Legislative science advice in Europe: the case for international comparative research

Abstract

This article provides an introduction to science advisory structures in elected legislatures; an arena of public decision-making which, although critical to the healthy functioning of democratic societies, has been largely neglected in recent discussions of science advice. The article begins by contrasting the functions and operating environments of legislatures with those of executive branches of governments, examining how these differences shape the requirements of their respective science advisory structures. A study of three national legislative science advice units within Europe is then presented, revealing a range of advisory structures and practices. These variations in approach suggest different underpinning conceptions about both why science advice is being provided, and how science advice can most effectively influence a legislature's activities. Given these differences, and our currently limited comparative understanding of the influence of scientific knowledge across different spheres of public decision-making, we argue that more attention needs to be focused on the difficult challenge of mapping and understanding legislative science advisory structures via a comparative international study. We close by arguing that an international comparative exercise of this type could significantly improve our understanding of the different influences science advisory practices and structures can have on the function of our democratic societies' deliberative bodies. This article is published as part of a collection on scientific advice to governments.

Science Advice in New Zealand

“…So, on the whole, the library does not provide 'advice' on policy issues, at least in the sense that we might mean for a science advisor. Kenny et al (2017) suggest that in other jurisdictions, such as the UK, Switzerland and France, advice for parliamentarians is focused on supporting arguments, and often on scrutiny and 'asking forensic questions' about policy. We suggest mechanisms for strengthening this capability below.…”

“…How does the landscape of advice in Aotearoa New Zealand compare to other jurisdictions? Much work has been done on this by a variety of organisations and individuals (Gluckman, 2018;Kenny et al, 2017); we offer a brief summary here that highlights some opportunities to develop.…”

A collaboratively derived international research agenda on legislative science advice

“…The distinctive nature of legislative science advice. Legislatures differ from the executive branch in both function and form (Kenny, Washbourne, et al, 2017;Tyler, 2013). The ratio of staff to political appointees is high for executive agencies, with each served by hundreds, if not thousands, of civil servants.…”

“…Within legislatures, scientific and technical information is employed for many purposes that fall within these categories (Kenny, Rose, et al, 2017;Kenny, Washbourne, et al, 2017). For example, it can be utilized to support scrutiny of the executive branch by parliamentary committees or commissions, who draw on evidence in their conclusions or recommendations.…”

“…Globally, various models exist for incorporating more in-depth science and technology assessment directly into legislatures' internal advisory capacity (Nentwich, 2016). These include the parliamentary committee model, with a committee leading a dedicated unit; the parliamentary office model, with a dedicated office internal to the parliament; and the independent institute model, where the advisory function is performed by institutes operating outside parliament but with parliament as one of their main clients (Hennen and Nierling, 2015b;Kenny, Washbourne, et al, 2017;Nentwich, 2016). An example of the first model, with a dedicated parliamentary committee, is France's OPECST.…”