The inevitable chaos and unpredictability of politics makes trying to achieve policy change a real challenge. But that doesn’t mean academics should just give up. Drawing from policy analysis and public affairs lessons, James Lloyd recommends six steps to get researchers going in the right direction towards achieving policy change

Lloyd, James

LSE Research Online

8/8/2016So you want to change policy? Six steps for academics lookingto achieve policy changeblogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/08/08/so-you-want-to-change-policy-six-steps-for-academics-looking-to-achieve-policy-change/The inevitable chaos and unpredictability of politics makes trying to achieve policy change a realchallenge. But that doesn’t mean academics should just give up. Drawing from policy analysis andpublic affairs lessons, James Lloyd recommends six steps to get researchers going in the rightdirection towards achieving policy change.Last month I wrote a piece for the LSE Impact blog on whether it is realistic to expect UK socialscientists to achieve policy change. By recognising the reality of UK policymaking, the piece questioned whether it isrealistic to place an expectation on social scientists – or anyone from any field for that matter – to achieve policychange.The piece seems to have tapped in to some existing vein of concern, and it received a great response both in theUK and, interestingly, in other jurisdictions. Some readers wanted more elaboration on the final points in the piecearound how academics can achieve policy change. So, with a blank page and a new word count, here goes.As with the first blog, this one is written with UK social scientists and UK policymaking in mind. The starting point issomeone who has ticked all the basic ‘impact’ boxes: non-technical research summary; press release of anynewsworthy findings; a blog post summarising the research on relevant forums; emails notifying potentiallyinterested parties about the research. And it goes without saying that you’ve sent your research to relevantgovernment departments, and responded to any Select Committee that has issued a relevant call for evidence. Putanother way, you’ve gone as far as you can with formal policymaking processes and some standard impact-dissemination.Image credit: Pixabay Public Domain1/4If, after all of this, you still want to achieve a specific policy change, what should you do? What follows are somehighly condensed recommendations drawing on two separate professional disciplines: policy analysis and publicaffairs. Others from these two sectors might draw up things differently, or with different emphasis. But here goes.1. Open accessThe biggest barrier to evidence-based policymaking is still arguably that so much research sits beyond the reach ofpolicymakers behind journal pay-walls. This touches on a big, live debate around the future of academic publishingand open access, which I won’t delve into here. However, if you’re determined to change policy using a piece ofyour research, it really needs to be available in full, for free, for everyone in policymaking to access, online, at anytime. Anything else will undermine your chances of achieving policy change.2. Specify your outcomesChanging policy is easier when you have absolute clarity around the specific, tangible, measurable outcomes youwant to change. Can you describe clearly the before/after outcomes you’re interested in? If yes, you can then think:who has the power to change them? Is it something for Westminster, an arms-length regulator, one of the devolvedadministrations or a council? If you can’t specify your outcomes or who can influence them, think carefully againabout what you want to achieve, and how.3. Finalise your theory of changeBy all means, jump into the policymaking world with just your research findings. However, you’re going to go muchfurther and faster if you have some specific policy recommendations to promote off the back of them: a plan. Onceyou’ve developed some proposals, test them rigorously. Are they feasible to deliver, publicly acceptable and are theylikely to be effective? Then test them some more: present them to a policy analyst that works at a relevant charity orinterest group body. Get the analyst to pick holes in your proposal. Find out if what you’re suggesting has been triedor proposed before.4. Sort your ‘story’Policymaking is in many ways about the stories that different stakeholders tell each other, and not just politicians tothe public. These are the narratives that simplify complexity, resonate with people’s understanding, values and viewof the world, and motivate them to be interested and support a change in policy. Most policy narratives deploy well-worn stories: inequality between different groups; the UK falling behind international competitors; unacceptablewaste. This topic could fill another blog or book, but there are around 12 ‘classics’ that drive policymaking. Withaccessible