The 11th ICPA-Forum Workshop continues a dialogue on the contribution of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis to “comparative theory development, advancement of comparative evaluation of research methods, and deriving practical implications of theory-based research” (Geva-May, Baruch College, City University of New York). It will address the issues of (a) the under-theorized character of the comparative policy field; and how to (b) address “naïve transplantation” of “best practices” of policy making in cross-national learning (Marmor, Yale University); (c) use Comparative Policy Analysis (CPA) methods to study policy processes in countries with different “policy environments/contexts.” Research at HSE, Moscow, has pointed to the major importance of the “policy environment” or “policy context” on the impact of policies on different actors, on the capacity to influence policy processes, as well as on the efficiency of policy and institutional mechanisms. In the Russian context, diversity of “policy contexts” is seen as cross-national analyses (Post-Soviet states comparative policy analysis) as well as cross-regional analysis (comparative policy analysis across Russian regions). Thus, the question that will drive the Moscow Workshop, is about the applicability of CPA to a wider diversity of contexts and to what extent CPA methodology (a.) can provide the opportunity to understand policy processes in “non-western societies”; (b.) is applicable for insights in public policy in different countries; (c.) whether using CPA methodology implies “stretching” concepts, frameworks and methods. To address these issues we propose three main directions: 1. CPA vis-a-vis methodological approaches and methods of social sciences comparative research. 2. Concepts of CPA: policy transfer, policy shift, policy change, policy drivers, policy dynamics, policy learning etc. – explanatory opportunities and limitations in different “policy contexts”. 3. Units of CPA: actors, mechanisms, institutions, policies, factors in different policy contexts. Papers presented at this conference will be considered for publication in: • A monograph of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Science. • The Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis following standard double blindfold reviews. Professors Marleen Brans and Iris Geva-May will include selected papers in a Special Issue of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis on Public Policy Analysis Methods, Routledge, UK. Sponsored by: ICPA-Forum; JCPA Routledge Pbl, UK; JCPA International Institutional Membership Program; Baruch College, City University of New York; SSHRC Canada; HSE Moscow Russia; INTELCORP LLC Moscow  11th ICPA-Forum and JCPA WORKSHOP PROGRAM: 10h30 to 11h15 INTRODUCTION Iris Geva-May, School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York, Professor; ICPA-Forum, Founding President and JCPA Editor-in-chief Introductions by participants 11h30 to 13h00 Nina Belyaeva, Chair of HSE Public Policy Department Welcoming the participants to HSE – an academic institution and government think tank dealing with public policy issues in Russia. “ICPA-Forum Series towards a Methodology for Comparative Policy Analysis. The Goal of Current Workshop” PLENARYPANEL -COMPARATIVEPOLICYANALYSISANDCONTEXT Chair and Discussant: Michael Howlett, Professor, Simon Fraser University, Canada; Director Policy Design Lab Project, National University of Singapore Frank Fischer, Professor, Rutgers University, New Jersey and Berlin “Comparing Policies in Context: An Interpretive Perspective.” 14h45 to 16h15 Kieke G.H. Okma, Theodore Marmor, Professors, NYU and Yale “Comparative studies and healthcare policy: learning and mislearning across borders.” 13h15 to 14h30 BROWN BAG LUNCH & DISCUSSION : SESSION SPONSORED BY ICPA - FORUM, AND JCPA Chair: Giliberto Capano, Professor, University of Bologna, Forli, Italy CPA Explanatory opportunities and limitations by “policy contexts”: policy transfer, shift, change, drivers, dynamics, learning etc. Units of CPA in different policy contexts: actors, mechanisms, institutions, policies, and factors. PANEL II CONTEXT AND COMPARATIVE POLICY ANALYSIS: A RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Chair: Robert Hoppe, Professor, University of Twente, Netherlands Nina Belyaeva, Professor and Chair, HSE, Moscow “Context dependent perception of the "public policy" term in Russian academic literature, media and citizen on-line discourse” Iliya Kiria, Professor, HSE, PhD in Media Studies, University of Grenoble, “Method of description and analysis: Mediated public domain segmentation in Russia.” Irina Semenenko, Professor, IMEMO RAN, Department Head, HSE Moscow, “Theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches to political change Analysis.” Alexander Nikitin, Professor, MGIMO, HSE Moscow, “Comparative analysis of foreign policy implementation in Russian domestic and International official documents.” Sponsored by: ICPA-Forum; JCPA Routledge Pbl, UK; JCPA International Institutional Membership Program; Baruch s College, City University of New York; SSHRC Canada; HSE Moscow Russia; INTELCORP LLC Moscow  16h30-16h45 COFFEE BREAK  16h45 to 18h00 ROUNDTABLE METHODS OF COMPARATIVE STUDIES & AVENUES OF RESEARCH COLLABORATION Chair: Iris Geva-May, Professor School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York; ICPA-Forum, President Workshop Participants and Invited Guests 19h30 JCPA Editorial Board meeting dinner Meeting Agenda to be forwarded to Editorial Board participants. 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