Description – Key features in a nutshell

• this format enables scientists to conduct face-to-face meetings with policymakers in one day or over several days – and vice versa
• by conducting meetings with policymakers, scientists learn about policy perspectives on their research, while policymakers learn scientific perspectives on the policy issues they are dealing with
• face-to-face meetings are a very effective means of knowledge exchange and can establish long-term networks between scientists and policymakers

How does the format work?

The process is straightforward: scientists and policymakers have informal chats on policy issues. The policymakers thus gain scientific perspectives on the policy issues they are dealing with.

The scientists learn policy perspectives on their research topics. The policymakers can ask specific questions (e.g., How do smartphones affect the reading abilities of school children in primary schools?) or general questions (e.g., How is digitalisation changing the finance industry? How do algorithms work?) or general questions. The meetings usually last one hour and can take place as one-to-one meetings or in small group settings.

What are the features of such programmes?

• Bidirectional knowledge transfer. While policymaking professionals learn about academic expertise, the participating researchers learn about policy perspectives on their research.
• Dialogue greatly increases knowledge. Face-to-face meetings are a very effective means of communication, and the interlocutors can decide on the topics they want to discuss.
• Voluntary nature. Only deeply motivated people apply and participate in meetings.
• Time efficiency. The policymaking professionals can pick the researchers they want to meet from comprehensive lists instead of browsing websites for hours to identify possible experts. Similarly, the participating scientists receive requests for meetings from the programmes’ office, including possible time slots and the interests of the policymaking professionals.
• Open dialogue in an informal setting. The meetings offer a rare opportunity for both sides to have thorough and open conversations. Unlike hearings in parliaments or formal meetings in ministries, they take place in an informal setting, which helps participants open up. No records of the meetings are produced.
• Diversity in terms of academic disciplines. If, for example, a policymaker asks how energy consumption can be reduced, meetings can be conducted with researchers from architecture on energy saving construction, meetings with engineering experts on energy-saving technical solutions, and economists on the issues of energy taxes. Likewise, scientists can meet policymakers from various units of the same institution or multiple institutions.
• Bringing together people who would have never met otherwise. Many policymakers have yet to contact scientists, and meetings are an easy way to connect such policymakers with scientists.
• The format enables us to connect many scientists with many policymakers. For example, the Rhine-Main Universities organised 2,800 meetings between 300 policymakers and 750 scientists.

How do universities connect with policymaking institutions? Universities can ask policymakers to submit lists of topics (e.g., biodiversity, climate change) they are interested in. The universities then assess whether they can organise face-to-face meetings with scientists. If their assessment is positive, the universities can propose possible dates for meetings with scientists or ask the policymakers to submit possible dates. Alternatively, universities can ask policymaking institutions if they want scientists to conduct face-to-face meetings with policymakers. the universities can then share lists of scientists interested in visiting policymaking institutions to conduct meetings.

What are the benefits of enhancing institutional capacity building and researchers` competencies regarding policy engagement?

Such programmes can have a huge impact on enhancing institutional capacities since they can involve hundreds or even thousands of researchers who can connect with policymakers and learn about current challenges in policymaking.

Tasks and resources

Scientists

Scientists should examine the websites of the participating policymaking institutions to gain an overview of their policy issues. If the policymakers have submitted lists of questions, the scientists should consider possible answers in advance. Of course, the scientists also have to conduct the meetings.

Knowledge exchange managers and research managers

While meetings between policymakers and scientists usually last about an hour, organising the meetings is very time-consuming. When conducting such formats for the first time, knowledge exchange managers or research managers must inform scientists and policymakers about the format. They must match the scientists’ expertise with the policymakers’ areas of interest, which can take several weeks, depending on the format and number of participants. The managers have to schedule the meetings, compile lists of participants and conduct brief evaluations.

Policymakers

To derive great benefit from the meetings, the policymakers should prepare for the meeting by visiting the websites of the scientist to learn more about their areas of expertise. If policymakers meet scientists from academic disciplines with whom they need to become more familiar, they should read a short article on the respective academic discipline. A Wikipedia article will do in most cases. It’s perfectly fine for policymakers not to be familiar with the expertise of the scientists they meet. However, policymakers should understand why the meetings take place. Otherwise, they might spend too much time discussing the researcher`s expertise rather than policy issues. Policymakers should also prepare questions or topics they would like to focus on.

Do you want to know more about the policy engagement toolkit?

