The Art and Craft of Policy Advising

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 ofcommunicating what decision-makers need to hear, as well as what they want to hear.