Engaging with policy practitioners to promote institutionalisation of public participation in science, technology and innovation policy

Abstract

This paper is a reflective account of a public participation project the authors conducted in Japan in 2012–2015, as part of the central government's initiative for evidence-based policy-making. The reflection focusses on three key aspects of the project: setting a precedent of involving public participation in policy-making; embedding an official mechanism for public participation in policy-making process; and raising policy practitioners' awareness of public participation. We also discuss why we think engaging with policy practitioners, while problematic in various ways, is and will continue to be important in promoting institutionalised practice of public participation. ; The PESTI project (October 2012 to September 2015) was funded by the Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society of the Japan Science and Technology Agency, under one of its funding programmes titled "Science of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy". ; publishedVersion