Policy Hub
Policy makers should have broad horizons. The policy making process takes account of the national, European and international situation; draws on experience in other countries; considers how policy will be communicated.
Communications strategy is an example of an outward looking approach.
Government Communications Network provides guidance on the use of publicity to disseminate and explain new policies.
Policies should recognise the perspectives of the devolved administrations
and regional variations within England.
Devolved Administrations
The Scottish Executive has issued a guidance
note on common working arrangements . This guidance sets down common
working arrangements aimed at promoting the efficient administration of
Government business within the UK in relation to both devolved and non-devolved
matters. In addition a series of concordants
have been agreed between Scottish Ministers, UK Government and the National
Assembly of Wales which establishes an agreed framework for co-operation
in accordance with the principles set out in the Memorandum
of Understanding.
The House of Lords Constitution Committee published a report on 15 January 2003 (Devolution: Inter-Institutional Relations in the United Kingdom) which examined the relationship between Government and the Devolved Assemblies and assessed the impact of devolution within the United Kingdom.
Incorporating Regional Perspectives into Policy Making
Good practice project case studies [info4local website] There is a growing number of projects funded by the East of England European funding programmes that demonstrate good practice in a number of themes. This is an important element of the European funding programmes: to encourage, identify and disseminate innovative forms of project design and delivery. This page presents case study documents describing how some projects have demonstrated good practice in their design and/or delivery.
The second report of the Working Group on Cities, Regions and Competitiveness (Cities, Regions and Competitiveness) (759kb) was published on 6 June 2003. The report summarises the research evidence that demonstrates the crucial role that cities can play in the economic rejuvenation of regions and analyses the changing nature of the relationships between cities and regions.
The Government issued a consultation document on 6 March 2003 (A modern regional policy for the United Kingdom) which proposes that it's approach, the EU Framework for Devolved Regional Policy, should form the basis for a UK position in the debate on the future of the EU Structural and Cohesion Funds.
Regional Co-ordination Unit
The Regional Co-ordination Unit was established as a result of the PIU(now Strategy Unit) report Reaching Out - The Role of Central Government at Regional and Local Level'. It exists to consider Government initiatives with a regional or local dimension (Area Based Initiatives - ABIs) and to promote closer links between Government activity in the regions and the Centre.
The Regional Co-ordination Unit has completed a year long review of area based initiatives and published on 16 October 2002 a series of action plans covering eight themed reviews. These aim to improve the coordination and integration of initiatives and improve the way they interact with other local activity. The plans can be viewed on the ABI Website
The RCU published in June 2003 a Review of Area Based Initiatives: impacts and outcomes (25kb) which demonstrates the progress that has been made since publication of the ABI Review in October 2002, including the impact on those delivering programmes.
The 2002-2003 report on the work of the Government Office for the English Regions highlights the impact Government Offices for the English Regions are having on the delivery of Government policy on the front line.
Incorporating regional perspectives into the policy making process: issues for a future research study is a report commissioned by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies which explores how regional perspectives are best incorporated into the policy making process.
As a practical follow-on to this report, the Policy Studies Directorate of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (now part of the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit) and the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU) commissioned the Office of Public Management (OPM) to explore ways to improve the impact of regional perspectives on policy-making.
The Incorporating regional perspectives into policy making toolkit (596kb) is intended as a practical resource to help policy makers ensure that their policy making is informed by a proper understanding of regional issues and priorities.
An accompanying findings report (309kb) sets out the background to the agenda for regional involvement in policy making and the components of an improved approach to involving the regions in some detail.
A summary version (89kb) of the report is also available. Web-friendly versions of these reports will be added to Policy Hub later this year.
Local Delivery of Central Policy (190kb) - Cabinet Office, 2002. This report carried out by the Better Regulation Task Force contends that the effective local delivery of services is impeded by too much control and rigidity at the centre. It sets out a series a recommendations to achieve the alignment of strategies, objectives and geographic areas between agencies. The report proposes that other key policy areas of cross-cutting delivery should be addressed as a rolling programme, to be carried out by the Treasury and the Regional Co-ordination Unit of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, in order to improve the effectiveness of delivery.
