Opportunity Structures: Understanding Capacity for Policy Innovation

Described as units developing public policies in a design-oriented manner, Policy Labs are tasked to innovate to gain in policy effectiveness and efficiency. However, as public policymaking is a context-dependent activity, the way in which these novel organisations operate significantly differs. This study discusses the emergence of design approaches for policy innovation. The purpose is to map how Policy Labs in Europe introduce design approaches at distinct stages of the policymaking cycle. For this study, 30 organisations in Europe operating at various levels of government were surveyed. Based on the public policymaking process model, it investigates which design methods are Policy Labs deploying to innovate public policies. The study exposed a gap in the awareness of the utilised methods' nature. It also showed that the use of design methods is of less importance than the introduction of design mindsets for public policy innovation, namely ‘user-centredness’, ‘co-creation’, and ‘exploration’.

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The Acehnese Diaspora: Hawks and Doves?: Conflict-support, Peace-finding and Political Opportunity Structures

Journal of Human Security ◽

10.3316/jhs0503022 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 22-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Antje Missbach

Keyword(s):

Political Opportunity ◽

Opportunity Structures ◽

Political Opportunity Structures

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Time for Change: Innovation in Public Services: Scottish Policy Innovation Forum Contribution to Scottish Affairs

Scottish Affairs ◽

10.3366/scot.2011.0005 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 74 (First Serie (1) ◽

pp. 61-67

Author(s):

Darragh Hare ◽

Jim Gallagher

Keyword(s):

Public Services ◽

Policy Innovation

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Occupy Movement, Religion and Social Formations

Bulletin for the Study of Religion ◽

10.1558/bsor.v43i1.17 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 17-24

Author(s):

Matt Sheedy

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Public Space ◽

Religious Communities ◽

The Political ◽

Political Opportunity ◽

Social Formation ◽

Beliefs And Practices ◽

Opportunity Structures ◽

Occupy Movement ◽

Political Opportunity Structures

The Occupy movement was an unprecedented social formation that spread to approximate 82 countries around the globe in the fall of 2011 via social media through the use of myths, symbols and rituals that were performed in public space and quickly drew widespread mainstream attention. In this paper I argue that the movement offers a unique instance of how discourse functions in the construction of society and I show how the shared discourses of Occupy were taken-up and shaped in relation to the political opportunity structures and interests of those involved based on my own fieldwork at Occupy Winnipeg. I also argue that the Occupy movement provides an example of how we might substantively attempt to classify “religion” by looking at how it embodied certain metaphysical claims while contrasting it with the beliefs and practices of more conventionally defined “religious” communities.

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