Getting the Public on Side: How to Make Reforms Acceptable by Design- launch event- 26 March 2025-Joanne Caddy
- 1. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Getting the Public on Side: How to Make Reforms Acceptable by Design Panel discussion: Designing reforms with public acceptability in mind: What data, tools and frameworks can help improve policy advice and strategies for reform? Joanne Caddy, Senior Policy Analyst OECD Public Governance Directorate 26 March 2025 (09:40-10:15AM)
- 2. Restricted Use - À usage restreint 1.Trust is a key asset. In a democracy, trust cannot be commanded – it must be earned by government and freely granted by citizens. 2.Behavioural science helps ensure that policy design takes into account how people think, behave and make decisions. 3.Public communication, as a core government function, is about delivering trustworthy information, listening and responding to citizens. 4.Citizen participation is essential for tackling complex policy challenges and building trust in government. Four pointers for policy makers
- 3. Restricted Use - À usage restreint 3 Low or no trust in national government outweighs high or moderately high trust 39% report high to moderately high trust and 44% low or no trust Share of population who indicate different levels of trust in their national government (on a 0-10 scale), 2023
- 4. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Use of evidence in policy-making is a key driver for trust in government 4 Share of population with high or moderately high trust in the national government (y-axis) and who find it likely that government takes decisions based on evidence (x-axis), 2023 41% believe that government relies on the best available evidence, data and statistics in taking decisions
- 5. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Behavioural science takes into account how people think, behave & make decisions 5 Notice and prioritize challenges Understand diverse drivers and barriers to behaviour Suggest novel interventions and improve traditional policy tools Reduce uncertainty by measuring behavioural change Optimise implementation to maximize outcomes Measure success and enable agile alterations Deploying behavioural science brings value throughout the policy cycle: Source: LOGIC Good Practice Principles for Mainstreaming Behavioural Public Policy
- 6. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Behavioural science offers critical insights to inform policy design and acceptability 6 A recent OECD report analyses trends in the application of behavioural science to environmental policy TREND Governments use behavioural science to predict and account for public acceptability of green reforms. Netherlands’ government research into SMEs' behavioural drivers and barriers to investing in sustainability. Findings: • Gap between awareness and action: 64% of SMEs see the opportunity to become more sustainable without loss of profits, but only 5-18% have fully implemented feasible measures. • Key drivers for sustainability include high energy prices (78%), cost savings (76%), and legal compliance (73%). • Barriers include perceptions of large time (51%) and financial (51%) costs, as well as competing priorities (44%). Source: EZK, 2023 CASE STUDY
- 7. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Public communication builds a feedback loop with citizens and fosters acceptability …but collaboration with policy teams is still too uncommon Communicators too often tend to be involved only for a policy announcement or when there is a problem. Definition of policy priorities Developing the policy Implementation of the policy Monitoring of policy implementation Evaluation of outcomes results impact Two-way communication Public communication is a core government function… 1. Provides citizens with the information they need to make choices and to give informed input on matters of public interest 2. Supports the design and implementation of policies and services 3. Builds trust in institutions and helps further social cohesion by enabling dialogue and ensuring information integrity. …that adds value at each stage of the policy cycle… Public communicators are uniquely positioned to harness citizens’ voices via ongoing analysis of the virtual public square. They can: • Foster organisational listening • Build a feedback loop between citizens and policy-makers
- 8. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Rethinking public communication to raise public awareness, understanding and trust 8 A recent OECD Public Communication Scan of the United Kingdom offers insights into current practice TREND Trustworthiness is a prerequisite for successful public communication, especially in a challenging context United Kingdom Government Communication Service (GCS) supports policy, dialogue and citizen participation. Takeaways: • Creating a feedback loop with citizens • Delivering inclusive and responsive communication for better policy outcomes • Building more trustworthy government communication against the backdrop of a complex information ecosystem. Source: EZK, 2023 CASE STUDY
- 9. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Embedding citizen participation throughout the policy cycle 9 Citizen participation processes can deliver valuable insights at all stages of the policy process TREND Citizen participation processes have both intrinsic and instrumental value by building the evidence base and public trust.
- 10. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Making citizen participation meaningful remains a challenge 10 Putting citizens at the heart of the policy cycle is now imperative.
- 11. Restricted Use - À usage restreint Exploring new frontiers for citizen participation in the policy cycle 11 Making citizen participation valuable for participants and public institutions Skills for participation Adopt a targeted approach to citizen participation Lower barriers and ensure greater inclusion Measure impact and ensure accountability for citizens’ inputs Raise capacity of both public servants and citizens