Elephant in the room: The embeddedness of positivism in public sector practice

Bill Ryan
Victoria University of Welington

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     Last modified: November 7, 2007
     Presentation date: 11/19/2007 2:30 PM in RH MZ05
     (View Schedule)

Abstract
This paper argues that positivism is deeply embedded in the social science-based practices of public policy and public management and that this is becoming more problematic as the 21st century progresses. The 'elephant in the room' is that, as practitioners push forward with new initiatives such as evidence-based policy and managing for outcomes, few of them recognise the extent or significance of these issues, much less that additional and sometimes alternative ways and means are necessary to overcome them. Yet the need to do so is pressing, even though the issues are complex.

In doing so the paper examines the critique of positivist social science, counterpoises positivist approaches to knowledge and practice with the 21st century conditions of governance and draws out the implications for research and practice. Alternative conceptions such as post-positivism, practical knowing, heuristics and learning are canvassed, including postpositivist capability, practical knowledge and tacit practice, technique as heuristic and collective, recursive learning. These are argued to be important ways of rethinking knowledge and ways of knowing for the future in public sector practice.

The final section also explores the implications of these issues for those who govern - parliamentarians, ministers and officials - and the information technology researchers and developers who assist them