Edited by Hugh Bochel and Sue Duncan.The book is set in the context of the Government’s emphasis on ‘modernisation’, and it reflects the growing emphasis on policy making as a skill. It combines both academic and practitioner perspectives to provide critical consideration of contemporary policy-making and highlights examples of good practice at all levels of government.

The Cabinet Office publication ‘Professional Policy Making for the Twenty-First Century’ identified nine competencies as the key features of modern policy making: forward-looking; outward-looking; innovative, flexible and creative; evidence-based; inclusive; joined-up; open to review; open to evaluation; and capable of learning lessons.

The book is structured around these competencies. Each chapter written by a pair of co-authors, one primarily an academic, and the other primarily a policy maker or practitioner. Accompanying case studies provide lessons or pointers to good practice, together with guidance on how to access further information.

Published by the Policy Press. http://www.policypress.org.uk ISBN 9781861349033. 17.49 pounds