Authors: Maxime Stauffer | Nicolas Seidler
Reflections on teaching science-policy engagement
Note: This article is a part of the publication ‘Science diplomacy capacity development: Reflections on Diplo’s 2021 course and the road ahead’
Our module teaches participants how to navigate the interface between science and policy. We aim to give a realistic view of the challenge and ground participants’ reflections on their realities.
Science-policy relationships in the 21st century occur within a complex interplay of cognitive, social, and institutional forces. The reasons that scientists and policy actors succeed in informing each other’s work are the same as the reasons that they fail: values, language, culture, and organisational priorities shape their behaviour. When they align, it works. When they don’t, it fails. As such, the use of science in policy is not only a question of finding and using information. It is also a question of building trust and finding alignment between many heterogeneous actors. Such alignment does not happen in a vacuum but within a context often constrained by political and time pressure, as well as interpersonal and networking skills.
Understanding and navigating the interwoven dynamics of science-policy engagement can be a daunting task. In this module, we break down this complexity and provide a vocabulary and solutions to navigate this reality pragmatically.
The approach we employ in the module goes back-and-forth between letting participants reflect from their point of view and getting them to step back and think about the bigger picture. We start with case studies where participants take on the role of a policy adviser or a researcher and need to explain how they would build a scientific task force or change their approach to science advice. Participants thus identify science-policy challenges based on their intuitions and reflections. Then, we step back and provide a vocabulary to name these challenges and solutions to overcome them. After that, participants apply such knowledge to their careers in a reflexive essay. Lastly, a final session allows participants to share their reflections with others, thus encouraging cross-pollination.
The shift from the big picture to participants’ careers is challenging to negotiate. We accompany the participants’ journey by recognizing the role of ‘boundary-spanners’, which they play in their respective contexts. This is a role that is increasingly necessary and sought after in order to connect the dots of science and policy towards science-informed solutions to global challenges. This is a role that equips participants with skills and responsibilities to hone in the future. And most importantly, it provides a strong sense of hope: they are not alone trying to span boundaries, and there is a body of practice that can inform their work. As such, our module aims to give participants more agency and a strong belief that navigating the science-policy interface is not only essential, but also possible.
You may also be interested in
Science & Diplomacy: How countries interact with the Boston innovation ecosystem
Crucial global topics are becoming increasingly dependent on the world’s rapidly changing scientific knowledge and technological capabilities: from global health to digital society, sustainability to development, and beyond. To tackle this growing complexity, countries increasingly seek to engage with international science and technology hubs like Boston, so as to accelerate their ability to innovate and spark collaborative efforts with other nations.
Knowledge management and diplomacy
In this paper we aim to provide a comprehensive introduction to the topic of knowledge management in diplomacy. First we provide working definitions of knowledge and knowledge management, and examine the evolution of the concepts. Next, we consider specific features of diplomacy that affect and limit the way knowledge management can be implemented. Then we look at specific techniques which diplomacy can adapt from the business sector in the field of knowledge management. Finally, we consider some important questions related to human resources and knowledge management.
Knowledge management in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta
In this paper, Maltese diplomat Gaetan Naudi explains how the Maltese MFA embraced the changes introduced by the informatics era. He looks at such changes from a business management perspective, to show how ICTs were introduced to such a fairly large organisation, the concerns raised by the changes, and the progress on computerised knowledge management. He concludes that despite the positive changes introduced thanks to ICTs, this would not have been possible without human involvement.
DiploDialogue – Metaphors for Diplomats
On Diplo’s blog, in Diplo’s classrooms, and at Diplo’s events, dialogues stretch over a series of entries, comments, and exchanges and may even linger. DiploDialogue summarises. It’s like in sports events: DiploDialogue aims to bring focus by deleting what, in hindsight, is less relevant. In this first DiploDialogue, Katharina Höne and Aldo Matteucci discuss the usefulness of analogies and metaphors for understanding international relations and diplomacy.
Knowledge and Diplomacy – Alex Sceberras Trigona
In his paper, Alex Sceberras Trigona stresses the importance of the diplomatic document as a primary source of diplomatic knowledge, in the light of the distinction between ‘information’ (can be recorded) and knowledge (not easily recorded), the flow of knowledge as information. He then explains the need for dissecting diplomatic documents, and the various level of analysis which are possible, and the effects of digitalisation on knowledge, information and diplomacy.
Knowledge management and international development – the role of diplomacy
In this chapter, Walter Fust talks about the role of knowledge management, and knowledge for development, in diplomacy. He describes various methods to assess what knowledge should be stocked, and explains the need for managers who are assigned the task of deciding what should be stocked. These decisions need to be guided by principles, or guidelines - referred to as value management.
Knowledge management and change in international organisations: Learning from the private sector
In this paper, John Harper and Jennifer Cassingena Harper talk about knowledge as a vital resource, and the necessity of building competencies and establishing new skills. Analysing the theories by Ernst B. Haas in When Knowledge is Power: Three Models of Change in International Organisation, the authors trace the development of knowledge-oriented activities in the private sector, and its implications for organisations in the public and international domain.
Knowledge and Diplomacy
Knowledge and Diplomacy presents papers on knowledge and knowledge management from the January 1999 Conference on Knowledge and Diplomacy in Malta. The papers in this book, examining the topic from a variety of backgrounds, academic interests and orientations, reflect the multidisciplinary character of knowledge management. This publication is only available online.
How do you know what you think you know?
In his paper, J. Thomas Converse focuses on four records-related areas where the issues of knowledge management and diplomacy come together and provide the greatest challenges to archivists, diplomats, historians and technology providers: validation, trustworthiness, context and longevity. He also explores some of the changes and challenges brought about by technology, and urges for a continued embrace of technology, while at the same time demanding the validating and relational functions which give archives their trustworthiness.
Knowledge management: experience from international organisations
In this chapter, John Pace decribes the three-phase evolution of knowledge management in the human rights program of the United Nations. The realisation that knowledge management is a necessity came during the third phase. The author also describes the complex system of monitoring bodies and ad hoc mechanisms, and the developments that took place following four decisions taken in the mid-eighties.
Beyond diplomatic – the unravelling of history
In his paper, Robert Alston travels through time to rekindle an important highlight – as well as a personal highlight – in the history of knowledge management. His journey takes him back to the 1850s, which saw Antonio Panizzi’s efforts in creating a universal repository of knowledge in the British Museum; and to the 1990s, a time in which he acquired first-hand experience at the same museum, drawing conclusions on the various available ways of navigating large bibliographical and archival databases.
The role of knowledge in the cyber-age of globalisation
In his paper, Richard Falk reflects on the application of information technology on diplomacy, and discusses the challenge of converting information technology to ‘knowledge technology’, and subsequently to ‘wisdom technology’. Yet, the ‘crossroads in human experience’ brings many challenges and dangers which the author analyses.
Science diplomacy capacity development
Diplo has a track record of more than 20 years of capacity development in diplomacy. Given the increasing relevance of science diplomacy, expanding our program to include aspects of its theory and practice felt like an organic development. We offered our ten-week Science Diplomacy course for the first time in October 2021.
Knowledge management and diplomatic training – new approaches for training institutions
Dietrich Kappeler analyses the new approaches for training institutions in knowledge management and diplomatic training, departing from the premise that a distinction is important between personal characteristics and qualities of the diplomat on one hand, and the knowledge and skills he needs to do his job on the other.
