Edited by James Wilsdon and Robert Doubleday

Download a free PDF copy of the entire book here

The first in a two-part collection of essays, Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Whitehall focuses on scientific advice in the United Kingdom. The collection was published following a series of seminars on that topic held in 2013, and was launched at the 2013 CSaP Annual Conference.

The project was a collaborative initiative of five partners: University of Cambridge’s Centre for Science and Policy; Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and ESRC STEPS Centre at the University of Sussex; Alliance for Useful Evidence; Institute for Government; and Sciencewise-ERC.

Part two of the collection, Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Europe, was published in April 2015. A free digital copy can be downloaded here.

Description

Scientific advice has never been in greater demand; nor has it been more contested. From climate change to cyber-security, poverty to pandemics, food technologies to fracking, the questions being asked of scientists, engineers, social scientists and other experts by policymakers, the media, and the public continue to multiply. At the same time, in the wake of the financial crisis and controversies such as 'Climategate', the authority and legitimacy of those same experts are under greater scrutiny.

To mark the transition in April 2013 to Sir Mark Walport as the UK's chief scientific adviser, this collection brings together new essays by more than 20 leading thinkers and practitioners, including Sir John Beddington, Sheila Jasanoff, Geoff Mulgan, Roger Pielke Jr., Jill Rutter, Mike Hulme and Sir Bob Watson.

In the context of the UK government agenda for Whitehall reform, and a growing emphasis on the use of evidence in policy, these contributors chart future directions for the politics and practice of scientific advice.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Hail to the Chief: future directions for scientific advice
James Wilsdon and Robert Doubleday

EXPERTS AND EVIDENCE IN WHITEHALL

The science and art of effective advice
John Beddington

Experts and experimental government
Geoff Mulgan

A better formula: will Civil Service reform improve Whitehall's use of expert advice?
Jill Rutter

Making the most of scientists and engineers in government
Miles Parker

Civil Service identity, evidence and policy
Dave O'Brien

THE DISCIPLINARY MIX

The science of science advice
Sheila Jasanoff

The case for a Chief Social Scientist
Gary Cooper and Stephen Anderson

Engineering policy: evidence, advice and execution
Brian Collins

The benefits of hindsight: how history can contribute to science policy
Rebekah Higgit and James Wilsdon

NETWORKS, PUBLICS AND POLICY

Networks, nodes and nonlinearity: how scientific advice gets into policy
David Cleevely

Windows or doors? Experts, publics and open policy
Jack Stilgoe and Simon Burall

The politics of posterity: expertise and long-range decision making
Natalie Day

Scientific advice in Parliament
Chris Tyler

CREDIBILITY ACROSS CULTURES

Letters from America: a memo to Sir Mark Walport
Roger Pielke Jr.

The crowded chasm: science in the Australian government
Paul Harris

Lessons form the IPCC: do scientific assessments need to be consensual to be authoritative?
Mike Hulme

Science advice at the global scale
Bob Watson

Partners

This project was a collaborative intiative of five partners: University of Cambridge's Centre for Science and Policy; Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex; Alliance for Useful Evidence; Institute for Government; and Sciencewise. It was linked to a series of seminars on the same subject, more details of which can be found here.

For more details, please contact James Wilsdon or Rob Doubleday.

Download a free PDF copy of the entire book here