Description
Understanding unintended consequences of policy is a key feature in contemporary policy making globally. Post-policy implementation evaluations and impact study approaches have become ‘best practice’ across government, business and the ‘third sector’ with the understanding that lessons will be learnt for next time around. Where unintended consequences are identified as negative this [AD2] rationale may serve little comfort for those adversely affected. This paper employs a different approach, grounded in poststructuralism , inspired by Bacchi’s ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be’ framework. We draw on two case studies, one from Mexico and one from the UK from different policy sectors; [add years here] i) the Mexican government’s Social Development Ministry’s flagship poverty alleviation programme, ii) the UK government’s Department for International Development’s building support for international development policy, from 2010-2015. The findings reveal that policy discourses operate in various ways, at times inimical to the ostensive policy objectives. The implications for policymakers working under the assumption that their efforts are promoting equality are striking. In both case studies the predominant discourses are shown to undermine the explicit ameliorative intent of the policies. The contribution of this research is threefold. First, the findings deepen our empirical understanding of two distinct policies. Second, the findings highlight the ‘methodological’ value of using a poststructuralist approach in policy analysis. Third, perhaps most importantly, the findings offer policymakers a radical, concrete alternative to use in policymaking. With its capacity to be employed ahead of policy implementation this approach can anticipate unintended consequences hidden from immediate view. There are significant ramifications, in terms of better resource allocation as well as the potential to avoid adverse unintended consequences, and associated suffering. Given the boundless nature of discourse, the ramifications are further reaching still.
