Troy D. Mix, AICPUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign troymix1@illinois.edu

UNSOLICITED ADVICE: LESSONS FOR IMPACTING PUBLIC POLICY

Prepared for the NEURUS-ICURD Workshop & SeminarApril 10, 2013

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Peril and promise of politics

“To turn concern into action requires politics.”

Lemann, Nicholas. (2013, April 15). When the Earth moved. The New Yorker, 73-76.

Politics as the determinant of who gets what, when, and how.

Lasswell, Harold Dwight. (1950). Politics: Who gets what, when, how. New York: P. Smith.

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Goals and agenda Goals

Offer a framework for researchers to evaluate and revise approaches to impacting public policy

Stimulate discussion about the applicability of this framework to ongoing research

Agenda Relevant professional background and research

activity Considering your purpose Considering your audience Considering points of policy leverage Executing a strategy for policy influence

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Policy background 5 years as a planner and policy researcher

at a university public service organization

Applied research projects focused on… Local and regional planning and economic

development

Worked with… State and federal agencies, local governments,

nonprofits, and research institutes

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Research on institutions and regional policymaking

1. How do the organization and management of a university's economic development activities affect the level and character of resources that an institution commits to regional development policy networks?

2. What factors enable universities to influence the adoption andimplementation of regional policy supporting research park development?

Increased diversityand cohesiveness of university's economic development activities results in more resilient university relationships with regional

A university's ability to influence the public decision-making process depends on its persistent centralityin policy networks, the level and diversity of resources it deploys to act in these networks, and the resources of other network

Organizational Diversity

Integration/cohesiveness

Centrality

Relative level and diversity of resources

Horizontal differentiation(what econ. dev. activities / employee number and type, prof. vs. acad)

Vertical differentation (levels of hierarchy between CEO and first line of above tasks; levels within

Formalization (economic development plans, standing

Centralization (top management role in final decisions)

Configuration (Degree of separation of functional/product hierarchy)

Measure of centrality within regional decision-making networks

Assessment of tactics used by actors/participants within regional decision-making networks

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Communicating research purposeWhat problem are you trying to address?

Lack of specificity prompted responses like… “I wasn’t sure what

you were going for.” “What next?” “Thanks for wasting

my time.”

Broadband touted as potential economic engine for Sussex County

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Three steps to clarifying your purpose

Topic: I am studying __________________ Question: because I want to find out

what/why/how/where ________________, Significance (research/practical): in

order to help my reader understand _____________.

I am studying household incomes and demographic conditions in Georgetown, Delaware because I want to find out the regional potential for retail sales, in order to help the local Chamber of Commerce understand business expansion opportunities.

Booth, Wayne C., Colomb, Gregory G., & Williams, Joseph M. (2008). The craft of research (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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Defining your research audience Who is the “client”?

Who asked for your work? Who needs to be affected by your work?

Clients’ goals can be conflicting Addressing one set of goals can slight others Addressing all sets of goals can muddle impacts

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Clarifying your research client“City governments are not simple hierarchical systems run on authoritarian lines. They are complex, open systems serving diverse and partially contradictory goals, responding to conflicting constituencies, whose authority is diffused, whose inertia is enormous, and whose ability to plan and direct change is excruciatingly small. (p. 130)”

Policy is made in subsystems or networks Interests and capabilities for actionmay vary substantially across network

Szanton, Peter L. (1981). Not well advised. New York: Russell Sage Foundation: Ford Foundation.

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Points of policy leverage What messages will influence particular

audiences?

From preserving quality of life to preserving fiscal resources

Delaware Strategiesfor State Policies and Spending

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Framing and communicating findings for policy impact What is your study an instance of?

Situate your study within a larger discussion

What resources can you contribute to this discussion? Descriptive or explanatory information? For

whom? For what purpose? Why will they listen to you?

What resources will others contribute to this discussion? How will you answer contrary findings and claims?

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From ivory tower to implementation Researchers tend to respond directly to a

research market

To impact policy requires reaching consumers outside of this research market

Add a nonmarket perspective to your research repertoire Clarify your purpose Identify your audience(s) Examine the critical questions and communicate

them in an influential manner