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Learning from Abroad: The Role of Policy Transfer in Contemporary Policy- Making Analyzed By Utpal Mallick GPP -32 By Dolowitz & Marsh (2000)

Summary An increasing amount of policy development, and particularly policy change, in contemporary politics is affected by policy transfer. That is, if governments are searching for policy solutions to new or changing problems, then they are increasingly likely to look for “solutions” abroad.

Summary contd.. This is much easier than it was in the past because of the growth in all forms of communication; politicians and civil servants from different countries now meet more frequently, in bilateral as well as multi-lateral meetings. Policy entrepreneurs “sell” policies around the world. International policy networks, advocacy coalitions or communities develop and promote ideas. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that policy transfer can lead to policy failure.

supra-national governmental and nongovernmental institutions civil servants policy entrepreneurs and experts corporations elected officials think tanks pressure groups Who Is Involved in the Policy Transfer Process? political parties consultants

What Is Transferred? While almost anything can be transferred from one political system to another. 1.Policy goals 2.Policy content 3.Policy instruments 4.Policy programs 5.Institutions 6.Ideologies 7.Ideas and attitudes 8.Negative lessons

copying, which involves direct and complete transfer Degrees of Transfer There are basically four different degrees of transfer emulation, which involves transfer of the ideas behind the policy or program combinations, which involve mixtures of several different policies inspiration, where policy in another jurisdiction may inspire a policy change, but where the final outcome does not actually draw upon the original

Policy Transfer and Policy Failure At least three factors have a significant effect on failure:  First, the borrowing country may have insufficient information about the policy/institution and how it operates in the country of origin: uninformed transfer.  Second, although transfer has occurred, crucial elements of what made the policy or institutional structure a success in the originating country may not be transferred, leading to failure: incomplete transfer.  Third, insufficient attention may be paid to the differences between the economic, social, political and ideological contexts in the transferring and the borrowing country: inappropriate transfer.

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