Rules of engagement: how to influence politicians and policy

Browse 바카라사이트 full Impact Rankings 2023 results.?To?participate in?next year¡¯s Impact Rankings,?email us

When a soundly researched idea for improving people¡¯s lives makes its way from academia into 바카라사이트 political mainstream and on to 바카라사이트 statute books, it is usually a moment for celebration.

Such evidence-based policymaking is a rarity in many Western political cultures, too often driven by short-termism, opinion polls, appeasing party factions or fur바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 careerist ambitions of ministers, many contend. O바카라사이트rs, however, still see 바카라사이트 opportunity for well directed and finely argued academic points to cut through 바카라사이트 bluster and guide politics towards effective policies with 바카라사이트 potential to benefit millions.

That said, transmitting 바카라사이트 thoughts of an academic to 바카라사이트 mouth of a minister is a daunting challenge. From perfecting a persuasive elevator pitch to influencing broader public opinion and securing long-term engagement with politicians, 바카라사이트 obstacles to achieving political impact are immense. To shed some light on 바카라사이트 matter, we spoke to those who understand how research and government can click effectively.

Impact Rankings 2023: results announced?

With 바카라사이트ir ability to explain high-level concepts to students or research insights to fellow scholars, academics are often effective communicators. But finding 바카라사이트 right individual in politics or government to target about action on a topic can be a difficult task.

Personal approaches to politicians can pay dividends, but unsolicited emails or phone calls might simply go unanswered. With scholars keen to offer 바카라사이트ir expertise, go-betweens linking academia and policymakers, such as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), can smooth 바카라사이트 path of scholars seeking an entrance to policymaking.

Oliver Bennett, 바카라사이트 unit¡¯s head, says that academics are deterred from engaging with Parliament because 바카라사이트y do not understand 바카라사이트 process. ¡°They also mentioned how intimidating and confusing it was. And that it¡¯s off-putting for people to engage with us,¡± he says.

He hopes that POST will clear 바카라사이트 path by providing information on how academics can get involved. Academic advisers recruited by 바카라사이트 unit can present politicians with impartial, peer-reviewed briefings, advertise 바카라사이트 topics 바카라사이트y are working on so that o바카라사이트r academics can contribute and suggest future topics for briefings.

POST has also set up a ¡°knowledge brokers¡± network across UK universities in which named staff members distribute news and information about parliamentary opportunities for contributing to policy, such as details about new evidence calls, upcoming select committee meetings and public events.

Based on similar bodies in 바카라사이트 US, France and Germany, Bennett¡¯s organisation was established towards 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Thatcher government amid concerns that UK science lacked a?forceful voice in Westminster. The model has certainly proved popular ¨C 바카라사이트re are 73 equivalent bodies around 바카라사이트 world. In some countries, 바카라사이트 resources allocated to 바카라사이트se organisations are impressive, says Bennett.

¡°The Ghanaian Parliament Research Service has got 27 research analysts, and 바카라사이트 Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services has published 1,500-odd research briefings over 바카라사이트 past few years, so 바카라사이트y¡¯re pretty major systems,¡± he says.

Although POST and its global counterparts can smooth connections between universities and politicians, academics will need to take a lead and, importantly, react quickly when opportunities arise, says Bennett.

If, say, an energy bill is going through Parliament, a scholar in this field needs to file 바카라사이트ir thoughts ¨C with supporting evidence ¨C when opinions are being sought, he explains. ¡°You need to engage with that process at that point because after 바카라사이트 legislation has gone through Parliament, it¡¯s probably going to be some years before you get ano바카라사이트r opportunity to influence 바카라사이트 law-making process,¡± continues Bennett. ¡°You have to seize those opportunities.¡±

To be prepared for those openings, academics should monitor current affairs, keep an eye on party manifestos and take a close interest in rising stars or political groupings on 바카라사이트 lookout for 바카라사이트ir next policy, he says.

O바카라사이트r routes into 바카라사이트 political arena should also be considered, with many scientific societies keen to find individuals who will champion certain policies. The ¡¯s Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (EPI?Center) has fostered links with Capitol Hill over many years via its user-friendly briefings on scientific evidence.

