In this course students examine the role of evidence, knowledge production and politics in policy analysis. Particular emphasis is placed on equipping students with skills to critically evaluate common techniques used for policy analysis, such as modelling, impact evaluation and cost benefit analysis. Students begin with an overview of the logic and rationale for commonly used techniques, before moving on to consider the practical, political and epistemic considerations necessary to effectively contextualize these (and similar) techniques. Through applied exercises students will gain skills in interpreting and evaluating the appropriateness and applicability of evidence in policy analysis.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of key terms and concepts associated with evidence and policy analysis.
2. Appraise the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to generate policy-relevant evidence.
3. Critically evaluate the appropriateness of using different types of evidentiary approaches in policy analysis.
4. Contribute to informed discussions on evidence based policy making, and the politics of knowledge production and use.
5. Demonstrate the ability to think independently and communicate persuasively and consider a range of scholarly positions in drawing conclusions.

Required Resources

see for detailed reading list the course related wattle site

Recommended Resources

Recommended (though not required for purchase):

Althaus, Catherine, Peter Bridgeman, and Glyn Davis. The Australian Policy Handbook, 4th edition

Argyros, George. 2009. Evidence for Policy and Decision Making. A Practical Guide. UNSW Press

Bardach, Eugene and Eric M. Patashnik. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis. SAGE. 5 edition.

Boaz, A., Davies, H., Fraser, A. & Nutley, S. (2019). (Eds.) What works now? Evidence-informed policy and practice. Bristol: Policy Press.

Dunn W. 2016. Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction. Routledge. Cartwright, Nancy and Hardie, Jeremy. 2012.

Evidence-Based Policy. A Practical Guide to Doing Better. Oxford University Press

Schwartz-Shea, Peregrine, and Dvora Yanow. 2011. Interpretive Research Design: Concepts and Processes. 1 edition. New York, NY: Routledge.

Meltzer, Rachel and Schwartz, Alex. 2019. Policy Analysis as Problem Solving. Routledge.

Majone, G. 1989. Evidence, Argument, and Persuasion in the Policy Process. New Haven CT, Yale University Press.

Patton, Carl. V., Sawicki, D., and Clark, Jennifer J. 2013. Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning.

Pearson. Stoker, Gerry and Mark Evans (ed). 2016. Evidence-based policy making in the Social Sciences. Methods that Matter. Policy Press.

Weimer, David L. and Aidan R Vining. 2017. Policy Analysis. Concepts and Practice. Routledge. (6 edition)

Wildavsky, A. 1979. Speaking Truth to Power: The Art and Craft of Policy Analysis. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

CRAWFORD ACADEMIC SKILLS

The Crawford School of Public Policy has its own Academic Skills team dedicated to helping students to understand the academic expectations of studying at Crawford and succeed in their chosen program of study. Through individual appointments, course-embedded workshops and online resources, Crawford Academic Skills provides tailored advice to students keen to develop their academic reading, thinking, planning, writing, and presentation skills.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Week 1 (Feb 18)Introduction: Policy-making as Problem Solving - the 'rationality project' revisited (Lecture)	None
2	Part A: Foundations: How can we know what works?Week 2 (Feb 25)History of Public Policy Analysis: Expertise and the Technocratic State (Lecture)	None
3	Week 3 (March 4)Impact Evaluations (Lecture)	None
4	Week 4 (March 11)Economic Modeling (Lecture)	Reflective Essay
5	Week 5 (March 18)Cost-Benefit-Analysis (Lecture)	None
6	Week 6 (March 25)Policy Analysis Exercise (Online only)	None
7	Part B: How can we convince policymakers to do what works?Week 7 (April 15)Demand-side and Supply-side Approaches (Lecture)	None
8	Week 8 (April 22)Big Data, AI and Policy Processes (Lecture)	None
9	Part C: ChallengesWeek 9 (April 29)Limitations of Policy-Making. Policy as Politics (Lecture)	Policy Analysis Memo
10	Week 10 (May 6)Participatory Concerns - Can we know what works without asking the people it's supposed to work for? (Lecture)	None
11	Week 11 (May 13)What do we really know? Epistemology, Methods and Ethics (Lecture)	None
12	Week 12 (May 20)Wrap-up: Better Data, Better Government? (Lecture)	None
13	Examination PeriodFinal Exam	Final Exam

Tutorial Registration

There will be a wattle sign up process for the tutorials

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Reflective Essay	25 %	16/03/2025	28/03/2025	1,4,5
Policy Analysis Memo	25 %	04/05/2025	19/05/2025	1, 2 ,3
Final Exam	40 %	03/06/2025	27/06/2025	1,2,3,4,5
Class/Tutorial Exercises	10 %	*	*	2,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Class and Tutorial Participation is expected. Class/Tutorial exercises are worth 10% of your final grade. (See Assessment Task 3)

Assessment Task 1

Reflective Essay

The reflective essay requires students to write a short review of how evidence is used to support policy and/or decision making in an organisation that they have experience with. The reflective essay requires students to draw on materials and ideas from the first part of the class and apply them to their own experiences and observations. More detailed instructions will be available on the class Wattle site.

Word count limit:

800-1000 words. The ANU College of Asia & the Pacific's Word Limit and Penalty Guidelines applies to this assessment item.

Weighting:

This assignment is worth 25% of your final grade.

Assessment Task 2

Policy Analysis Memo

The Policy Analysis Memo requires students to write a short memo-style document making recommendations about how to effectively research and analyse a real-world policy issue. The assessment requires students to draw on key concepts from the beginning of the class and take into consideration all of the relevant issues raised in classes and readings in order to deliver an

informed recommendation. More detailed instructions will be available on the class Wattle site.

Word count limit:

800-1000 words. The ANU College of Asia & the Pacific's Word Limit and Penalty Guidelines applies to this assessment item.

Weighting:

This assignment is worth 25% of your final grade.

Assessment Task 3

Final Exam

The final assignment will be an exam consisting of both short and long answer questions covering all of the course content up to the final week.

Weighting:

This assignment is worth 40% of your final grade.

Assessment Task 4

Class/Tutorial Exercises

Three short class/tutorial exercises will contribute to the overall class grade.

More detailed instructions will be available on the class Wattle site.

Weighting:

This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students