of and communicating evidence for policy information · 2019-05-24 · members’ use of...
TRANSCRIPT
MEMBERS’ USE OF
INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATING EVIDENCE FOR POLICY
Iain Watt, May 2019
NB This presentation refers to parliaments in general and has no specific application to the European Parliament (exc. slides 8-10)
FROM MYTH TO REALITY
• The traditional model of research support for parliaments, as usually presented by parliaments, research services and academics studying those services, is based on a (useful) myth
• But Members are not scientists, and do not practice full-information decision-making. Historically, they have not made strong demands for scientific support.
• Scientific support in (large?) part plays a symbolic role and may also be used instrumentally (‘policy-based evidence’) if it is used at all - especially if communicated in the traditional way
2Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
MEMBERS’ USE OF INFORMATION
• Most Members on most topics do not have the time to reach a fully-informed individual view
• Decision-making must usually be ‘fast and frugal’
• The most interested Members are often already informed and already have a position – the audience for ‘evidence’ is limited
3Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
MEMBERS’ USE OF INFORMATION
• Members often by nature prefer oral communication and most ‘evidence’ is written
• Members use guides: other Members who are established specialists, Members in leading roles, policy advisers of their party, their assistants…
• Members do use written evidence in their communications with stakeholders
4Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• People who need to be effective in communicating to Members – what do they do?
• Abandon typical structure and style of academic paper
• Foreground conclusions and recommendations, not background, methodology, literature review
5Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Focus communication on the ‘guides’
• In-person and interactive expertise may be more useful than a report
• Concise and accessible summaries of evidence may be widely used, even by expert Members
• In the statistical field - infographics
6Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
TIME AND THE THIRD DIMENSION
• More competition later in the parliamentary process – early communication on emerging issues may have more effect
• Communicating directly with Members and their support staff is only one route
• Evidence that is publicly validated by expert networks and (social) media will reach more Members and have greater value to them
7Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019 8
Policy Department
‘Expertise hub’
Research communities & (potential) contractors
Stakeholders NGOs & citizens
Committee Members & supporting
staff
EU institutions
National parliament
research services
The communications network of an EP Policy Department
9Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
10Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
CONCLUSION
• Effective communication of evidence to Members is different from communicating in the academic or administrative environment
• It is not a neat and tidy process – must adapt to context, needs flexibility, willingness to innovate, communication skills + risk management
• A challenge – but results are possible
11Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019
CONTACT AND REFERENCES
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iain-watt-info-research Email: [email protected]
Related to this presentation:
• Members' use of information and changing visions of the parliamentary library Library Trends Vol. 58, No. 4, Spring 2010
• Success does not equal value Computers in Libraries Conference, April 2013, Washington
• Blog of EP Policy Department: https://research4committees.blog/ Summaries of studies, links to download full documents, reports of workshops and adverts for forthcoming research contracts. Research supporting the Committees for: Agriculture & Rural Development; Fisheries; Transport & Tourism; Regional Development; Culture & Education
• Policy Department on Twitter: @PolicyAGRI , @PolicyPECH, @PolicyTRAN, @PolicyREGI, @PolicyCULT
12Iain Watt, presentation for 'Science, Numbers and Politics', Brussels May 2019