Policy engagement

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Planning

Engagement with policy is best considered before a project even begins, in the planning process, through discussions with stakeholders. However, even at the end of a project, you can still plan effective ways of bringing your message to people who can make a difference.

Policy objectives

• What message are you communicating and what is your evidence?
• What are the implications for policy change?
  Tip: Be concise, understandable and relevant. Prepare a briefing paper with summary and distilled information so misrepresentation is minimized, i.e. try to provide an end product.

Audience

• Who in government or amongst opinion leaders can influence the relevant policies, i.e. who are you trying to influence?
• Where are the opportunities for delivering your message?
  Tip: Work out the level of pitch required and make the first contact count.

Promotion

• How can the information best be delivered?
• When is the best time to present it?
  Tip: Build on strengths and don’t over cite. Applied and interdisciplinary research are important when addressing policy issues.

Policy engagement tools, guides and training

• Tools for Policy Impact: A Handbook for Researchers
• Helping researchers become policy entrepreneurs: How to develop engagement strategies for evidence-based policy-making (Overseas Development Institute)
• Communicating research for evidence-based policymaking: A practical guide for researchers in socio-economic sciences and humanities (European Commission)
• Government Knowledge and Information Management Profession (UK Government)

Getting involved with policy

• ‘Upstream engagement’ is a type of top-down engagement with the public, facilitated by academics on behalf of government and the industries involved in the development of new technologies. It involves deliberative methods such as focus groups, citizen juries and other forums for in-depth discussions concerning new technologies such as nanotechnology, synthetic biology and climate geoengineering. Further information: Corporate Watch, National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement
• The Industry & Parliament Trust is an independent, non-lobbying and non-partisan charity that provides unique platforms of engagement between Parliament and UK business.
• The Westminster Higher Education Forum aims to provide the premier environment for policymakers in Parliament, Whitehall and government agencies to engage with key stakeholders in timely discussion on higher education policy. These include university and college leaders; academics and other higher education professionals; representatives from students’ unions; businesses and their advisors; interest groups and the voluntary sector; along with commentators and members of the reporting press.
• Parliamentary Outreach spreads awareness of the work, processes and relevance of the institution of Parliament, encouraging greater engagement between the public and the House of Commons and House of Lords. Additional links: UK Parliament, Parliamentary Committees, UK Government, and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (quangos)
• Scottish Parliament. Responding to Scottish government current consultations or committee business is another way that you can get involved. Additional links: Scottish Parliament, Committees, and Scottish Government
• Scotland’s Future Forum was created by the Scottish Parliament to help its Members, along with policy makers, businesses, academics, and the wider community of Scotland, look beyond immediate horizons, to some of the challenges and opportunities we will face in the future. It is non-party political and is setting up placements for academics to sit in Parliament and Members of Parliament to engage with universities. SFF aims to create dialogue between researchers, MSPs and their communities so that current research can be taken into account when policy decisions are being made.
• Fife People’s Panel is a group of volunteers working to improve Fife by giving their opinions and observations on a variety of public issues. Organised by Fife Partnership, the Panel co-ordinates consultation exercises to prevent duplication of effort by organisations and results above average response rates.

Research outputs are an invaluable source of data used in policymaking. The University collaborates with policymakers via a series of networks, as well as through developing individual relationships between academics and those involved in policy.

A non-indicative list of these networks is detailed below:

For support in policy engagement, or to discuss how you might engage with policy, contact the Head of Engagement with Research.