The use and non-use of policy appraisal tools in public policy making: an analysis of three European countries and the European Union

Nilsson, M, Jordan, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7678-1024, Turnpenny, J, Hertin, J, Nykvist, B and Russel, D (2008) The use and non-use of policy appraisal tools in public policy making: an analysis of three European countries and the European Union. Policy Sciences, 41 (4). pp. 335-355. ISSN 0032-2687

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Abstract

The increasing complexity of policy problems, coupled with the political desire to base new policies on the foundation of firm evidence, has accelerated the development of policy assessment tools. These range from complex computer models and cost benefit analysis through simple checklists and decision trees. In the last decade, many governments have established formal policy assessment systems to harness these tools in order to facilitate more evidence-based policy making. These tools are potentially widely available, but to what extent are they used by policy makers and what becomes of the evidence that they generate? This paper addresses these questions by studying the empirical patterns of tool use across 37 cases in three European countries and the European Commission. It uses a simple classification of tools into advanced, formal and simple types. It finds that even when tools are embedded in policy assessment systems, their use is differentiated and on the whole very limited, in particular when it comes to more advanced tools. It then explores these patterns from contrasting theoretical perspectives to shed light on why, when and how different policy assessment tools are used in the policy process.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Policy & Politics Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Science, Society and Sustainability Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Political, Social and International Studies Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Competition Policy
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	28 Nov 2018 14:30
Last Modified:	20 Oct 2023 00:50
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/69074
DOI:	10.1007/s11077-008-9071-1

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