Why process matters (at least) as much as content in good PSIA efforts

Christopher T. MallmannPSIA Learning event Washington DC

13.-14. March 2013

Content

1. PSIA as an (advisory) intervention into policy (decision making) processes

2. How to balance analysis and process advice3. How to get the evidence through to the client4. The role of the advisor in PSIA processes5. How to make “process”?6. Example Social Sector PSIA Armenia

PSIA as an (advisory) intervention into policy processes

• When is PSIA a policy process intervention and what makes it different from policy research?

• What makes a good intervention? Argyris’ 3 requirements

• What is the ulterior motivation behind PSIA: evidence-based “better” policy making

• How evidence helps make better decisions• Who are “we”?

How to equilibrate process and content in PSIA

• Too much content does not help = The big book fallacy

• Too little process undermines good content• Complementary advisory or the adequate mix

of content and process in policy advisory• The best we can hope for: more technocratic

comparability vs. “political” outcomes determined by power or chance

How to get the evidence to the client…

• Evidence applied: why different policy outcomes are preferred by different people

• How to get evidence to the client: inside or out, the place for advisors in PSIA

• Criteria for comparing policy options: making politicised arguments measurable

• Helping the argument, not taking sides – but still making a stand

• The four roles and functions of the PSIA facilitator

The role of the advisor in PSIA

• Becoming part without being partisan: the go between

• Enhancing political compromise through creating more clarity and transparency: political targets in numbers or relation to the objective

• Be the translator, the elevator if need be, but neither the head teacher, nor the expert..

How to make “process”?• Process design: architecture, participants and structured

communication• Process moderation: the role for uninterested outsiders• Process inputs: making policy options comparable by creating criteria

What “due process” actually does to the “evidence”• …it “processes” the information for policy consumption• It produces the matching points where decisions are possible = without process the evidence produced gets lost..

ALL THIS NEEDS THE TIME IT NEEDS!!

Armenian PSIA outcomes- policy orientation and relevance

• Process and content in Armenia’s Labor Market PSIA; Participation and mandate, chronology and outcome

• Small but beautiful: why bigger efforts fail more easily; size, inclusion and its limits

• Policy outcomes from process-orientation:1. A water (price) “shed”: how the process resulted in a red-line water price

for politicians2. Social service delivery chain redesign3. Immediate re-budgeting for certain

activities (active vs passive labour market measures)

4. Communication and joint research between decision makers and researchers (Open Forum)