Policy analysis in hard times

1. Policy analysis in hard times Stephen J Ball Institute of Education, University of London, Centre for Critical Education Policy Studies

2. Policy science/policy scholarship • Struggles over the role of the academy • ‘impact’ for whom – what does it mean • ‘what works’ for whom – really useful knowledge • Social justice • Competition over policy knowledge • Policy studies and the management of populations

3. Policy science/policy scholarship “Policy scholarship resists the tendency of policy science to abstract problems from their relational settings by insisting that the problem can only be understood in the complexity of those relations. In particular, it represents a view that a social-historical approach to research can illuminate the cultural and ideological struggles in which schooling is located ... Whereas policy science excludes ideological and value conflicts as 'externalities beyond its remit' ...” (Grace, 1995, p. 3) Back

4. The bigger picture • Policy in contexts – reform and transformation of the public sector – nested not singular policies [performativity, contracts, flexibilisation, generic organisations, chains (Executive Heads) • a new policy language? [public/ private?] Running behind the game • Who ‘does’ policy - heterarchies • Multiple policies – crashing and grating • Commitments/opportunities – interests/enterprise • Hybridity and mobility – who is who, and where are they?

5. The even bigger picture • The national state is no longer the frame for policy analysis [more nesting] • Globalisation and policy flows • Borrowing and conditionalities • Transnational interests - MNEdCs

6. The economics of policy • Edu-business and the logic of capital • Why education policy analysts should read the Financial Times! • [back]

7. Policy texts and policy discourses • Policy language – speaking policy/thinking policy [example] • Policy discourse communities – flows of discourse [E.g. enterprise]

8. Policy subjects and policy actors • Policy Imperatives • Standards • Passive • Regressive creativity • productions Policy exhortations PLTS Active Innovative creativity producers

9. Biography: Dr Ann Limb An educationalist, businesswoman and charity entrepreneur, Dr Limb, from Manchester, is former Group Chief Executive and main board director of the University for Industry. She was responsible for the successful implementation of the flagship Government e-learning initiative ‘learndirect’ as well as overseeing its development with other nationwide e-services such as UK online and Directgov. She is currently Vice President of international strategic management consultancy gov3. Ann was a member of former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s digital inclusion panel. She also sat on the education committee of Leader of the Opposition David Cameron’s public services improvement policy group. And she worked with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg when he was a Member of the European Parliament. (E-ACT website) The Gov3 Foundation is a new type of not-for-profit organization formed entirely by people who have spent their careers delivering ICT-enabled transformation inside the government sector. (Website accessed 7th May 2010) [back]

10. See A Network See H Network Jennifer Moses Newline schools New York City Charter School Center Paul Marshall Network O Policy Exchange Jay Altman Theodore Agnew James Merriman Ian Wace The Learning Partnership.com CIC ConservativeParty “Future Leaders” Programme Heath Monk David Blood ARK No 10 NCSL Amanda Spielman Sam Freedman IoE Council on Social Action Rachel Wolf Deryn Harvey New Schools Network Goldman Sachs Boris Johnson PMDU Garfield Weston Sally Morgan Gordon Brown David Robinson NESTA Toby Eccles Sir Bruce Liddington James Strachan LSE Christine Horner DCSF Felicity Gillespie Social Finance BelvedereAcademy Louise Saville Mike Gibbons Innovation Unit (dcsf) GDST Peter Wheeler ippr E-ACT NPC Innovation Exchange Barbara Harrison PEF Innovative Schools Antidote Demos SSAT/Academies Peter Lampl Valerie Bragg See R Network 3Es SHINE Peter Sharp See D+H Network s ECACTrust David Ross Foundation AECOM Faber Maunsell Mouchel Parkman KPMG back

11. Network P Social Investment Task force Prince’s Trust James Tooley Apax Foundation ACEVO Ronald Cohen See I Network Social Impact Bond.org ARK Global Social Benefit Incubator Geraldine Peacock Toby Eccles Adrian Beecroft Social Entrepreneurs Fund *** Social Finance Ltd Louis Elson Social Enterprise Coalition ***** Bridges Charitable Trust Bridges Ventures Skoll Foundation FutureBuilders **** Social Impact International UnLtd Sally Osberg Nat Sloane Peter Wheeler Ashoka +++ Young Foundation Opportunity International Goldman Sachs Allen Hammond David Blood Karl Kleissner + Impetus Trust ++ * Kiva Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Generation Investment Management “loans that change lives” ** Acumen Fund + “Microfinance lender to the entrepreneurial poor” ++ Venture philanthropy funder +++ Identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs ++++ “Social entrepreneurship, businesses and ideas” * Sustainability research + investment ** Non-profit global venture fund *** Third Sector Investment **** Training social entrepreneurs ***** Social and environmental involvement in socially deprived areas Social Earth Louis Boorstin Al Gore ++++

12. David Triggs David combines his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Academies Enterprise Trust with that of Executive Principal of Greensward Academy, Essex. In January 2006 he also became the CEO of Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough where he has assisted in its removal from Special Measures. He has been involved in the leadership of schools for over twenty years and during that time has developed a reputation for innovation leading to transformation. He has vast experience of school improvement and transformation. David is an Associate Headteacher to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) and was named as one of the first National Leaders of Education by the National College of School Leadership (“NCSL”). In the past three inspection reports, Ofsted has judged his leadership as outstanding. {back}

13. Education and big business Consolidation, mergers and vertical and horizontal integration Mouchel Parkman’s education business provides services for individual schools, groups of schools and local authorities, as well as local authority support for the UK government's 'Every Child Matters' agenda, which seeks to improve the outcomes for children. In October 2007 its 50:50 joint venture with Babcock – mpb education – was named preferred bidder by the London Borough of Hackney to deliver its £167 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Mouchel snubs bid, an outsourcing and engineering group whose shares jumped nearly 20% on Friday, has received two secret takeover approaches.The rival VT Group is understood to have made both informal offers in recent weeks, only to be rebuffed by Mouchel’s board. Serco and Capita, two other outsourcing groups, are said to be waiting in the wings if a formal bid materialises. (Dec 13th 2009) “VT Group opens books to Babcock and drops Mouchel £330m bid” 5th March 2010 “Babcock and VT agree £1.3bn merger. Several hundred jobs under threat, with spotlight on VT's Southampton head office” 23rd March 2010 Back