Six Civil servants and policy analysis in central government
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Emilie Biland
Abstract
This chapter discusses the persistent monopoly of the grands corps in the production and mobilisation of policy analysis in the French context. Top officials have historically built their legitimacy on detention of ‘generalist’ policy knowledge, transmitted within administrative grandes écoles, and mobilised at the central level. However, the diversification of policy experts within French administration and the rise of alternative legitimate knowledge has questioned this ‘generalist model’. Two significant evolutions are the increasing influence of ‘numbers’ compared to more traditional literary or legal skills and the shift of policy expertise downstream the policy process, as top civil servants’ work has been increasingly oriented toward policy evaluation and performance measure. Their ability to master these new types of policy knowledge certainly conditions the persistence of their power over rival actors both inside and outside government, to address the growing policy expertise of consultants, private-sector experts and members of interest groups.
Abstract
This chapter discusses the persistent monopoly of the grands corps in the production and mobilisation of policy analysis in the French context. Top officials have historically built their legitimacy on detention of ‘generalist’ policy knowledge, transmitted within administrative grandes écoles, and mobilised at the central level. However, the diversification of policy experts within French administration and the rise of alternative legitimate knowledge has questioned this ‘generalist model’. Two significant evolutions are the increasing influence of ‘numbers’ compared to more traditional literary or legal skills and the shift of policy expertise downstream the policy process, as top civil servants’ work has been increasingly oriented toward policy evaluation and performance measure. Their ability to master these new types of policy knowledge certainly conditions the persistence of their power over rival actors both inside and outside government, to address the growing policy expertise of consultants, private-sector experts and members of interest groups.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Editors’ introduction to the series xiii
- Policy analysis in France: introduction 1
-
The styles and methods of public policy analysis
- On the path to public policy analysis: an ‘administrative science’ between reform and academy 31
- The emergence of modern policy analysis in France 47
- Recent developments within French policy studies 63
- Methods of French policy studies 79
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Policy analysis by governments
- Civil servants and policy analysis in central government 101
- Policy analysis in French local government 119
- Beyond weakness: policy analysis in the French parliament 137
-
Committees, public inquiries, and consultants
- Public inquiries, committees 157
- Management consultants as policy actors 175
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Parties, interest groups, research institutes and think tanks
- The field of state expertise 191
- Political parties and think tanks: policy analysis oriented toward office-seeking 209
- Economic interest groups and policy analysis in France 225
- NGOs, civil society and policy analysis: from mutual disinterest to reciprocal investment 243
- Trade union expertise in public policy 261
-
Academic policy analysis
- Economics and policy analysis: ‘from state to market’? 279
- The academic world of French policy studies: training, teaching and researching 295
- Public policy analysis in France: from public action to political power 313
- Index 333
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Editors’ introduction to the series xiii
- Policy analysis in France: introduction 1
-
The styles and methods of public policy analysis
- On the path to public policy analysis: an ‘administrative science’ between reform and academy 31
- The emergence of modern policy analysis in France 47
- Recent developments within French policy studies 63
- Methods of French policy studies 79
-
Policy analysis by governments
- Civil servants and policy analysis in central government 101
- Policy analysis in French local government 119
- Beyond weakness: policy analysis in the French parliament 137
-
Committees, public inquiries, and consultants
- Public inquiries, committees 157
- Management consultants as policy actors 175
-
Parties, interest groups, research institutes and think tanks
- The field of state expertise 191
- Political parties and think tanks: policy analysis oriented toward office-seeking 209
- Economic interest groups and policy analysis in France 225
- NGOs, civil society and policy analysis: from mutual disinterest to reciprocal investment 243
- Trade union expertise in public policy 261
-
Academic policy analysis
- Economics and policy analysis: ‘from state to market’? 279
- The academic world of French policy studies: training, teaching and researching 295
- Public policy analysis in France: from public action to political power 313
- Index 333
