View source for Implementation plan of evidence-based policy

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[[Category:Open policy practise]]
[[Category:Open assessment]]
[[op_fi:Tiedolla johtamisen sisäänajosuunnitelma]]
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== Scope ==

How can the better policy practises identified in [[:op_fi:Yhtäköyttä|Yhtäköyttä]]-project be implemented into national governance? Especially actions that support the government are examined.

== Answer ==

The implementation plan includes three new social innovations that will be taken into use in the decision support for the government's work. These are a) ''shared understanding'' as a goal for knowledge work, b) ''variables'' aka knowledge crystals in structuring and interpreting of information and c) ''respect theory'' to motivate the production of information. 

'''The implementation plan is built on top of [[open assessment]] and [[open policy practice]], and you should also read descriptions of those methods.

=== Shared understanding as a goal for knowledge work ===

{{{{ns:0}}:shared understanding}}

==== Shared understanding in the work of the government ====

In decision support using shared understanding, for example in drafting a bill, it is not enough that a law text is created with valid arguments. It must also be described what other points of views there were and what were their arguments. Even views that were once suggested seriously but that turned out to be invalid will be described. This is important so they don't resurface when people not familiar with the previous work join the project. This could also be important for getting the acceptance of the public and others who have not participated.

To promote shared understanding as a practice, the law preparations will need a new, open web-workspace. It can be fully open (in the internet) or, if the situation requires, only open to those participating in the preparations. From the point of view of trying out the method, completely open preparation would be the most educational.

Additionally the work must be done in shared information objects. All separate topics have their own pages in the workspace, and all connected material is gathered on the page no matter who produced the information. The research question for each topic is precisely defined, and the purpose of the work is to produce the best possible answer to it. This means a transfer from a person-based information structure to a topic-based information structure. This way everyone participating in the preparation will have at hand the same information and tools, and are capable of evaluating what information is still missing from the goal of shared understanding. The schedule and to-do-list for the project will also be open, so following the case is easier. Separate to-do-lists are avoided, because they make it harder for the information to spread.

Thus the goal of shared understanding creates the following action proposition:
* Action 1. Shared understanding is taken as a spelled out goal in projects that want to use the implementation plan.
* Action 2. The preparations for the projects are done in an open web-workspace. The existing tools can still be used, but all information will be brought to the workspace without delay.
* Action 3. The information is structured in the workspace by topic. Research questions for each topic are defined.
* Action 4. The person in charge of the project opens the schedule and to-do-list of the project for everyone to see and maintains it for the durations of the project.

=== Knowledge crystals to structure the interpretation ===

{{{{ns:0}}:Knowledge crystal}}

==== Knowledge crystals helping decision support ====

Recently impact assessments have been made to support the preparation of laws. This is needed, and the know-how and resourcing should be developed further. Knowledge crystals help with this work. Their basic idea and structure enable them being used directly or at least easily in a new, similar assessment. This saves resources and increases the quality of the content.

The national sector and expert institutions have huge resources and expertise in their field. However, their working pace doesn't go well with the quick pace of preparation of laws, and thus it's hard to get concrete and comprehensive expert support when it's needed. Open variables will help with this too, because they are precisely built by experts for decision impact assessments. 

So far these knowledge crystals have been rarely produced, even though the conditions are often good for it. Take for example Simuloitu Suomi aka Sisu-model. It is a comprehensive microeconomic description of how taxation and social support effect the population in Finland. However, it is a complex and huge model and there are only a handful of experts in Finland who can use in with a few days' notice. Most of the information from the model is thus only usable if one of these experts has the time to use the model exactly when the knowledge is needed. A special problem is the population data required for the model. It's not accessible by other people because of privacy protection issues.

As a solution to this example problem is that instead of using real population data, the model uses a statistically equivalent fake data that doesn't involve the privacy protection problems. Then the model could be built perfectly workable and open in the internet. It could also be built so that anyone could run the sub-models or look for precise information produced by model runs. When the amount of users increases, also know-how increases and expertise can spread wider and do more. This is possible if the model is updated to consist of open variables, aka knowledge crystals.

Research institutions could aim their operation in a way that one central product (along with expert reports and scientific publications) would be knowledge crystals.

The use of knowledge crystals creates the following action propositions: 
* Action 5. Producing knowledge crystals is added to the goals of national research institutes. The progression of this operation model in different institutes is followed annually. 
* Action 6. Education on producing knowledge crystals is held for experts in all sectors.
* Action 7. A law preparation project is chosen for which the preliminary assessment is done by using impact assessment based on knowledge crystals. Things learned from the trial is used in following projects.
* Action 8. Sisu-model (or some other significant model) is turned into a model working in the internet with knowledge crystals. Simultaneously experiences are collected about open use and development of a model large and complex but useful in decision-making.

=== Respect theory to motivate knowledge production ===

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==== Onors motivating governance and sector institutes ====

Social knowledge work isn't easily bent to the current copyright system that is based on preventing the use of information unless the user pays the producer of the information a compensation. However, it is seen in research that the highest benefit for a society is reached when knowledge is as wide spread and as well available to everyone as possible. Thus it's interesting to try out a reward system that doesn't limit but encourages the sharing of information.

Onors can be used in producing and using scientific knowledge, if the principles and practises of giving out onors and the respecting of the people who get them are agreed on. Finland could act as a visionary in freeing scientific knowledge, if onors are given real value in performance conversations and in position appointments. Currently almost the only thing giving a researcher merit is a scientific peer-reviewed published article. Even though international practises change slowly, it's possible to move faster in Finland. Especially the government can make a difference to what things are emphasized in the ministry-governed expert and sector institutes. For example it would be justified that a researcher gains onors when they publish a research idea, the test setting, raw data, statistical analysis of someone else's data, or an article. Currently only the last is a formal merit.

Especially it would be possible to give onors to researchers and experts, who actively produce valid knowledge directly for decision support. On top of traditional expert work this includes producing knowledge crystals aka open variables or participating in building shared understanding. 

The respect theory creates the following action proposals:
* Action 9. A task force is set up to create rules for measuring respect for the knowledge work in decision support for the government. The task force is in charge of the work, which is done openly online and aiming for a shared understanding.
* Action 10. The ministries bring opening knowledge and the merits that are given for producing it into conversation in the institutes they govern. The recommendations of the respect task force are taken into use in result guidance.
* Action 11. Research institutes take onors related to opening data into use in personnel performance reviews.
* Action 12. Onors are taken into use also in the preparation of laws, so that anyone taking part in the preparation can earn onors with their actions.
* Action 13. The government starts a campaign to bring into use the described motivation structure in Finland. The costs and other effects of taking the system into use is investigated.

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== Rationale ==

:''Here is conversation about what different actions can be taken. The best ones will be taken into the result.

* Built slowly during the entire work based on previous parts.
* Deliverable: Practical actions to carry out, so the use of knowledge in decision-making gets better.
** Actions by VNK (incentives, developing the governing processess)
** Actions by national research institutes (the forms of knowledge and its production, decision support, in for example the for of assessments)
* What should the implementation plan be like?
** Bold enough to draw attention and create conversation. Not too utopistic, so it is still possible to turn into actions. It shouldn't be too obvious or mainstream, because then no added value is gained.
** It should be integrated in some already existing programmes or processes, so the integration would occur smoothly. The first things that come to mind are the government's impact assessment development project and VKN's impact assessment group.

== See also ==

{{yhtakoytta}}

== Related files ==