Developing policy capacities for evidence-informed policy making: civil servants' learning perceptions from collaborative research projects

Abstract

Low levels of competencies and capabilities in public administration hamper evidence-informed policy making (EIPM), yet we know little about how such policy capacities could be developed. Drawing on interviews with Finnish civil servants who participated in collaborative research projects, this study explores learning as a pathway to capacity development. The study operationalises a practice theoretical perspective to learning. The analysis presents diverse learning perceptions from civil servants, representing the construction of a range of knowledge, including know-how for interpreting research and collaborating with researchers, familiarity with colleagues, and understanding of the boundaries of supporting policy making with research. These perceptions are connected to various developments in civil servants' analytical, operational and political capacities, and are argued to support knowledgeable engagement with research both within the collaborative projects and beyond them. The findings highlight the relationship between the potential of collaborative research to develop policy capacities and the interactions among the involved actors, the research projects' practices and the broader context in which the projects operate. Overall, the article complements the EIPM literature by placing emphasis not on indicating capacity deficits but on illustrating how their development can be understood and enhanced.