The need for a better understanding of policy capacity typically defined as the ability to secure, analyze and employ information in support of decision-making has heightened with increased governance complexity. But policy capacity is not just about analytical capabilities: it also encompasses other capabilities that are vital but are not adequately understood. Governments are called upon to not only make the right policy choices but to implement them effectively. Similarly, governments are encouraged to engage with non-governmental and international organizations in making and implementing policies in new ways. The emergence of new media has also directed attention to the need for new capacities to handle politically sensitive issues or crises. Conceptualizing policy capacity and its different components will be the subject of a two-day workshop, jointly hosted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of NUS and School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University. The workshop aims at bringing together a collection of cutting-edge research on policy capacity. Selected papers presented in the workshop will be considered for a special issue in a peer reviewed journal or an edited volume. The workshop is intended to not only enlighten theoretical discussion but also provide policy-makers with insights into a range of practical questions such as: What is policy capacity? What are the linkages between capacity at the organizational and individual levels? What are the constituents and relationships among different policy capabilities: political, administrative, analytical and communicative? How do we measure the different policy capabilities and aggregate them into composite measure of capacity? What are the factors and dynamics that contribute to the establishment, growth and dissipation of policy capacity? How do changes in governance practices or modes affect policy capacity and vice versa? Please send your proposals to the conference organizing committee at “lkypolicycapacityconference@gmail.com” by March 31, 2014. The proposal should provide a summary of the paper's main arguments, including purpose, research questions, methods, data source (if applicable), and conclusions. The length of abstracts should be no more than 400 words. Decisions on acceptances of proposals will be sent out no later than April 5, 2014. Final papers will be due May 15, 2014 for circulation to all conference participants before the workshop. Successful paper proposals will be eligible for full cost subsidies for air travel, meals and accommodation in Hangzhou.




Organizing Committee:
Prof. Michael Howlett, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. Email: howlett@sfu.ca
Prof. Jianxing Yu, School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University. Email: yujianxing@zju.edu.cn
Prof. M Ramesh, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. Email: mramesh@nus.edu.sg
Prof. Xun Wu, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. Email: sppwuxun@nus.edu.sg