Joining up or Pulling Apart? The Use of Appraisal to Coordinate Policy Making for Sustainable Development

10.1068/a4142 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1201-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Russel ◽  
Andrew Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
Critical Test ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
International Benchmarking ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Policy Appraisal

Coordinated (or ‘joined-up’) approaches to policy making are said to be an immensely important ingredient in the effective governance of sustainable development. There are, however, few detailed empirical studies of how well different policy coordination instruments perform in relation to this task. This paper identifies the United Kingdom as a critical test of how to achieve better policy coordination because it has been regularly identified as an exemplar of best practice in international benchmarking exercises. Specifically, it examines the integration of the environment into mainstream policy making through the application of policy appraisal in the strategically important areas of energy, defence, and public spending. Overall, it finds that the UK's much vaunted approach to coordinating the governance of sustainable development has struggled to tame the forces of departmentalism. While deploying carefully packaged combinations of coordinating instruments may address some causes of non-joined-up behaviour, perfectly coherent policy making is always likely to remain tantalisingly out of reach.

scholarly journals Can Political Trust Help to Explain Elite Policy Support and Public Behaviour in Times of Crisis? Evidence from the United Kingdom at the Height of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 003232172098090
Author(s):  
James Weinberg
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Policy Success ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

Trust between representatives and citizens is regarded as central to effective governance in times of peace and uncertainty. This article tests that assumption by engaging elite and mass perspectives to provide a 360-degree appraisal of vertical and horizontal policy coordination in a crisis scenario. Specifically, a multi-dimensional conception of political trust, anchored in psychological studies of interpersonal relations, is operationalised in the context of the United Kingdom’s response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Detailed analysis of data collected from 1045 members of the public and more than 250 elected politicians suggests that particular facets of political trust and distrust may have contributed to levels of mass behavioural compliance and elite policy support in the UK at the height of the COVID-19 crisis. These findings help to evaluate policy success during a unique and challenging moment while contributing theoretically and methodologically to broader studies of political trust and governance.

The Politics of Sustainable Development in UK Government: What Role for Integrated Policy Appraisal?

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 340-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Russel ◽  
John Turnpenny
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Institutional Processes ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Policy Appraisal ◽  
Regulatory Impact ◽  
Integrated Policy ◽  
Limited Degree ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Policy Communities

Attempts to better integrate policy in pursuit of more sustainable development have been made by many countries through the application of ex ante policy appraisal to sectoral policies. The United Kingdom (UK) is often cited as an international leader in this regard, but this is by no means clear. We examine empirically the extent to which the UK Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) system facilitates more integrated, and ultimately sustainable, policies. It appears RIA practice is far from integrated. Many RIAs cover a narrow range of impacts, are conducted late in the policy process, have relatively closed consultation processes, do not explicitly show how trade-offs were made, and use analysis inconsistently, if at all. We argue that providing more resources and improving quality control for RIA may improve integration to only a limited degree. More fundamental barriers to integration are hindered by closed policy communities and institutional processes and therefore may be more difficult to overcome.

Impacts of Environmental Regulation on Sustainable Economic Growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 749-773
Author(s):  
Jonathan Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Environmental Regulation ◽  
Technical Change ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Environmental Regulations ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Porter Hypothesis ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Environment Agency ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth

There is considerable concern and debate about the economic impacts of environmental regulations. Jonathan Fisher, former Economics Manager at the Environment Agency in England and Wales, reviews the available evidence on this subject. Section 2 presents estimates of the costs and benefits of environmental regulations. Section 3 examines the impacts of environmental regulations on economic growth, innovation and technical change as well as impacts on competitiveness and any movement of businesses to less pollution havens. He questions call for greater certainty regarding future environmental regulations, whereas in fact there should be calls for less uncertainty. This section then suggests how this could be achieved. This section then finishes with an overview of the available evidence. This includes an examination of the Porter Hypothesis that environmental regulations can trigger greater innovation that may partially or more than fully offset the compliance costs. Section 4 then sets out principles for how better environmental regulation can improve its impacts on sustainable economic growth and illustrates how the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive is a good example of the application of these principles in practice. Section 5 reviews current and recent political perspectives regarding developments in environmental regulations across the EU and shows how the United Kingdom (UK) has successfully positively managed to influence such developments so that EU environmental regulations now incorporate many of these principles to improve their impacts on economic growth. Section 5.1 then examines the implications of Brexit for UK environmental regulations. Finally, Section 6 sets out some best practice principles to improve the impacts of environmental regulation on sustainable economic growth, innovation and technical change.

