How to save time with regulatory research in your policymaking process

With multiple bills introduced into legislatures, there is a need to administer new regulations for passed legislation promptly. To achieve this goal, government agencies identify, save and share relevant regulatory information for policy enactment and enforcement. 

Policy management platforms offering research capabilities enable policy researchers to save time identifying model policies and regulating the impact of new laws on their constituency.

What is policy research? 

Policy research is the practice of finding and analyzing existing public policies, programs and initiatives. The goal is to provide evidence-based information to shape policy decisions and improve the effectiveness of government services.

Policy research findings are often used to make recommendations for policy changes, identify best practices and evaluate the impact of policies and programs on specific populations or communities.

What is the research process for policymaking?

The research process for policymaking involves the following steps:

1. Government agencies identify a problem or issue that requires attention, often based on a new law, input from interest groups, expert opinion or public feedback.
2. Policy researchers conduct a research study that will address the identified problem or issue, including selecting appropriate research methods, defining research questions and hypotheses and identifying the relevant population and sample.
3. Policy researchers collect data using the selected research methods, which may include surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, experiments or secondary data sources.
4. Policy analysts evaluate the collected data using appropriate statistical and qualitative methods to identify patterns, trends and relationships relevant to the policy issue.
5. The policy team uses the research results to make policy recommendations grounded in evidence, feasible and aligned with the policy goals.

The critical nature of the policy process in public administration

Policy management runs on strict timelines. Yet, state officers struggle to move policies along the rulemaking cycle and to the right stakeholders.

If these bills are passed into law, affected government agencies need to create policies for the regulation and enforcement of these laws. In designing these policies, agencies rely on traditional regulatory research methods such as contacting neighboring agencies or parsing other government websites, which are often clunky and difficult to navigate. 

Given the time-sensitive nature of the policymaking process, these traditional methods are not only arduous but also less effective. 

Why policy researchers should streamline regulatory research in the policymaking process

As a policy researcher, you have these reasons to streamline the research process in formulating and adopting policies:

• Increased transparency and accountability. By enhancing research, policymakers can better account for their time and review resources quickly. For example, with a better system of locating policy research materials, teams can present detailed reports of productive activities to decision-makers, align stakeholders and increase public trust.
• Improved efficiency by saving time and better allocating resources. Research is only a part of the policymaking process, which also includes drafting, analysis, implementation and enforcement. By improving your research approach, your team can make better use of limited time.  

Trying to track down documents in a file room isn’t scalable. Read about the benefits of a paperless government in conducting research.