How do we make policy that is more in line with how people actually think and act?
That question was central to the meeting last Wednesday around the presentation of the knowledge memorandum Social Thinking and Doing, a joint initiative of The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), Utrecht University, and SCOOP, organised by SCOOP postdocs Marieke Vermue and Thomas Teekens.
Researchers, policymakers, behavioural experts and experts by experience came together at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW) to explore how insights from the social sciences can be better used in policy and to look ahead to new forms of knowledge exchange between science and practice.
After a presentation by Marieke Vermue on Social Thinking and Doing, the attendees worked on policy cases in three sub-sessions to continue working together on the application of the scientific insights:
Piet Groot of the Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid presented the Migration knowledge portal, of which he is coordinator, and discussed a recent issue about shared housing for status holders and other target groups.
Francisca Wals and Bart Karstens of the Rathenau Instituut discussed issues about convenience technology and the extent to which the government should or should not intervene to protect people.
Julian Rengers and Jessy Snip fromCMO STAMM, together with experts by experience Linda Drent and Riane Kuzee-Hoogeveen, discussed the study Working from Trust, which looks at how local authorities can make the transition to a basis of trust within the renewed Participation Act.
It was a great meeting to reflect on collaboration, to learn from each other and to look for new ways to strengthen the connection between science and policy!
Read the full report of the meeting from Utrecht University here.