National Human Rights Institutions and Sustainable Development with Specific Reference to Selected African Examples

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mubangizi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
National Human ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
National Human Rights Institutions

That National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play an important role in the protection and promotion of human rights is a well-known fact. This has been widely acknowledged by the United Nations (UN). Also well-known is the fact that several African countries have enacted new constitutions during the last two to three decades. One of the most salient features of those new constitutions is that they establish NHRIs, among other things. Given their unique role and mandate, these NHRIs can and do play an important role in the realisation of the sustainable development goals contained in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Adopting a case study approach, this article explores the role NHRIs have played in the promotion and protection of human rights in selected African countries and implications for sustainable development in those countries. The main argument is that there are several lessons African countries can learn from each other on how their NHRIs can more meaningfully play that role. Accordingly, best practice and comparative lessons are identified and it is recommended that NHRIs can contribute to sustainable development more meaningfully if they can make themselves more relevant, credible, legitimate, efficient and effective.

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF NATIONAL SAFETY OF THE STATE

2018 ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
O. B. Berezovska-Chmil
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Security ◽  
National Security ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Level Of Economic Development

  In this article theoretical and еmpirical analysis of social security are conducted. Ways of the optimization social security are argumented. The author notes that significant transformation processes are taking place in the country. They affect the state of security. It is noted that with the development of scientific and technological progress the number of threats and dangers does not decrease. At the same time, the essence of the phenomenon of "danger" is revealed. Empirical studies have been carried out on the basis of an analysis of problems related to ensuring the necessary safety of people. It is established that in recent times organized crime, including cybercrime, has spread widely in Ukraine. It has a negative impact on ensuring national security and sustainable development. A number of factors have been singled out. They are a potential threat to national security. Groups of possible dangers are determined. Summarizing the opinions of scientists, the essence of the concept of "social security" is characterized. It is emphasized that its state is influenced by the level of economic development, the effectiveness of social policy of the state and state regulation of social development. The authors have grounded the formation of national and social security, have proved that sustainable development is connected with the observance of social standards; have considered the development and implementation of a balanced social and environmental and economic policy. This policy would involve active use of the latest production technologies, minimizing the amount of harmful emissions to the environment, strengthening the role of the state in solving social and economic problems and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Soft Spaces as a Traveling Planning Idea: Uncovering the Origin and Development of an Academic Concept on the Rise

2021 ◽  
pp. 088541222199228
Author(s):  
Eva Purkarthofer ◽  
Kaisa Granqvist
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Contextual Influences ◽  
Planning Systems ◽  
European Union Policy ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Union Policy ◽  
Conceptual Evolution

This article analyses the academic concept of “soft spaces” from the perspective of traveling planning ideas. The concept has its origin in the United Kingdom but has also been used in other contexts. Within European Union policy-making, the term soft planning has emerged to describe the processes of cooperation and learning with an unclear relation to planning. In the Nordic countries, soft spaces are viewed as entangled with the logics of statutory planning, posing challenges for policy delivery and regulatory planning systems. This article highlights the conceptual evolution of soft spaces, specifically acknowledging contextual influences and the changing relation with statutory planning.

The Welsh Eating Disorder Service Review 2018, Scottish Eating Disorder Service Review 2021 and recommendations of best practice in comorbid eating disorders and diabetes

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452110138
Author(s):  
Jacinta Tan ◽  
Gemma Johns
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
High Mortality ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Service Development ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Scottish Government ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Service Change

Background: Diabetes and eating disorders are frequently comorbid. This particular comorbidity is not only often poorly recognised, but is difficult to treat and has a high mortality. Method: In this article, we will briefly review the relationship between diabetes and eating disorders. We will review the current NICE and other guidance and reports concerning both diabetes and eating disorders in the United Kingdom. We will then describe the recommendations of the 2018 Welsh Government Eating Disorder Service Review and the 2021 the Scottish Government Eating Disorder Service Review regarding diabetes and eating disorders, which will lead to service change. Conclusions: We conclude that this is a relatively underdeveloped but important area where there needs to be further service development and more collaboration between diabetes and eating disorder services.

scholarly journals Mapping the Landscape and Structure of Research on Education for Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Hallinger ◽  
Vien-Thong Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
English Language ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Intellectual Structure ◽  
Geographic Diversification ◽  
The Past ◽  
K 12

This systematic review of research used science mapping as a means of analyzing the knowledge base on education for sustainable development (ESD) in K-12 schooling. The review documented the size, growth trajectory and geographic distribution of this literature, identified high impact scholars and documents, and visualized the “intellectual structure” of the field. The database examined in this review consisted of 1842 English language, Scopus-indexed documents published between 1990 and 2018. The review found that the knowledge base on ESD has grown dramatically over the past 30 years, with a rapidly accelerating rate of publication in the past decade. Although the field has been dominated by scholarship from Anglo-American_European nations, there is evidence of increasing geographic diversification of the ESD knowledge base over the past 15 years. Citation analyses identified authors who have had a significant influence on the development of this literature. Author co-citation analysis revealed three “schools of thought” that comprise the “intellectual structure” of this knowledge base: Education for Sustainable Development, Developing a Sustainability Mindset, Teaching and Learning for Sustainability. Document content analyses led to the conclusion that the current knowledge base is heavily weighted towards critical, descriptive and prescriptive papers, with an insufficient body of analytical empirical studies. Several recommendations are offered for strengthening this literature.

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