Political-administrative relations: The role of political advisers

Connaughton, Bernadette

doi:10.1515/admin-2017-0020

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The PAS literature on politicisation trends highlights that an increase in political appointees brings a more partisan dimension to policy advice. Ministerial advisers are provided for in the Public Service Management Act 1997 and their contributions are recognised as an accepted feature of executive government (Connaughton, 2017;Shaw, 2023). Respondents acknowledged their place in the PAS but did not attribute them a significant role in substantive advice provision.…”

Section: Modes Of Politicisation In Pasmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

Connaughton,

Devane

2023

Administration

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The concept of a policy advisory system (PAS) is devised to study the diverse range of actors involved in the policy formulation process from a system level. An optimal PAS should be adaptable, autonomous and transparent, and should deliver substantive and timely advice. This article discusses factors influencing developments in Ireland’s PAS, including the broader trends of politicisation and externalisation. The findings are informed by interviews and a survey circulated to Irish civil servants who perform policy worker tasks and are engaged in providing advice to ministers. The research finds that new structural and institutional arrangements introduced to Ireland’s PAS have created a greater capacity for evidence-based advice in the internal PAS and a more contested space for policy advice. It also highlights that this has not fundamentally disturbed embedded characteristics of the Irish policymaking environment. Political demand pressures from ministers (both personal and electoral) can drive elements of politicisation within the civil service whereby policy advice is weighted or discarded based on ministerial preferences.

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Section: Modes Of Politicisation In Pasmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

Connaughton,

Devane

2023

Administration

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“…A notable Irish example of capturing views of citizens is the Citizens' Assemblies (Citizens' Assembly, n.d. [26]), a deliberative democracy model reporting to parliament. Citizens' Assemblies bring longer-term issues into the present, with deliberations on issues such as biodiversity loss and gender equality, constitutional issues such as the length of parliamentary terms, and areas such as ageing populations and climate change (see Box 4.3).…”

Section: Source: (European Commission 2022[21])mentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy Methods and Tools in Ireland

2023

OECD Public Governance Reviews

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played an advisory role on the project and provided substantive inputs and comments. Jennifer Allain provided editorial support. Ciara Muller prepared the manuscript for publication. Gabriella Scaduto-Mendola provided management and administrative support.The OECD Secretariat wishes to express its gratitude to the Irish Public Service for the dedication and commitment to this project. In particular, the OECD would like to thank the team of the Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division of the Department of the Taoiseach, in particular Elizabeth Canavan, Barry Vaughan, Liam Harding and Shane Donnelly. The Secretariat also expresses its gratitude to officials from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, namely Marianne Cassidy, Jasmina Behan and Beverley Sherwood and the team from the Public Service Transformation Division. Fergal Lynch from the University of Galway provided valuable comments throughout the project. The OECD would also like to acknowledge the continuous support of Vladimir Isaila and Thomas Giacoletto, policy officers in the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support of the European Commission. This report would not have been possible without the important contribution of peer reviewers who shared their extensive country-based knowledge and experience of policy development during the process:

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Cabinetisation or a Westminster solution? Understanding the employment of public servants in Australian ministers’ offices

Maley

2024

Aust J Public Adm

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This article tracks the proportion of Australian ministerial advisory staff over time who are drawn from the public service. Using a mix of parliamentary and employment data, biographical data and interviews (1984‐2018), the paper tests if there has been a dramatic decline in the number of public servants in ministers' offices, and if the Australian ministerial office is evolving towards the cabinet ministeriel model found in Napoleonic countries, a concept known as cabinetisation. The paper shows that the proportion of Australian advisers who are public servants on leave is lower than in the past but has been consistently around 30% since 2010. The central argument advanced in the paper is that Australia's model of ministerial office has critical differences from Napoleonic ministerial cabinets and there is no evidence of cabinetisation. It argues that rather than bending towards European models, Australia's ministerial office is a response to peculiarly Westminster challenges and tensions, provoked by Washington aspirations. The paper shows that the institutional architecture of Australia's Westminster variant produces distinct and in some ways paradoxical dynamics: the separation designed to protect departments' impartiality threatens their marginalisation, leading to a push for greater presence in ministerial offices, despite the inherent frictions and risks of politicisation.Points for practitioners There is a significant level of exchange between departments and ministers’ offices under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act in Australia which can create frictions when staff return to departments. The exchange is encouraged and desired by departments and seen as helping to address disconnection and lack of understanding between ministers’ offices and departments. However, the practice is limited by the recruitment preferences of ministers, who are wary of depoliticisation, seek a mix of backgrounds and skills in their offices, and have a ready supply of political cadres to draw on. The Thodey Review's recommendations to increase the number of public servants in ministers’ offices, and that Senior Executive Service officers work as advisers as part of their training, are unlikely to be accepted by ministers.

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Political-administrative relations: The role of political advisers

Cited by 4 publications

References 20 publications

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

‘Best advice available’ – Challenge and change in developing an optimal policy advisory system in Ireland

Policy Methods and Tools in Ireland

Cabinetisation or a Westminster solution? Understanding the employment of public servants in Australian ministers’ offices

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