By linking contemporary practice using design principles in policy with political science and public administration theories, this book offers a distinctive contribution to debates on policy design. The book is conceived as a conversation between theory and practice. It goes beyond traditional scholarship to offer not solely a critique of what exists, but to set out proposals for alternatives. Policy design is fundamentally about substantive and instrumental ambitions to achieve better policy outcomes. In the face of glaring inadequacies and limitations in addressing many of the complex challe ... More

By linking contemporary practice using design principles in policy with political science and public administration theories, this book offers a distinctive contribution to debates on policy design. The book is conceived as a conversation between theory and practice. It goes beyond traditional scholarship to offer not solely a critique of what exists, but to set out proposals for alternatives. Policy design is fundamentally about substantive and instrumental ambitions to achieve better policy outcomes. In the face of glaring inadequacies and limitations in addressing many of the complex challenges we face as a society, this book challenges conventional policy design and opens up a conversation about how to imagine and realise a radically democratic alternative form of policy design: co-production. First, through a series of heuristics, the book generates theoretical tensions and encourages creative thinking about policy design. Then, compelling international contributions from practitioners, policy makers, activists and engaged scholars provide specific contexts for these theoretical debates. In doing so, the book provides both a framing and grounding for ongoing debates and provides a means for advancing experimentation in policy design.