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What kind of Policy Entrepreneur are you?
Simon Maxwell, Overseas Development Institute, London,
2003
Use this questionnaire to find out what model
of policy entrepreneurship you use. Print this page (or download
and print an Acrobat version Pdf
454kb). Then read each question carefully, and then rank the
four possible answers (a), (b), (c) or (d) from 1 to 4, giving 1
to your first choice, 2 to your second choice and so on. There should
only be one number in each box. When you have completed the questionnaire,
add up all the scores for (a), all the scores for (b) and so on,
and complete the table at the end. N.B. The total of all scores
should be 150.
| No |
Question |
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
(d) |
| 1 |
When confronted by a new issue in development, my immediate
reaction is to
(a) Formulate it as a problem to be solved;
(b) Send an e-mail to my contacts to see who else is interested;
(c) Talk it over with people I meet on my next field trip;
(d) Contact the Chair of the relevant parliamentary committee
for a chat. |
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| 2 |
In trying to fund my work, my first line strategy is usually
to
(a) Find a sponsor who wants a solution to the problem;
(b) Find out who else is working on the topic and set up a collaboration;
(c) Seek a commissioned study from a Ministry or operational
agency;
(d) Identify who might gain by funding the research. |
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| 3 |
My project proposals are usually
(a) Focused on a time-line that will deliver solutions;
(b) Joint proposals, with collaborators who will carry out parts
of the work;
(c) In the form of a two-pager I can present to the Ministry;
(d) Presented verbally over lunch. |
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| 4 |
I think of the role of theory in research as
(a) Of value, but in the background;
(b) Important alongside the theories of other disciplines;
(c) Of limited use in the real world;
(d) Helpful in small doses, to underpin my ‘expert’
status. |
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| 5 |
The best data in research
(a) Is simple enough to underpin a good story;
(b) Comes from different sources, and is put together to triangulate
results;
(c) Is based on practical experience in the field, rather than
from formal surveys;
(d) Can be deployed to shift an argument. |
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| 6 |
When there is a Steering Committee for my work, I like
it to consist of
(a) Good communicators, who can help me simplify;
(b) A multi-disciplinary mix of other researchers who can help
see the problem from different angles;
(c) Practitioners who have some experience of struggling with
the real implementation problems;
(d) Politicians, NGO campaigning staff, and others who can make
things happen. |
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| 7 |
Research works best when
(a) It is focused on a specific solution to a specific problem;
(b) People from different disciplines bring perspectives from
their own different backgrounds;
(c) A mixture of researchers and practitioners, merge their
different approaches into a single methodology;
(d) It happens quickly. |
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| 8 |
When it comes to writing up, I prefer to
(a) Wait until the ideas are truly polished;
(b) Share preliminary findings with colleagues as I go along;
(c) Test out my ideas in the field before deciding what I think;
(d) Try out preliminary ideas on my favourite policy-maker.
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| 9 |
Looking at the impact of my work, I have been most successful
when
(a) I have told stories that others can pick up;
(b) The reports are data-based, but also jointly authored with
collaborators from other perspectives;
(c) The outputs consist mainly of consultancy reports;
(d) I’ve been able to feed ideas quickly into the political
process. |
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| 10 |
The final chapter of a research report should
(a) Provide an elegant overview of the ‘narrative’;
(b) Summarise the various lessons learned by me and my various
collaborators;
(c) Tell the agencies what to do;
(d) Be oriented to the needs of policy-makers. |
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| 11 |
When I have to choose how to disseminate the results of
my work, I give priority to
(a) Any format that will reach a wide audience;
(b) Publication in cross-disciplinary journals;
(c) Briefing Papers or similar for busy policy-makers;
(d) Private briefings for key individuals. |
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| 12 |
I have finished a piece of work when
(a) I can tell the story;
(b) Our network agrees on the findings;
(c) The agency I am working with signs off on the project;
(d) I see change beginning to happen on the ground. |
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| 13 |
I think evaluation of a project should be based on
(a) Literature reviews;
(b) Assessment by a research network panel;
(c) User feed-back;
(d) The number of references in the newspapers. |
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| 14 |
I feel a project has been successful if
(a) My key phrases enter the discourse;
(b) The people I meet at Conferences tell me they like it;
(c) The funding agency asks me back to do more consultancy;
(d) Political speeches and policy statements reflect my thinking.
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| 15 |
I am happiest
(a) Writing;
(b) Talking;
(c) Observing;
(d) Lunching. |
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Total Score |
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In scoring the questionnaire, a low score indicates that you make
extensive use of a particular style of entrepreneurship, and a high
score indicates that you make little use of a particular style.
For all the questions, the answer for (a) corresponds to story-teller,
(b) to networker, (c) to engineer, and (d) to fixer. A score of
37 for each indicates that you use each equally. For each type less
than 30 is low, and less than 23 is very low. More than 44 is high
and more than 52, is very high. Remember: the total of your four
scores should be 150.
For example: Jane filled in the questionnaire. The total of her
four scores was as follows: a) Story teller: 21; b) Networker: 49;
c) Engineer: 42 d) Fixer: 38. These results suggested to Jane that
she spent an above-average share of her time story-telling, and
a below-average share networking. She wondered whether she should
spend a little more time at meetings and workshops, and a little
less time polishing and simplifying the results of her research.
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