Regional e-strategies
Developing a regional e-strategy: joining up the e-initiatives.-Society of Information Technology Management (Socitm), 2002 - urges England's regions to start developing e-strategies. The report concludes that a regional e-strategy can join up disparate e-initiatives, fill some critical gaps in regional infrastructure and deliver economies of scale. It also emphasises, however, that the process must involve the widest possible range of stakeholders and that there are no definitive models for partnership working of this sort.
Regional Observatories
A number of Regional observatories have been set up to support and promote
the use of research and information in the policy making of regions and
to share knowledge and best practice. These have been jointly developed
by Regional Development Agencies, Regional Assemblies, Government Offices
for the Regions and the Environment Development Agency. Those currently
set up comprise:-
In additional there are a number of other regional organisations that provide a similar role for other regions.
An outward looking approach draws on OECD and EU materials
The European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) was created in 1981, and is supported by the administrations of the Member States of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission. It is primarily concerned with programmes aimed at improving the understanding of EU processes and policies, developing the capacities of the administrations of the Member States to cope with European integration, and assisting the development of cooperation between these administrations.
The European Governance: a white paper 178kb (Commission of the European Communities, 2001.COM 2001 (428)) proposes important changes to ensure that EU policy making is more inclusive and cross-cutting and linked to long-term objectives. It also emphasises that regional and local knowledge need to be taken into account through more effective dialogue with appropriate institutions.
OECD Public Governance and Territorial Development analyses and develops solutions to the challenges and needs of Government and promotes good practice. Current activities include e-government, regulatory reform and sustainable development.
Peer Review: a tool for co-operation and change (186kb) (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2002). This paper examines the practice of peer review and the related effect of peer pressure in the context of international organisations, particularly the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It includes examples of OECD Peer Reviews.
The European Information Society Group (EURIM) is the all-party, pan-industry 'lobby' where the politics of the Information Society and E-Commerce are discussed across political, organisational and national boundaries prior to public debate. EURIM's objective is to identify consensus not just compromise. EURIM looks for ways forward which will still look reasonable when we look back in five or ten years.
ESPANet (the Network for European Social Policy Analysis) has been established to facilitate exchange and co-operation among social policy analysts in Europe and to provide a forum and network of communication for the development of European social policy analysis as a field of research and teaching. It encourages the international dissemination and exchange of information on significant developments relevant to European social policy and facilitates and promotes international research in this field.
An outward looking approach looks at how other countries dealt with the issue and draws on the experience in other countries.
The Australian Public Policy Research Network 'aims to provide opportunities for online and face-to-face exchanges for policy research analysts to promote new approaches to public policy.'
The International Comparisons in Policy Making Toolkit has been developed by CMPS to provide help and guidance in the use of international comparisons in policy making.
Eurostat is a key website offering comprehensive information covering a range of social and economic indicators for all EU countries.
Measuring performance of Government Departments - international developments: a report for the National Audit Office 181kb by Colin Talbot, Lyn Daunton and Colin Morgan. Public Futures, 2001. Examines performance measure developments in eight countries; Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the USA. The report was included as an appendix to the NAO report Measuring performance in Government departments.
The National Institute for Governance [Australia] aims to facilitate a multi-disciplinary network of governance researchers and practitioners, their organisations and professional associations in the interests of improving governance practices in Australia and in its region.
Policy Network is an organisation that aims to link and inform those involved in policy making. It has a strong international emphasis and has links with government and policy-makers in more than 25 countries.
The Policy Research Initiative is a trailblazer Canadian site that supports the creation, sharing and use of policy research knowledge on issues of concern to Canada, integrates the results into the policy debate and enables the Government to anticipate and develop solutions to future issues.
The World Bank includes national statistics for countries and regions including Data profiles and country at a glance tables.
National School of Government offers a wide range of courses on various aspects of policy making