, social, demographic conditions. | Unemployment rate, inflation, per capita income, income (in)equality, birth and death rate, immigration, emigration, key industries and sectors, natural resources. |