Do you want to share your experience in policy engagement? Do you think about contributing to the policy engagement toolkit? Feel free to contact Tome Sandevski via science-policy@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de

Description – Key features in a nutshell

• hearings and similar formats, like expert talks in parliament, are essential ways for members of parliaments to gather evidence from scientists
• the invited experts usually have only a limited amount of time to make their statements and answer questions from members of parliaments
• the committees usually ask to assess past, present, or proposed policies (e.g., draft legislation); they often ask for policy recommendations
• at present, parliaments often publish recordings or minutes of hearings on their websites
• hearings can also attract media coverage

How does the format work?

Parliamentary committees organise hearings when assessing past or present policies or preparing new legislation so they can receive expertise from scientists and stakeholders, called witnesses in many English-speaking countries. The scientist can usually submit a brief written statement before the hearing.

Parliamentary staff communicate the dates and time slots to the scientists who can deliver their expertise in person or virtually. After listening to the invited experts’ reports, the parliamentary committee members ask questions. The parliamentary committee allocates a minimal amount of time for scientists to present their statements on a policy issue and answer questions from the committee members.

Parliaments on the regional and national levels, as well as the European Parliament, usually require external experts to assess policies. The provision of expertise to members of parliament for improving policies is a critical task, and hearings provide an official channel for presenting evidence to policymakers and engaging in dialogue with lawmakers. However, scientists should understand that providing evidence and policy recommendations in parliament does not entail that policymakers will follow their assessments when evaluating policies or drafting laws.

Often, citizens may attend hearings. The hearings also attract media attention if they cover controversial topics that have been debated in public before. Many parliaments publish transcripts and recordings on their websites and also offer live streams of hearings. You can also find numerous recordings of parliamentary hearings in various countries on YouTube.

Challenges

The committees usually grant experts only a few minutes to make their statements and answer questions. Often, displays of running clocks or chairs are used to remind the experts about the remaining time. Unlike time limits at academic conferences, the chairpersons of the parliamentary committees enforce the time limits, which can be a cultural shock for scientists.

Since the parliamentary committees invited the scientists, scientists may be perceived to be affiliated with certain political parties. While party affiliation is a good thing, some scientists want to avoid leaving the impression of following a party line. Also, heated discussions between scientists and committee members can occur depending on the political culture in various countries. The opposite can also happen: committee members may have already made up their minds on the respective policy issues and consider the hearing a mandatory but useless exercise, which can be frustrating for scientists as well. Nonetheless, scientists should understand that hearings provide networking opportunities which scientists should explore. A political science professor once said: “I don’t participate in hearings to make a statement in the committee room but to have informal discussions in the hallways.”

Tasks and resources

Scientists

If required, scientists must submit a written statement before the hearing. They should prepare brief statements and practice giving short answers. Scientists should also understand that parliament members have limited resources regarding time to read the experts` statements in advance. They must therefore not only focus on the content of their written statements but also think about the length and structure of the statement, visualisations, and language. The easier the statement is to read, the more likely committee members will remember the key messages.

Scientists should also consider their role. Do they want to merely provide expertise on a policy issue or advocate for a specific policy outcome? If the latter, they will have to prepare for the hearings by studying draft legislation, the positions of the members of parliament on the policy issues, and the statements provided by the other invited external experts.

If the secretariat of the parliament provides guides or a FAQ question,  scientists should read these documents, which provide helpful information on access to the buildings, time limits, or reimbursements. If the scientist needs additional information on issues like dress code or how to address the members of parliament or the chairperson, they should contact the staffers organising the hearing. More and more parliaments allow for the scientists to participate virtually. If opportunities arise during coffee breaks or chats in the hallway, scientists can also ask the staffers of the members of parliament or the parliamentary staffers for feedback regarding their statements.

Support staff (knowledge exchange managers and research managers)

The parliamentary committee members invite scientists. They often ask the support staff or their assistants to identify possible scientists who can be invited.

Updated and easily understood websites and expert directories are beneficial for staffers at parliaments in identifying potential experts. Other factors include fostering connections with members of parliament or staffers in parliaments and publishing relevant and accessible research. Support staff can help organise policy events or communicate the expertise of their scientists via policy events, newsletters, social media posts, and other formats.

Support staff can also keep records of scientists participating in hearings or similar events in parliament to connect scientists participating in hearings for the first time with their peers, who are already familiar with the format. Support staff can also ask the scientists about their experience and write short guides or FAQ lists for their scientists.

Scientists can increase their visibility among members of parliament, however, by maintaining understandable websites, publishing relevant research, or actively participating in policy events.

Policymakers

Members of parliament and their support staff have to read the statements in advance and prepare questions they would like to ask the scientists during the hearings.

Required funding for activity

The parliaments usually cover travel expenses and provide a daily allowance.

Do you want to know more about the policy engagement toolkit?

Do you want to share your experience in policy engagement? Do you think about contributing to the policy engagement toolkit? Feel free to contact Tome Sandevski via science-policy@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de