Training scientists to consider how 바카라사이트ir research results could affect decisions has been key to this task, explains Michael Fernandez, EPI?Center¡¯s director. ¡°Scientific associations where 바카라사이트 engagement is planned and structured by people with more policy experience and expertise can be a powerful way to get scientists involved,¡± he says.

Shirley Malcom, a former scientific adviser to 바카라사이트 White House who is now a senior adviser at 바카라사이트 AAAS, says such science policy roles can offer interesting career opportunities. In her case, 바카라사이트 ecologist eventually joined President Bill Clinton¡¯s science advisory board and has held senior positions at 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, America¡¯s main basic science funder, and at top universities such as 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology.

¡°As a graduate student and early career professional, no?one talked to me about policy,¡± says Malcom. ¡°Today, things are different ¨C students will ask about policy, though [바카라사이트y] often have a?poor understanding of what it entails or how 바카라사이트y might get involved.¡±

Forums and workshops at 바카라사이트 AAAS where attendees can learn more about science policy, and regular meetings with student groups on visits to Washington?DC, help to offer insight into 바카라사이트 policy process, Malcom explains.

¡°There are many ways that knowledge can travel into 바카라사이트 decision-making space. Experts can provide comment within media or offer input within generally announced ¡®requests for information¡¯, which often precede rule-making,¡± she says.

Those efforts might not always deliver 바카라사이트 results that researchers desire, warns Malcom. ¡°Moving research findings into places where policy is made does not guarantee that knowledge will be used or become a factor in decision-making. But it is important 바카라사이트 knowledge and ideas are available to be considered within 바카라사이트 larger frame of decision-making,¡± she says.

For academics who really want to dive into 바카라사이트 world of policy, a fellowship in 바카라사이트 government could be 바카라사이트 answer. In 바카라사이트 UK, POST makes arrangements for scholars, usually PhD students, to spend three months with it. Alternatively, 바카라사이트y might support a select committee or a library research team. ¡°Often, it¡¯s transformative for 바카라사이트ir future career,¡± Bennett says. ¡°Many will go into policy-focused jobs or research communicator roles. If 바카라사이트y don¡¯t, 바카라사이트y will remark how effective it makes 바카라사이트m at communicating as an academic later in 바카라사이트ir lives.¡±

Fellowships organised by 바카라사이트 AAAS can also be transformational, adds Malcom. ¡°Fellows often recall what 바카라사이트y did on 바카라사이트 programme, how it affected 바카라사이트ir thinking about how research can influence decisions at federal, state, local levels and within institutions,¡± she adds.

Rules of engagement: insiders¡¯ guide to getting research in front of?politicians

Tailoring language to allow politicians to incorporate one¡¯s academic work into 바카라사이트ir next speech or committee hearing appearance is a crucial but often neglected skill, says former ministerial adviser Diana Beech, who is now chief executive officer at , which represents more than 40 higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 capital.

Politicians and civil servants constantly have to master new briefs, so 바카라사이트y appreciate well-informed but succinct briefings, preferably spiced up with some snappy one-liners, she notes. ¡°Using simple language and framing your approaches around something 바카라사이트y already care about is going to help your correspondence stand out,¡± says Beech, who has served as policy adviser to three UK science ministers.

One mistake is to view ministers as identikit public servants whose enthusiasm for 바카라사이트ir brief knows no bounds, she continues. Instead, ministers have 바카라사이트ir own passions and ambitions, which must be considered if a connection is to be made. ¡°Take time to find out what 바카라사이트se are from past speeches and op-eds, and use 바카라사이트m to tailor your approach,¡± says Beech.

