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Strengthening policy capability: New Zealand’s Policy Project

28 March 2018

Research

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Abstract

Policy practitioners apply tools and frameworks to policy challenges in order to improve social, economic, and environmental outcomes. Could such tools and frameworks be applied to improve the quality of policy design itself? In 2014, prompted by evidence of widespread inconsistency in the quality of policy advice being produced across agencies, the New Zealand Government launched the Policy Project. It deployed policy analytic tools and frameworks to investigate current practice in policy design to improve the quality of policy advice across the whole of government. Through collaborative methods, the Policy Project identified and codified what quality policy advice looks like and the skills and processes needed to produce it. We review the context and creation of the Policy Project, its contributions, evidence of its impacts, and prospects for its replication across other public sectors.

Suggested citation

Washington, S. and Mintrom, M. (2018). Strengthening policy capability: New Zealand’s Policy Project. Policy Design and Practice, 1(1): 30-46.

 

Authors: Sally Washington and Michael Mintrom
Published Date: 28 March 2018