De Effectiviteit van de overheid. "Een cybernetische bijdrage aan de professionalisering van de beleidsfunctie".
John van Grunsven is a PhD student in the Research Group Communication Science. His supervisor is prof.dr. M.D.T. de Jong from the Faculty Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS)
The effectiveness of government
A cybernetical contribution to the professionalization of the policy function
This thesis deals with governmental effectiveness. Against a backdrop of a ceaseless stream of difficult-to-solve issues, decreasing legitimacy of the Government, the need for massive budget cuts and a long history of not very successful government reforms, the theme of this thesis is a topical one. It is in our well-ordered society not difficult to overlook the structural role of the Government. But that is not right. A well-functioning Government is still needed. However, as a result of an increased complexity of social functioning, the effectiveness of government intervention is no longer self-evident. Due to the increasing complexity in society the need for government action increases, but at the same time the possibilities due to the same increasing complexity decreases.[1] 
This PhD research is an exploration into the possibilities to improve systematically governmental effectiveness through professionalization of the policy function. Public policy – as has been argued in this study – should focus on solving those problems which can’t be solved through social self-organization.[2] The research aim is to provide a methodological framework for effectively coping with complex social problems.
The results of the study are intended for practice and science. The intended practice contribution lies in providing a theoretical 'basis' for a professionalized and intervention-oriented policy methodology. The intended scientific contribution is particularly located in the development, application and testing of a methodology for constructing social-theory. The methodology is constructed in a praxeological manner, that is: from a non-proven axiom the theory is developed in a string of logical steps. The chosen axiom is that all knowledge comes from making distinction. Doing so, the theory is built up to a coherent knowledge construction, which is organised into a number of knowledge products:
- Philosophy
Chapter 2 describes the philosophical framework. This framework has been worked out in four parts. The first part describes the philosophical basis of this study. This lies in Relativism. From this, further operationalization took place by combining a number of ideas from postmodernism, pragmatism, social-constructionism and, in particular, social cybernetics. The second part of the philosophical framework explains the scientific approach to the research. The third part describes The Object of study, that is, ‘Sociality’ as a systemic observation of human interactions in their shared context. The fourth and last part of the philosophical framework contains a cybernetic design methodology for the development of social-theory. This methodology has been applied in the development of all knowledge products in this study, including the paradigm and methodology itself. This makes the usefulness of the methodology within the limits of the present research plausible. The extent to which the methodology has inter-subjective value has not been reviewed in this research.
- Social-theory for professional acting
The second product is a social-theory for professional acting.
- Policy methodology
The third product is a policy methodology. This methodology gives a comprehensive overview and insight on the policy function in its full extend. The policy methodology enables policy developers a systematic way to work on optimization of the effectiveness of policy interventions. The policy methodology is based on and elaborated in the following principles:
- The added value of the Government lies in organizing the sociality
- The policy function is a process of social-construction. The policy function is therefore much more than policy analysis and policy constructing.
- The worldviews of participants influence the effectiveness of interventions
- The policy function results in systemic interventions in social functioning
- The policy function requires a situational strategy
- Structural information about the effectiveness of the policy process is a necessity.
- Organisational methodology
The fourth product is an organizational methodology. It is plausible that professionalization of the policy function within the Dutch Government is potentially achievable. Whether and to what extent that actually happens is beyond the scope of this research. Local successes will be required to raise awareness and support. With the organization methodology knowledge is provided to policy developers and managers. It contains a vision on the functions of policy organisations, a vision on the management functions, a vision on the special design of policy organizations and the meaning of the intra professional networking function in it, a vision on the function of self-organization by professional policy workers and finally a set of measures in support of an on-going process of professionalization.
The knowledge offered in this thesis is tentative. It is not knowledge with a universal intent. However, generic knowledge is pursued in a methodological form. A methodology can at best only be part of the answer. The other part is beyond the scope of this thesis and is left to the professional to act. Starting point is that professional policy workers will contextual apply the methodological framework in practice. In this way it takes into account the complexity, reflexivity, contingency and contextuality of the social reality, without having to sacrifice the scientific rationality within the methodological framework.
The main theses of this study states: professionalization of government organizations, in conjunction with a methodical strengthening of the policy function can contribute to the improvement of governmental effectiveness. This study substantiates that assertion, however, only to some extent and certainly not to the fullest. The intention is to provide a basis for the proposed development of professionalization. Further review of the practical usefulness of the policy- and organizational methodology is therefore still open.
The methodical framework has been established by means of a design approach.[3] A design approach recognizes three phases: diagnosis, design and validation and the results of this can be found in the dissertation as follows:
- Diagnosis
Chapter 1 contains the diagnosis. It addressed the issues surrounding the effectiveness of the Dutch Government. A solution direction is proposed: Professionalization of the policy function.
- Design
An indispensable basis for professionalization is an explicit knowledge base and such a possible base is designed in this thesis. The design has been shaped as a methodical framework. This framework has been worked out in chapters 2 to 5.
- Validation
Following the elaboration of the methodical framework in chapters 2 to 5, chapter 6 describes the results from the validation phase. Validation raises the question whether the design is understandable and potentially usable for representatives of the target group.
The approach is further characterized as follows:
- The Research has not been positioned in a particular discipline but is transdisciplinary within the social sciences.
- This research links theory to practice. This link is two-sided: through a process of codification, the practical knowledge is used as a basis for the construction of theory and through a process of valorization, theoretical knowledge is made suitable for practice.
- The cybernetics plays a special role in this study as a basis for the developed methodology for social-theory formation. This methodology is an abstract, generic and global meta-concept that enables every sociality to be viewed in a similar and systemic way. In this way, all developed concepts throughout the study are based on this meta concept.
[1] Noordegraaf, 2004
[2] The term ' self-organization ' is defined as ' the ability of a system to adapt to changing conditions outside the system ' within the system boundaries.
[3] The design approach recognizes three phases: diagnosis, design and validation (Wainwright, 2014:27), see further Subsubparagraaf 2.2.3.5.