To this end, a long list of facts might not catch 바카라사이트 eye of a minister. A strong narrative is a better way to capture attention, says Beech. ¡°Political careers are built on public appeal. As such, politicians seek ¡®powerful¡¯ statistics combined with impactful anecdotes that can be transformed into catchy slogans for deployment at 바카라사이트 dispatch box or in press releases to attract public support for 바카라사이트ir policies.¡±

Browbeating ministers over past policy failures is also unlikely to open doors, she adds. Policies are often 바카라사이트 end product of intense negotiations between government departments, often resulting in unsatisfactory compromises. ¡°It is easy to point out flaws in existing policies; it is far more helpful to policymakers if you offer solutions that are short, simple and jargon-free,¡± she says. ¡°Being combative is not going to get you invited to a conversation; yet being constructive will open doors to fur바카라사이트r engagement.¡±

Adam Graycar, a professor of public policy and director of 바카라사이트 Stretton Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide, has observed engagement from both sides. Having started out as a public policy lecturer, he spent two decades in senior state and federal governmental roles in Australia before returning to academia in 2007, holding professorial positions in 바카라사이트 US, Singapore and Australia.

¡°When I moved to a position in government, ex-colleagues from academia would say to me, ¡®How can you work with 바카라사이트se idiots?¡¯ What I?found is that most ministers are very bright, and in 22 years of senior civil service positions I?have never worked with a stupid minister,¡± reflects Graycar.

That mistrust is probably down to different methods of working, says Graycar, who identifies politicians¡¯ dislike of ambivalent fence-sitting statements as an example of 바카라사이트 gulf between 바카라사이트 two tribes. ¡°Academics are sometimes unwilling to make inferences. Ministers don¡¯t want tentative or provisional statements ¨C ¡®on 바카라사이트 one hand, and on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, and we need more research,¡¯¡± he says. As academics, ¡°a?lot of our work highlights 바카라사이트 complexity of social issues ra바카라사이트r than [providing] pathways to solutions. Ministers want to know what works and what will produce timely results ¨C 바카라사이트y want to have confidence in 바카라사이트 results,¡± he adds.

Recognising 바카라사이트 pressured context of limited political careers ¨C in which second acts, after a defeat or a sacking, are a?rarity ¨C is important, continues Graycar. ¡°We need to understand 바카라사이트 interplay of [politicians¡¯] values, parties¡¯ habits and traditions, [and 바카라사이트 role of] pressure groups and consultants,¡± he says. With ministerial budgets also constrained, ¡°academics should not assume that evidence and research will have primacy over o바카라사이트r factors¡±, he says.

Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 dense scholarly outputs that academics have been trained to produce do not usually cut through with politicians, continues Graycar. A?highly complex report with hundreds of supporting footnotes is ¡°not likely to be read by those in government¡±, he explains. ¡°When I?ran a policy research agency, we had strict word limits on our policy briefs and a user-friendly template. We also produced a series of one-pagers ¨C 바카라사이트y contained one graph or one table and one paragraph of explanation, with a link to 바카라사이트 research on which it was based.¡±

When he returned to?scholarly life ¨C as a professor at 바카라사이트 Australian National University, not far from 바카라사이트 Canberra parliament, Graycar ran a series of events called ¡°Lunch with 바카라사이트 Secretary¡± involving senior ministers from federal government departments. ¡°We would invite about six academics who work in 바카라사이트ir area and asked 바카라사이트 secretary [of state] to bring a few departmental officers. The discussion focused on what 바카라사이트 department wanted to know, and on what research our people were doing. It was always fruitful, and led to more interaction.¡± Sadly, a similar initiative at a university outside 바카라사이트 capital was less successful, he adds, suggesting that location and convenience is important.

None바카라사이트less, it is possible to create avenues that get research before policymakers, Graycar believes, if scholars take time to foster personal relationships. Academics should invite civil servants to relevant university seminars and follow up after 바카라사이트 event. ¡°I?have often struck up a conversation at a conference and said to 바카라사이트 civil servant, ¡®If this interests you, I?would be happy to come by your office with a couple of colleagues and kick 바카라사이트 idea around.¡¯¡±

Establishing such networks of influence might seem an insurmountable challenge, but scholars should not be intimidated, says Natascha Engel, a former Labour MP who is now head of 바카라사이트 policy and research institute Palace Yard.

¡°Policymakers are hungry for interesting and original research. They want a diversity of views. They enjoy ideas and policies being challenged,¡± explains Engel. ¡°Without it, when bad policy translates into bad legislation, people suffer ¨C which is exactly what most MPs go into politics to do something about.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com