Goodbye Expert-Based Policy Advice? Challenges in Advising Governmental Institutions in Times of Transformation

Christoph Kehl, Steffen Albrecht, Pauline Riousset and Arnold Sauter
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Christoph Kehl: Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, Neue Schönhauser Straße 10, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Steffen Albrecht: Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, Neue Schönhauser Straße 10, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Pauline Riousset: Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, Neue Schönhauser Straße 10, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Arnold Sauter: Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, Neue Schönhauser Straße 10, 10178 Berlin, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: The global transformation towards sustainability has not only increased the demand for anticipatory and reflexive knowledge to support decision making, but also raises three challenges common to all forms of scientific policy advice: to appropriately consider societal norms and values (challenge of normativity), to integrate different forms of knowledge (challenge of integration) and to organize the participation of stakeholders (challenge of participation). While new forms of scientific policy advice in the field of sustainability research (SR) have emerged in response, the role of established actors such as the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB) is increasingly scrutinized. One of the fundamental characteristics of TAB’s model of scientific policy advice is a rigid boundary arrangement between politics and science that places a high value on the objectivity and authority of scientific knowledge. Based on a content analysis of digitalization-related TAB reports spanning three decades, we describe how a rather technocratic institution such as TAB has dealt with the challenges of normativity, integration, and participation, and we compare its approach with that of SR institutions. TAB has partly adapted its working mode to the new challenges, e.g., by trying out new methods to foster a stronger dialogue with stakeholders. However, TAB’s response to the challenges distinctly differs from the forms of transformative research conducted in the SR community. We argue that this is not only a necessary precondition to maintain its reputation as a trustworthy actor towards the Parliament but gives TAB and similar expert-based institutions a special role in the governance of societal transformation.

Keywords: scientific policy advice; science–policy interface; technology assessment; sustainability research; responsible research and innovation; transformation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13442-:d:695248

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