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Duplicative or Complementary? The Relationship between Policy Consulting and Internal Policy Analysis in Canadian Government

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2014

Michael Howlett ,
Andrea Migone  and
Seck L. Tan
Michael Howlett*
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University and National University of Singapore
Andrea Migone*
Affiliation:
Institute of Public Administration of Canada
Seck L. Tan*
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore
*
Department of Political Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC Canada V5A 1S6 and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 469c Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 259772. Email: [email protected]
Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Suite 401, 1075 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2B1. Email: [email protected]
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 469c Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 259772. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Policy consultants are external analysts who provide paid policy-related advice to governments on a contractual basis. Previous research on policy work has examined the work done within governments and by policy consultants separately but has not systematically compared and contrasted the two. A key question regarding the nature of policy advisory practices and policy advice systems in general, however, is whether consultants are duplicating the work of government officials in order to help “triangulate” internal advice or whether there is more of a complementary approach in which consultants supplement the work of internal analysts. This article explores the differences among the two groups using data collected over the past five years in two sets of surveys into internal and external policy work in Canada. The analysis finds a “complementary” relationship to exist, contrary to the conventional wisdom that outside or external advice is sought mainly in order to avoid biases in internal advice.

Résumé

Consultants politiques sont des analystes externes qui fournissent payés conseils en matière de politique aux gouvernements sur une base contractuelle. Des recherches antérieures sur le travail politique a examiné le travail effectué au sein des gouvernements et par des consultants politiques séparément, mais n'a pas systématiquement comparés et contrastés des deux. Une question clé en ce qui concerne la nature des pratiques consultatifs sur les politiques et les systèmes de conseils de politique en general, cependant, est de savoir si les consultants sont dupliquer le travail des fonctionnaires du gouvernement afin d'aider à « trianguler » conseil interne ou s'il y a plus d'une approche complémentaire en place ou consultants complètent le travail des analystes internes. Cet article explore les différences entre les deux groupes utilisant les données recueillies au cours des cinq dernières années dans deux séries de sondages en œuvre de la politique interne et externe au Canada. L'analyse révèle une relation «complémentaire» d'exister, contrairement à la sagesse conventionnelle que les conseils de l'extérieur ou externe est recherchée principalement afin d'éviter les biais dans des conseils interne.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 113 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2014 

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