THE FOREIGN POLICY
OBSERVATORY
Think-tanks & Government: bridging
the gap
Enrico Seta
Camera dei deputati
Camera dei deputati
ISPI
Mil
Milano
21.11.12
PARLIAMENTARY DOCUMENTATION
SERVICES AT THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT
• On every bill/issue examined by the Parliament a «dossier» is composed by the documentation p
y
services
The dossier:
• The dossier:
• presents an impartial analysis of the content of the bill
• investigates the connections with the provisions already in investigates the connections with the provisions already in
force and possible effects of the new ones
• warns about incongruities and conflicts with the warns about incongruities and conflicts with the
Constitution, international treaties or European rules that might occur in the bill
2
FULL COVERAGE OF PARLIAMENTARY
AGENDA
BUT
•Methodology mainly based on legislative analysis
•Strict connection with the agenda of
•Strict connection with the agenda of parliamentary bodies
3
FOREIGN POLICY: PARLIAMENTARY
DOCUMENTATION
OC
O SSERVICES
C S AT THE C
CHAMBER
OF DEPUTIES
• Research & Study Dpt (Unit on (
International Affairs and Security)→
International Affairs and Security)→ Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Defence
d
D f
• Office for EU Affairs
Office for EU Affairs
4
TOWARDS A BROADER APPROACH
FROM WITHIN THE PARLIAMENT
• Increasing importance of the supranational dimension in many public policies (human rights, environment, energy, immigration, finance, tlc);
p
y
• Parallel increase of the interest of parliamentary bodies other than Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees in international affairs; • Expansion of parliamentary diplomacy and increasing participation of individual MPs in international
participation of individual MPs in international events;
Need for an ever closer cooperation between Parliament and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
6
A NEW PARADIGM IN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
• Actors other than states: multinational corporations, A
h h
li i
l
i
transnational social, political or religious movements (H
(Hanreider, Kohane, Nye)
id K h
N )
• Growing importance of economic issues in international affairs (the rise of OPEC, the abandonment of the Bretton Woods agreements, etc.)
p
• The theoretical model of «complex interdependence»
Need for a widening of the cultural approach
g
pp
to the documentation on international affairs 7
THINK TANKS IN THE US
• The term was introduced during World War II
War II
• By the By the ‘70s
70s it was applied to institutions it was applied to institutions
focusing not only on foreign policy and d f
defence strategies
t t i
8
T T.
T.
T IN ITALY: A NEW PHENOMENON ?
• After World War II up to the crisis of 1992: centrality of political parties
1992: centrality of political parties
• By the end of ‘90s: growing importance of new institutions acting as a bridge between academic and policymaking p y
g
communities
• Presently: just under 100 (nearly half Presently just under 100 (nearly half
were set up after 2004)
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THE MAIN REASONS FOR THEIR SUCCESS
(M. DILETTI, 2011)
• the emergence of new models of governance, which has increased the access of experts to decision‐making process
• the breaking‐up of parties organization, which has allowed the creation of «personal» think tanks • the strategic use of think tanks by interest groups, even in the Italian case
• the fragmentation of some important policy areas, which opens up new opportunities for those who are able to offer expertise to policy communities
expertise to policy communities
DILETTI, M
DILETTI
M. (2011) I think tank al confine tra conoscenza
conoscenza, valori e interessi.
interessi Il caso italiano
italiano.
In: «Riv. Ital. Di politiche pubbliche», n. 2, 2011, p. 345-376
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2008-2009
THE FOREIGN POLICY OBSERVATORY
•December 2008 – Art. 01, par. 4, LD No 209 / 2008 •July 2009 Signing of the Formal Agreement •July 2009 –
(SG of Ministry of FA, Senate and Chamber of Deputies)
T. T. AND THEIR RELATION WITH POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONS
A gap
b t
between
th world
the
ld off ideas
id
and
d
the world of policy
p
y
•Organizational cultures
•Time constraints
Ti
i
•Incentive systems
•Incentive systems
12
A METHODOLOGICAL GAP
BETWEEN T. T. AND PARLIAMENTARY DOCUMENTATION SERVICES
•Neutrality vs the added value of a «partial» point of view i l
i
f i
•Centrality of Parliament vs an
•Centrality of Parliament vs an external perspective
p p
•Analysis vs ability to synthesize
13
METHODOLOGY
• Close cooperation between parliamentary staff ministerial experts
parliamentary staff, ministerial experts and think tanks in:
• planning the research activity of the Observatory
• devising and developing any individual research
planning and organizing “side
side events
events” • planning and organizing 14
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
• Reports
• In‐depth Studies
• Papers
• Focus
4
39
19
24
86
15
TOPICAL DISTRIBUTION
TOPIC
RESEARCH
STUDIES
PAGES
Europe
13
293
Maghreb and Mashreq
26
855
Subsaharian Africa
4
85
Afghanistan – Pakistan
10
250
Russia Turkey and Central Asia
2
41
Latin America
1
17
Far East
5
75
Non g
geographical
g p
Topics
p
25
976
86
2.592
16
THE ACTIVITY OF THE STANDING
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS (III)
TOPIC
P. EVENTS
RESEARCH
STUDIES
Afghanistan and Pakistan
12
10
M h b and
Maghreb
d Mashreq
M h
38
24
Subsaharian Africa
15
4
Russia Turkey and Central Asia
6
2
17
APPRAISAL
•A typology
• Informative research (A)
• Analysis, interpretation, scenario (B)
Analysis interpretation scenario (B)
• Geopolitical interpretation (C)
p
p
( )
•Differentiated criteria
•Common criteria
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DIFFERENTIATED CRITERIA
• Type A
• Main Criterion: Completeness and updating of Main Criterion: Completeness and updating of
information
• Type B
• Main Criterion: clarity in the exposition of the scenario
Main Criterion: clarity in the exposition of the scenario
• Type C
• Main Criterion: Richness of the overall view; completeness of historical, economic, socio‐cultural elements considered
elements considered
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COMMON CRITERIA
•Policy suggestions
•Originality of the content
•Quality and completeness of Q li
d
l
f
information sources
information sources
•Adequacy of the presentation in q y
p
relation to users (MPs)
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THANK YOU
ENRICO SETA
[email protected]
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