Northern Ireland Policy-Making Case Studies

This case study illustrates a forward looking and innovative, flexible and creative approach to policy-making. The policy process involved a major conference workshop organised around the principles of Future Search . This brought together representatives from all the key stakeholders in the game, including administrators, players, coaches, managers, referees, supporters, the media, academics, Government, and voluntary and statutory agencies. A series of working groups then developed the way forward on the issues identified at the Future Search conference and produced a consultation document ‘Creating a Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland’. Future Search was particularly successful as a consultative mechanism, though it was only part of the policy development process.

This case study illustrates outward looking, evidence based and joined up policy-making. A variety of evidence was gathered and used to illustrate that health and wellbeing is largely determined by the social, economic, physical and cultural environment. As a result, it was recognised that the factors which cause poor health and health inequalities could not be addressed by the health sector alone, but required concerted action across all Departments.

Developed by the cross-Departmental Ministerial Group on Public Health (MGPH), Investing for Health provides a cross departmental, multi-sectoral framework for action to improve health and well being.

The consultation document draws together an evidence-base to illustrate the state of the population’s health and to prompt debate on how these issues should be addressed.

This case study illustrates a joined-up approach to policy-making. ‘Children First’ envisaged an integrated approach to early childhood education and care, operating at a number of levels in the implementation of the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme.  

The Inter-Departmental Group on Early Years (IDGEY), consisting of the Department of Education (DE), Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), acted as the oversight body for the implementation of ‘Children First’ as a whole.

This case study illustrates good communication in the policy-making process. Central to the development of the strategy was an extensive communication and consultation process. A communication project team was established to manage this process; it developed a communication strategy which detailed what was to be communicated when, with whom and by what method. This strategy also identified the need to educate and inform participants in the process as well as collecting and considering their opinions. This team was responsible for developing and regularly updating a website, preparing, organising and participating in presentations and meetings, handing responses to enquiries and comments, issuing documents to interested parties and coordinating Assembly and Committee business.

The feedback on the consultation paper, together with the results of the attitudinal research, led to significant amendments and additions being made to the characteristics of the vision and the lists of transportation problems and potential solutions.

This case study illustrates outward looking, learning lessons, evaluation and review in policy-making. The project board established an approach which was outward looking, drawing on experience in the rest of the UK, Republic of Ireland, USA, and mainland Europe, especially Germany. The project board also engaged with an external “critical friend” throughout the process, who assisted with the revision of the draft report.  

The policy team took account of work on provision for 14-19 year olds undertaken as part of the Post-Primary Review; the experience of five years of further education incorporation; the results of the Foundation Degree pilots; and the results of a number of specific exercises relating to the sector. The policy team has identified a range of lessons learned throughout the policy process, including lessons of good practice and learning from mistakes.

This case study illustrates joined up and inclusive policy-making.  The interested parties were identified as:

Recognising that those groups varied in their capacity to consider and respond to the consultation process, the Department for Social Development (DSD) engaged National Energy Action (NI), the fuel poverty charity, to facilitate a participative consultation process. DSD determined that fuel poverty should be tackled in a collaborative way and recommended a partnership approach led by DSD. The main proposals for partnership working were:

A commitment to work with the voluntary and community sector in identifying the people who suffer from fuel poverty, informing them of the options available, and providing practical help.

This case study illustrates forward looking policy-making. Work on the development of a new regional strategy began in 2002. The strategy includes three main elements, namely:

Consultation techniques included a consultation document, which explained in the most straightforward terms the boundaries of health and social care (people tend to think of hospitals). The document was issued asking people to give their vision of the service.

This case study illustrates a joined up approach to policy-making.  The policy was developed jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of the Environment.  In particular, the effective departmental cooperation in developing the policy and presenting a united front to stakeholders was a significant element.  The case study also demonstrates an evidence based approach – through the use of complex scientific and economic data.  The evidence base helped aid negotiations with stakeholders and the European Commission.  

This case study illustrates good communication in the policy-making process; how the policies should be communicated to the public was integral to the policy development process.  Throughout the process, consideration was given to the potential impacts on taxi service providers and the needs of taxi users affected by them.

This case study illustrates an outward looking and evidence based approach to policy-making.  The research included comparison of approaches to planning and flood risk in other jurisdictions, while also identifying the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland.  A solid evidence base was drawn from sound scientific and professional sources and the integration of peer group and other professional opinions into the policy process.  

This case study illustrates an innovative and creative approach to policy-making.  It incorporates several new approaches in policy not previously employed in Northern Ireland, such as HMO capping on a street-by-street basis.  

This case study illustrates an inclusive approach to policy-making.  The Department for Regional Development was keen to future proof the Programme and ensure that it effectively met the needs of its target customers.  Consultation was key to this – both widespread consultation and discussions with key stakeholders.  This helped to hone the initial ideas, resulting in better delivery of frontline services.

This case study illustrates an innovative and creative approach to policy-making.  The policy process used innovative new consultation methods which ensured that the consultation responses were mainly from users of the service.  The case study also demonstrates good communication in the policy-making process.  The whole policy process was mapped out and all relevant documents provided on a webpage on the departmental website.  The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure also used regular Ministerial press releases and visits to libraries to ensure that the public and library sector were informed of progress and timescales.