Co-producing evidence in Finnish higher education admissions working groups

Abstract

We examine how a selection of working groups established by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland co-produced evidence for higher education student admissions reform between 2016 and 2019 to promote the government’s political goals. These goals included accelerating transitions from tertiary education to working life by reforming how students applied for and were selected by universities. In Finland, government’s working groups aim to promote evidence-based policy making. In these groups, stakeholders can work with public officials to develop ideas for advancing the government’s political goals. We approach working groups as a site of co-production whose members collectively produce and assess evidence. We analysed documentary data and interviewed ten key informants in working groups, using qualitative content analysis to highlight relevant themes. Our results show that co-production in working groups was actualised during writing. A political and corporatist frame steers which information is used. Public officials play a key role in selecting which information is taken up, relying on stakeholders’ experience and expertise. In the co-production process, public officials learn of stakeholders’ interests, while stakeholders learn about the political will concerning Finnish higher education policy. Members prioritise and assess evidence based on whose interests it serves. Our study contributes to understanding the politics of evidence use, and how co-production is used to drive the government’s political goals.