Jenny Stewart 1

Public Policy as Information

A research agenda

Professor Jenny StewartVisiting Fellow, School of Business, ADFA

9 April 2009

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My aims for today

To outline a major research project that will (I hope) change the way we think about public policy

To explore (from my perspective) where some of the ideas might go

To invite reactions from the School

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My proposition

We can significantly improve the effectiveness of public policy by understanding its content and processes as a form of information.

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I see implications for

Policy learning and evaluation Implementation Instrument choice Policy design As well as work in networks,

communicative theories of public policy

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My background Escaped public servant; academic

from 1993 As a public servant, struck by the

futility of much that we did How to connect with the problems

that we saw?

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Some examples Reports, submissions and briefs that

were never read by Ministers, let alone acted upon

Promising ideas that could not be ‘sold’ up the line

Simplistic solutions that became entrenched, not because they were good, but because they were convenient

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My intuition was ..

Bureaucratic hierarchy was a poor way of making policy

Our attempts at control often made matters worse

We needed new ways of conceptualising public policy

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The academic view (Dryzek) Policy capacity constantly tested

(response to global financial crisis one of many problems)

Conventional ways of ‘doing’ policy (ie through centralised politics and bureaucracy) may have reached their limits

New approaches (eg deliberative governance) needed but remain undeveloped

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Further examples of the problem

Unintended consequences when linkages overlooked or misunderstood (eg effects of privatisation on training)

Misdirected interventions because we misunderstand the system (eg r & d incentives)

Clumsy interventions because policy instruments too coarse (eg Commonwealth’s relationship to universities)

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What’s information

Reduction of uncertainty More nuanced understandings of info

eg Kenneth Boulding: information is ‘form’ or ‘pattern’ that conveys meaning

The act of communication builds meaning (contrast with information as commodity to be bought and sold)

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What’s policy?

Two key models Rational model (policy cycle) Structured interaction (see Colebatch

2002) Both have a role for information Rational model: collect information

about the world; analyse it; then use it within a causal model.

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Interaction models

Information is produced and used in many ways

It is the process that shapes the outcome

Hierarchy, markets and networks

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Hierarchy

Information flows upwards for decision, and downwards (and outwards) for implementation

Information is generated in functionally distinct parts of organisations

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Networks

Networks loose mechanisms for cooperation/collaboration

They can be ‘managed’ in various ways

Information flows are less constrained, less stylised than in the hierarchical bureaucracy

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Markets

Information most decentralised here. Prices are formed in ways that reflect

the information in people’s heads But this information moves, and is

used, in ways that are not controlled by any one mind (Hayek 1974)

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Public policies

Use all these modalities But often, not very well There is a fundamental problem

Accountability versus flexibility If we allow public servants more

freedom to respond to problems, we cannot also expect to retain highly centralised forms of decision-making

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A way forward?

To what extent do existing theories of public policy help us resolve this problem?

Systems theories (Easton, Luhmann) Communicative theories (Fischer) Networking theories (Kickert; Provan

and Milward) Governance-related theories (Dryzek)

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Systems theory Systems theory – the theory that died in

policy science? Eastman: simple model of the political

system Luhmann (theory of social differentiation

thru reflexivity of systems) Checkland (‘soft’ systems theory –

understanding organisational processes)

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Luhmann

Systems theory Luhmann: self-structuring properties of

networks Actors don’t know the full possibilities of

what they are doing: they emerge as communication develops

Increasing social complexity implies increasing complexity in government

But where does public policy fit in?

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If we start with policy Can we see public policy in general as a

form of information? Yes – policy systems respond to signals that

something is wrong (eg when regulation fails to work, we get a strong signal that we need better regulation)

Public policy is an attempt to structure complexity and manage risk (eg when we create a system of public education; or when we make superannuation compulsory)

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Processes that produce signals

Media commentary Informal communication Performance measurement Audit Evaluation Consultation

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Processes that produce systems

Implementing activities Eg Creating new organisations

Coordinating activities Eg specifying decision points

Resourcing activities Eg executing budgets

Motivating activities Eg incentives and regulations

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In more specific terms Policy is all about information flow When we talk about networks, we are

trying to capture this aspect of policy An information-based model of policy

might, therefore, try to understand the costs and benefits of different kinds of organisational connections in terms of signalling, response and action.

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PolicyAgency A

PolicyAgency B

ManagementAgency A

ManagementAgency B

Clients

Other agencies

Coordination                         

 

Fig 1 Relationships in conventional policy

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A

B

C

DE

ClientsClients

                

 

 

Fig 2 Networking model

Network shape determined by problem area

Agencies

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NetworkNode agency A

NetworkNode agency A

‘vertical’ accountabilityaxis

NetworkNode agency B

‘outwards’ accountability

Information flows

Other links

Agency A

Agency B

           

 

Figure 3 Polycentric nodality

‘vertical’ axis agency B

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Where to next?

I am hoping that I have the beginnings of a theory here

Or maybe a way of re-interpreting existing theory

Or maybe a ‘thought-starter’ - a way of stimulating new work on a variety of fronts

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References Colebatch (2002) Policy (2nd ed) Open University Press Checkland (1999) Systems theory, systems practice,

Wiley Dryzek (1987) Rational Ecology, OUP Easton (1965) A systems analysis of political life, Uni

of Chicago Press Hayek (1974) Nobel Memorial Lecture Kickert (1997) Management of Complex Networks,

Sage Luhmann (1982) Differentiation of Society, Columbia Provan and Milward (2000) ‘Governing the hollow

state’ Public Admin Research and Theory, 10(2)