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This book offers a practical guide for policy advisors and their managers, grounded in the author's 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 one's 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 of communicating what decision-makers need to hear, as well as what they want to hear.
List of contents
Introduction: Theory and Practice of Effective Policy Advising.- Who Are My Clients and What Do They Need From Me?.- Creating Public Value.- Doing Policy Analysis.- Effective Communication.- Working Together ... in the Public Interest.
