<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The concept of a policy advisory system (PAS) is devised to study the diverse range of actors involved in the policy formulation process from a system level. An optimal PAS should be adaptable, autonomous and transparent, and should deliver substantive and timely advice. This article discusses factors influencing developments in Ireland’s PAS, including the broader trends of politicisation and externalisation. The findings are informed by interviews and a survey circulated to Irish civil servants who perform policy worker tasks and are engaged in providing advice to ministers. The research finds that new structural and institutional arrangements introduced to Ireland’s PAS have created a greater capacity for evidence-based advice in the internal PAS and a more contested space for policy advice. It also highlights that this has not fundamentally disturbed embedded characteristics of the Irish policymaking environment. Political demand pressures from ministers (both personal and electoral) can drive elements of politicisation within the civil service whereby policy advice is weighted or discarded based on ministerial preferences.</p>
</abstract>

The concept of a policy advisory system (PAS) is devised to study the diverse range of actors involved in the policy formulation process from a system level. An optimal PAS should be adaptable, autonomous and transparent, and should deliver substantive and timely advice. This article discusses factors influencing developments in Ireland’s PAS, including the broader trends of politicisation and externalisation. The findings are informed by interviews and a survey circulated to Irish civil servants who perform policy worker tasks and are engaged in providing advice to ministers. The research finds that new structural and institutional arrangements introduced to Ireland’s PAS have created a greater capacity for evidence-based advice in the internal PAS and a more contested space for policy advice. It also highlights that this has not fundamentally disturbed embedded characteristics of the Irish policymaking environment. Political demand pressures from ministers (both personal and electoral) can drive elements of politicisation within the civil service whereby policy advice is weighted or discarded based on ministerial preferences.

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

Department of Politics and Public Administration

Administration

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The concept of a policy advisory system (PAS) is devised to study the diverse range of actors involved in the policy formulation process from a system level....

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

Published Online: Aug 17, 2023

Page range: 35 - 61

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/admin-2023-0016

Keywords
Policy advisory system, politicisation, externalisation

© 2023 Bernadette Connaughton et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

Published Online: Aug 17, 2023

Page range: 35 - 61

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/admin-2023-0016

KeywordsPolicy advisory system, politicisation, externalisation

© 2023 Bernadette Connaughton et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Policy advisory system, politicisation, externalisation