Abstract

This position paper recognises and investigates a gap between two fields of research and practice dealing with innovation in public policy: data for policy and design for policy. While both these fields practise in the context of government and public sector, they do so with a different focus. On the one hand, data for policy focuses on the use of new digital data sources and new organisational practices connected to digital data exploitation. On the other hand, design for policy inquiries the adoption of design approaches, methods and tools in policy-making and public services development. These different focuses originated the current gap existing between the two fields, implying different approaches toward policy innovation. This paper aims to advance an argument in favour of explicitly and systematically connecting them. To do so, I propose three areas of convergences by looking at experiences in the data for policy field. In these areas, I look at the value of this integration through the lens of policy innovation, intended as innovative ways of learning about policy-related matters that can influence the design of policies. The perspective offered is directed to scholars and practitioners in both fields and hopes to sparkle a fruitful discussion on innovative policy epistemologies, needed to address current complex policy problems. In the paper, I first contextualize my line of reasoning by reviewing the concept of public sector innovation. Then I consider different disciplinary perspectives on one particular PSI's subset: policy innovation. Starting from these, I propose to see policy innovation as innovative ways of learning about policy-related matters that can influence the design of policies. Holding this perspective, I will hypothesize three potential areas of convergence between data for policy and design for policy. To support them, I will draw on illustrative examples found through a systematic review of articles published in the past editions of the Data for Policy Conference.