1. Qualitative research and policy
making in Northern Ireland:
Barriers arising from lack of
capacity, conceptualisation and
consensus
Derek Birrell
School of Criminology, Politics and
Social Policy
University of Ulster
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2. Characteristics of the policy
process in Northern Ireland
• Distinction between devolved and non-
devolved powers
• Different governance sectors
• Consociational coalition in government
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3. Main devolved and non-devolved
powers
Devolved Non-devolved
Health and Social Care Macro economic policy Navigation
Education and children Taxation Civil Aviation
Higher education Foreign Policy/armed forces Monopolies and mergers
Social security Immigration/nationality National Lottery
Housing Human Rights Human genetics
Planning and environment Elections Data protection
Employment and skills National security Consumer safety
Criminal Justice and Policing National Insurance
Transport
Tourism
Agriculture and Rural Development
Arts and Sport
Note
• Main devolved functions related to social policy
• Social security not devolved in practice
• Areas of overlapping powers e.g. child poverty, fuel poverty, equality, welfare
to work
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4. Governance sectors
• Government (Executive) departments
• Assembly (parliament) and committees
• Public bodies/quango sector
• Local government
Configuration
12 departments – 23,000 civil servants
90 quangos – 145,000 staff
26 local councils – 10,000 staff
Note: very large quango sector but minimal local
government system
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5. Consociational government
• Involuntary coalition
• Five political parties in government
• No principle of collective responsibility
• Checks and vetoes on legislation only
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6. Sources of policy discourses
• Policy documents for consultation
• Departmental reports and proposals
• Commissioned reports
• Explanatory policy memorandum for
legislation
• Equality impact assessments
• Assembly Research and Library Services
reports
• Policy reports from public bodies
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7. Characteristics of policy discourses
• Limited in number compared to Scotland and
Wales
• Major policy documents outsourced to
management consultants.
• Limited in comprehensive analysis
• Lack of narrative on public sector
modernisation themes
• Lack of reference to relevant academic work
• Little evidence based narrative or discussion
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8. Examples of deficient use of
evidence
1. Health and social care
• Personal and Public Involvement 2011 (consultation)
Evidence: None
Outcome: Commitment to minimal participation
Social work in Northern Ireland in the 21st Century 2010 (report and strategy)
Evidence: Workshops
Outcome: Core and modernisation themes not addressed (Heenan and Birrell, 2011)
2. Local government reform
• Review of Public Administration 2005 (policy and legislation)
Evidence: Commissioned research and consultations
Outcome: Evidence ignored (Knox, 2008)
• Local government reform: Policy proposal 2010 (Consultation)
Evidence: Advisory group
Outcome: Still very weak local government (Knox, 2010)
3. Equality
• Equality impact assessments (reports)
Evidence: Public bodies reporting
Outcome: Little policy impact/ tickbox approach (McLaughlin, 2007)
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9. Reasons for lack of use of
evidence
1. Lack of policy making capacity following devolution.
• Identified as a problem in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland
• Need to formulate legislation
• Demand for policy advice and evidence
• Attraction of distinctive new policies
• Existing civil services not equipped for new policy making
function
• Existing trend to follow Whitehall departments
• Seen as an issue of capability and capacity
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10. 1. Lack of policy making capacity and
Northern Ireland issues
• Legacy of direct rule and copying UK
government politics 1972-1999 or little policy
innovation
• Northern Ireland civil service recognised
problem in civil service reform agenda 2004, led
to policy innovation unit and policy champion
• Continuing tendency to outsource policy work
• Adequacy of civil service/public service training.
• Limited engagement with universities compared
to Scotland and Wales
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11. 2.Low Level of conceptual
analysis
• Absence of modern agendas in health and social care:
personalisation, user participation, integration
• Absence of public sector reform agendas localism and
decentralisation
• Compatibility of structures with devolution e.g.
centralised departments plus centralised quangos
• Continuing democratic deficit
• Dominance of cost cutting policies
• Little attention to welfare models and principles
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12. 3. Limited research and policy
related institutions
• Few research institutes
• Lack of policy think tanks
• Limited policy research networks
• Few independent sources of evidence – Statistics and research unit
part of government department unlike ONS
• Limited involvement of major UK policy institutes – Joseph
Rowntree, Nuffield, Institute of Public Policy Research, centre for
Social Justice
• Lack of forums for policy analysis, policy debates, exchange of
ideas, promotion of policy related research
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13. 4.Lack of political consensus
• On many major policy issues anti-poverty policy, shared
future/community relations, early years, cross border
cooperation
• Leads to policy impasses or lowest common
denominator approach
• Results in no commitment to use of qualitative research
to advance issues
• Role of political advisors to ministers
• Evidence for ‘ignorance - based decision making’
(Parsons, 2008)
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14. Summary of key barriers
• Civil service not accepting policy analysis role
• Dominance of managerialism (Greer, 2004)
• Lack of policy consensus among parties
• Hostility to use of academic research
• Limited qualitative research base
• Policy areas that would benefit from qualitative research
Academic selection; child poverty; adult social care;
integration of health and social care; early years; future
of social housing
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15. References
Derek Birrell (2009) Direct rule and the governance of Northern Ireland Manchester: Manchester
University Press
Derek Birrell (200) The impact of devolution on social policy Bristol: Policy Press
Scott Greer (2004) Territorial policies and health policy Manchester: Manchester University Press
Deirdre Heenan and Derek Birrell (2011) Social work in Northern Ireland: Conflict and change. Bristol:
Policy press
Colin Knox (2008) ‘Policy making in Northern Ireland Ignoring the evidence’. Policy and Politics
vol 36 no 7 pp 343 – 339
Colin Knox (2010) ‘Devolution and the government of Northern Ireland’ Manchester: Manchester
University Press
Eithne McLaughlin (2007) ‘From negative to positive equality duties: The development and
constitutionalisation of equality provisions in the UK Social policy and society, vol 6, no 1, pp 111-21
Wayne Parsons (2008) ‘What is evidence and who owns it?’ in Public Management and Policy
Association Evidence based policy making London: PMPA
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