Document Abstract
Published:
1 Dec 2010
Role of experts in policy advice: lessons of experience
Economics research and policy making in Bangladesh
In?uencing policy is the ultimate goal of conducting policy research for which an important prerequisite is the existence of strong research-policy links that could facilitate the use of research outcomes in policy formulation, directly or indirectly. Such links are governed by several underlying processes, such as:
In the above context, Professor Nurul Islam, one of the leading development economists, who has successfully combined professional excellence with policymaking at the highest level, wrote this volume. In this paper, Professor Islam examines the role of experts in policy advice in order to draw some lessons from his valuable personal experience. Recognising the highly complex nature of policymaking in a modern state, he suggests that, apart from building up strong public institutions for policy analysis, it is imperative to encourage vigorous debates outside the government among different points of view in order to arrive at the decision by the government. In reality, there always exists a degree of unpredictability in policy outcomes; and policy decisions involve some judgment so that policymakers need to be ?exible and wise enough to make mid-course corrections as failures in policy option or implementation become apparent.
- how receptive is the policy agenda to research outcomes
- what is the extent to which research can in?uence the processes, activities, and actions governing the policymaking framework
- in what ways research affects policy
- and ?nally how to attribute or measure the in?uence of research on policy.
In the above context, Professor Nurul Islam, one of the leading development economists, who has successfully combined professional excellence with policymaking at the highest level, wrote this volume. In this paper, Professor Islam examines the role of experts in policy advice in order to draw some lessons from his valuable personal experience. Recognising the highly complex nature of policymaking in a modern state, he suggests that, apart from building up strong public institutions for policy analysis, it is imperative to encourage vigorous debates outside the government among different points of view in order to arrive at the decision by the government. In reality, there always exists a degree of unpredictability in policy outcomes; and policy decisions involve some judgment so that policymakers need to be ?exible and wise enough to make mid-course corrections as failures in policy option or implementation become apparent.
