The Art and Craft of Policy Advising

This book offers a practical guide for policy advisors and their managers, grounded in the authors extensive experience as a senior policy practitioner in central and local government. Effective policy advising does not proceed in cycles or neatly ordered stages and steps, but is first and foremost a relationship built on careful listening, knowing ones place in the constitutional scheme of things, becoming useful and winning the confidence of decision makers. The author introduces readers to a public value approach to policy advising that uses collective thinking to address complex policy problems; evidence-informed policy analysis that factors in emotions and values; and the practice of gifting and gaining (rather than trade-offs) in collaborative governing for the long term. Theory is balanced with practical illustration and processes, tools and techniques, helping readers master the art ofcommunicating what decision-makers need to hear, as well as what they want to hear.