LIST OF PANELS

New governance theory contends the policy process has become more accessible to civil society policy actors.  Non- state actors includes non-profit organizations, trade unions, think tanks, foundations, and industry associations. While there is a robust literature examining policy capacity and processes within the state, our knowledge of the role, capacity, best practices of civil society organizations is comparatively impoverished. Papers presented in this panel will address the policy capacity of civil society organizations, the degree to which societal power relationships are replicated in cases of policy co-production, best practices in policy co-production and engagement, and the effect of institutional, political and historical factors influence and shape policy styles of civil society organizations.

Description: New governance theory contends the policy process has become more accessible to non-state policy actors.  The range of non-state actors includes non-profit organizations, trade unions, think tanks, foundations, and industry associations. This framing raises a number of important questions. These include: how do non-state organizations conduct policy analysis?  What tools and methods are applied and to what effect? Are different policy styles discernable by policy field and jurisdiction? What is the state of capacity to undertake policy work and engagement? Are differential power resources and relationships reflected in and through government-civil society processes of policy engagement? What are the best practices of  engagement between state and non-state policy actors? Under what conditions does policy co-production emerge? While there is a growing literature examining policy capacity and processes within the state, our knowledge of the role, capacity, best practices of civil society organizations is comparatively impoverished. This panel will make a contribution to filling this gap.