Qualitative research and policy

making in Northern Ireland:

Barriers arising from lack of

capacity, conceptualisation and

consensus

Derek Birrell

School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy

University of Ulster

1

Characteristics of the policy

process in Northern Ireland

• Distinction between devolved and non-devolved powers

• Different governance sectors

• Consociational coalition in government

2

Main devolved and non-devolved

powersDevolved Non-devolved

Health and Social Care Macro economic policy Navigation

Education and children Taxation Civil Aviation

Higher education Foreign Policy/armed forces Monopolies and mergers

Social security Immigration/nationality National Lottery

Housing Human Rights Human genetics

Planning and environment Elections Data protection

Employment and skills National security Consumer safety

Criminal Justice and Policing National Insurance

Transport

Tourism

Agriculture and Rural Development

Arts and Sport

Note

• Main devolved functions related to social policy

• Social security not devolved in practice

• Areas of overlapping powers e.g. child poverty, fuel poverty, equality, welfare

to work3

Governance sectors

• Government (Executive) departments

• Assembly (parliament) and committees

• Public bodies/quango sector

• Local government

Configuration

12 departments – 23,000 civil servants

90 quangos – 145,000 staff

26 local councils – 10,000 staff

Note: very large quango sector but minimal local

government system4

Consociational government

• Involuntary coalition

• Five political parties in government

• No principle of collective responsibility

• Checks and vetoes on legislation only

5

Sources of policy discourses

• Policy documents for consultation

• Departmental reports and proposals

• Commissioned reports

• Explanatory policy memorandum for

legislation

• Equality impact assessments

• Assembly Research and Library Services

reports

• Policy reports from public bodies6

Characteristics of policy discourses

• Limited in number compared to Scotland and Wales

• Major policy documents outsourced to management consultants.

• Limited in comprehensive analysis

• Lack of narrative on public sector modernisation themes

• Lack of reference to relevant academic work

• Little evidence based narrative or discussion

7

Examples of deficient use of

evidence1. Health and social care

• Personal and Public Involvement 2011 (consultation)

Evidence: None

Outcome: Commitment to minimal participation

Social work in Northern Ireland in the 21st Century 2010 (report and strategy)

Evidence: Workshops

Outcome: Core and modernisation themes not addressed (Heenan and Birrell, 2011)

2. Local government reform

• Review of Public Administration 2005 (policy and legislation)

Evidence: Commissioned research and consultations

Outcome: Evidence ignored (Knox, 2008)

• Local government reform: Policy proposal 2010 (Consultation)

Evidence: Advisory group

Outcome: Still very weak local government (Knox, 2010)

3. Equality

• Equality impact assessments (reports)

Evidence: Public bodies reporting

Outcome: Little policy impact/ tickbox approach (McLaughlin, 2007)

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Reasons for lack of use of evidence

1. Lack of policy making capacity following devolution.

• Identified as a problem in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

• Need to formulate legislation

• Demand for policy advice and evidence

• Attraction of distinctive new policies

• Existing civil services not equipped for new policy making

function

• Existing trend to follow Whitehall departments

• Seen as an issue of capability and capacity

9

1. Lack of policy making capacity and

Northern Ireland issues

• Legacy of direct rule and copying UK

government politics 1972-1999 or little policy

innovation

• Northern Ireland civil service recognised

problem in civil service reform agenda 2004, led

to policy innovation unit and policy champion

• Continuing tendency to outsource policy work

• Adequacy of civil service/public service training.

• Limited engagement with universities compared

to Scotland and Wales10

2.Low Level of conceptual

analysis• Absence of modern agendas in health and social care:

personalisation, user participation, integration

• Absence of public sector reform agendas localism and decentralisation

• Compatibility of structures with devolution e.g.

centralised departments plus centralised quangos

• Continuing democratic deficit

• Dominance of cost cutting policies

• Little attention to welfare models and principles

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3. Limited research and policy

related institutions• Few research institutes

• Lack of policy think tanks

• Limited policy research networks

• Few independent sources of evidence – Statistics and research unit part of government department unlike ONS

• Limited involvement of major UK policy institutes – Joseph Rowntree, Nuffield, Institute of Public Policy Research, centre for Social Justice

• Lack of forums for policy analysis, policy debates, exchange of ideas, promotion of policy related research

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4.Lack of political consensus

• On many major policy issues anti-poverty policy, shared future/community relations, early years, cross border

cooperation

• Leads to policy impasses or lowest common

denominator approach

• Results in no commitment to use of qualitative research to advance issues

• Role of political advisors to ministers

• Evidence for ‘ignorance - based decision making’

(Parsons, 2008)

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Summary of key barriers

• Civil service not accepting policy analysis role

• Dominance of managerialism (Greer, 2004)

• Lack of policy consensus among parties

• Hostility to use of academic research

• Limited qualitative research base

• Policy areas that would benefit from qualitative research

Academic selection; child poverty; adult social care; integration of health and social care; early years; future

of social housing

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ReferencesDerek Birrell (2009) Direct rule and the governance of Northern Ireland Manchester: Manchester

University Press

Derek Birrell (200) The impact of devolution on social policy Bristol: Policy Press

Scott Greer (2004) Territorial policies and health policy Manchester: Manchester University Press

Deirdre Heenan and Derek Birrell (2011) Social work in Northern Ireland: Conflict and change. Bristol: Policy press

Colin Knox (2008) ‘Policy making in Northern Ireland Ignoring the evidence’. Policy and Politics

vol 36 no 7 pp 343 – 339

Colin Knox (2010) ‘Devolution and the government of Northern Ireland’ Manchester: Manchester University Press

Eithne McLaughlin (2007) ‘From negative to positive equality duties: The development and

constitutionalisation of equality provisions in the UK Social policy and society, vol 6, no 1, pp 111-21

Wayne Parsons (2008) ‘What is evidence and who owns it?’ in Public Management and Policy Association Evidence based policy making London: PMPA

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