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Reflections on Public Policy Making in Local Governance Partnerships

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
DOI10.1177/0952076707086250
Published date01 April 2008
Date01 April 2008
Subject MatterArticles
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© Public Policy and Administration
SAGE Publications Ltd
Los Angeles, London, New Delhi
and Singapore
0952-0767
200804 23(2) 123–125
Guest Editorial
Reflections on Public Policy Making in Local Governance
Partnerships
John Diamond
Edge Hill University, UK
Joyce Liddle
University of Nottingham, UK
This special themed edition of Public Policy and Administration rehearses a
number of current and important debates within public policy – not least is recog-
nition of the apparent absence of reflection which is a part of the process of learn-
ing. We have brought together five articles, which are each rooted in empirical
studies undertaken by the authors and which take as a given the importance of
reflection as part of the process of learning. Each of the articles identifies ways in
which the potential to draw upon research findings and/or the experience of serv-
ice professionals or practitioners is often unexplored or marginal in practice.
The significance or assertion that the ‘reflective practitioner’ is a necessary part
of the evaluative frameworks within which public policy initiatives are tested has
become part of the ‘normality’ of the ‘what works’ discourse for over 20 years.
Indeed, part of the shift towards evidence-based practice is the notion that what
underlines ‘good’ practice is the extent to which new initiatives include the reflec-
tion of skilled practitioners. Across a number of public welfare disciplines (espe-
cially in social work, mental health and working with children and families) there
is an embedded tradition of self-reflection and professional supervision of practice
that seeks to assert the primacy of the skilled practitioner – who is able (and
required) to examine their own practice as well as testing the limits of new ways of
working.
Arguably, this focus upon developing (or even asserting) a particular set of
thinking skills rooted in an understanding of professional practice is one that can
be generalized across the public/not-for-profit...

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