research, clear, specific policy recommendations in hand and your ‘narrative’ sorted, you’re ready for thenext step.5. Find your alliesYes, you can write to a newspaper, Minister or a politician yourself calling for a specific change of policy. But whatwill probably be more effective is to have stakeholders active in a policy agenda pick up your research andrecommendations, and run with these themselves. In short, they will be your ‘policy entrepreneurs’, who will setabout actively trying to change policy, but with all the existing policy and public affairs resources at their disposal,lending credibility, support and heft to the policy change you want to achieve.So, go and meet with every politician, charity, trade body and professional body that has a stake in your policyinterest. Each time, you will probably need to tailor your messages and how you are framing the issue. You’reprobably going to go for a lot of ‘coffees’. But, don’t be surprised if your potential allies say: “great, but we arefocusing our campaigning this year on this other related issue.” Or, “so important, but it doesn’t chime with themessaging around our key asks currently.” Every stakeholder in the policymaking process has limited time andresource to achieve their objectives, and may have other priorities.2/46. Hang out and be patientIf you’ve got to this point, you’ve probably spent around 150+ hours on trying to change policy. But now you have todo two things.Hang out in policy circles. For example, by going to relevant public policy debates and seminars, and making sureyou speak in the Q&A. This maintains and refreshes your networks, keeps your research in people’s minds andkeeps you abreast of how your plans to change policy may need to adapt to other developments. If relevant policyevents aren’t happening, go back and have more ‘coffees’ with all those stakeholders again.And be patient. Changing policy can take years. In fact,politicians and governments often sit on good ideasuntil they can be launched with the maximum politicalgain. When the Prime Minister used his 2015 partyconference speech to announce new measures totackle ethnic discrimination in UK recruitment, he calledon research that was six years old. Had Number 10 justcome across it? More likely, they’d been sitting on it for2-3 years – or longer – waiting until the time was rightto announce the policy for maximum political impactand gain, helping underpin the PM’s attempt to reframethe character of his government.And remember, the policymaking process is chaoticand frustrating. If you’re really lucky, you might makehuge headway in convincing a Minister of your policyrecommendations and research. But, just as theMinister is about to introduce a bill, the Minister may bemoved or fall out of favour. Or maybe an election will becalled, and whoever becomes the new Minister wantsnothing to do with their predecessor’s ideas – in fact,you may be tainted by association. Or perhaps the civil servants you’re dealing with in several departments willsuddenly be at loggerheads on some other issue, and refuse to cooperate on the policy you’re trying to change asthey engage in that power struggle.The truth is, hundreds of hours of work can go up in smoke in an instant. This is the inevitable chaos andunpredictability of politics, and unavoidable in trying to achieve policy change. Even when you succeed, whichever‘policymaker’ takes forward your research or proposals may never acknowledge you or give you credit.So, don’t be hard on yourself. Changing public policy is tough, and sometimes, really, really tough. And that’s why itisn’t necessarily realistic to expect academic researchers – or anyone – to achieve policy change.Note: This article gives the views of the author, and not the position of the LSE Impact blog, nor of the LondonSchool of Economics. Please review our Comments Policy if you have any concerns on posting a comment below.About the AuthorJames Lloyd is Director of the Strategic Society Centre. He read Philosophy at University College London, and hasMasters degrees in Comparative Politics and in Public Policy. James has worked at a number of Westminster think-tanks, and at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. James has taken part in various expert working groups andcommittees for the Department of Health and HM Treasury, and is currently an Advisor to the ESRC ResearchCentre on Micro-Social Change at the University of Essex. He has been called as an expert witness to provide oral3/4evidence to the Health Select Committee, the Pension Schemes Bill Committee and the Public Administration SelectCommittee. Copyright © The Author (or The Authors) - Unless otherwise stated, this work is licensed under a CreativeCommons Attribution Unported 3.0 License.4/4

So you want to change policy? Six steps for academics looking to achieve policy change

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