Guidance

Policy System Framework

Published 27 March 2024

The Policy System Framework helps government organisations to better understand the system in which policy is made and to identify strengths and areas for improvement. The framework provides a common language for teams and organisations to reflect on their policy system and a structure to facilitate improvement conversations. It covers four main pillars:

• inputs and resources
• practices and processes
• people and relationships
• culture, and context

1. Inputs and resources

This pillar relates to the fundamental inputs and resources that policy teams need access to do their work.

1. Availability of time: The extent to which teams have sufficient time to meet the requirements of their work.

2. Availability of resources: The extent to which teams are sufficiently resourced to meet the requirements of their work.

3. Access to and use of diverse evidence: The extent to which teams have access to relevant and diverse data and evidence to inform policy development and delivery.

4. Access to (shared) tools: The extent to which teams have access to shared (digital) tools that are fit for purpose and facilitate collaboration.

5. Political priorities and ministerial commitment: The extent to which teams have a good understanding of ministerial priorities.

6. Possibilities for upskilling: The extent to which people have access to a range of relevant opportunities for upskilling and professional development.

2. Practices and processes

This pillar relates to the internal processes and practices that set the parameters for how policy teams work together and with others.

1. Problem definition and objective setting: The extent to which teams have clear objectives and a good understanding of the problem they are trying to solve.

2. Embeddedness of equalities and environment considerations: The extent to which equalities and environment considerations are well understood and integrated into the policy development process.

3. Knowledge management and sharing: The extent to which knowledge documentation, management and sharing processes are fit for purpose and consistently followed.

4. Cross-government and cross-sector collaboration: The extent to which collaboration with other government departments and sectors is open, positive and effective.

5. Approach to monitoring and evaluation: The extent to which evaluation and monitoring considerations are well understood and integrated early on in policy development.

6. Long term planning and future thinking: The extent to which long term planning and future thinking are sufficiently integrated into policy development and delivery processes.

7. Embeddedness of (digital) delivery considerations: The extent to which (digital) delivery considerations are well understood and integrated early on in policy development.

8. Adaptability and change management: The extent to which teams are equipped to adapt in moments of crisis or to changing priorities.

3. People and relationships

This pillar relates to the people who are involved in the policy making process and how they are involved.

1. Team set up including multidisciplinary working: The extent to which teams are set up to meet the requirements of your work (for example clear roles, options for multidisciplinary working).

2. Governance and connection to leadership: The extent to which governance processes are supportive and facilitate policy development and delivery in your department effectively.

3. Relationships with supporting professions or expertise: The extent to which collaboration with other professions (for example analysts, legal, commercial) and expertise is positive and effective.

4. Involvement of citizens or end users: The extent to which policy users (for example citizens or customers) are involved in policy development and decision making.

5. Involvement of stakeholders and delivery partners: The extent to which diverse groups of external stakeholders are involved in policy development and decision making.

6. Relationships with ministers and special advisers: The extent to which working relationships with ministers and special advisers are positive and effective in your department.

4. Culture and context

This pillar is about how the internal departmental culture and wider external context impacts the policy making process.

1. Level of diversity: The extent to which teams are made up of people from diverse backgrounds.

2. Level of inclusion: The extent to which teams are inclusive and integrate the views and experiences of people from diverse backgrounds.

3. Empowerment of people: The extent to which people feel supported to speak up, make decisions and take actions appropriate for their level or grade.

4. Degree of openness and transparency: The extent to which decision making processes are open and transparent.

5. Appetite for risk taking: The extent to which people feel supported to take risks and test new ideas in the policy making process when it is appropriate to do so.

6. Approach to creativity, innovation, problem solving: The extent to which people are supported to bring in creativity or innovative problem solving approaches into the policy making process.

7. Impact of wider political and societal factors: The extent to which people have a good understanding of wider political and societal context and how this can impact their policy work.