Papers by Bobby Thomas Cameron
Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 2024
In this practice note, the authors reflect on the use and utility of expert panels in evaluation.... more In this practice note, the authors reflect on the use and utility of expert panels in evaluation. They apply the describe, analyze, theorize, act model using interviews with evaluators, insights from peer-reviewed literature and their own professional observations. Connections are made to larger evaluation discourses regarding reflection, expert opinion, expertise, epistemic authority, and lived experience. It was found that expert panels are generally underutilized in evaluation due to a lack of awareness among evaluators as well as the perceived complexity associated with this method. However, the literature and interviews were clear that, when managed properly, expert panels can add tremendous value to an evaluation. There is therefore merit for more seriously considering panels in future evaluations. This note provides recommendations for evaluators and the evaluation community at large.
Dans cette note de pratique, les auteurs se penchent sur l’utilisation et l’utilité des panels d’experts en évaluation. Ils appliquent le modèle « décrire, analyser, théoriser, agir » à l’aide d’entrevues avec des évaluateurs et évaluatrices, les conclusions d’articles révisés par des pairs et leurs propres observations professionnelles. On établit des liens avec des discours plus vastes sur l’évaluation dans le domaine de la réflexion, de l’opinion d’experts, de l’expertise, de l’autorité épistémique et de l’expérience vécue. On a trouvé que les panels d’experts sont généralement sous-utilisés en évaluation en raison d’un manque de sensibilisation à la méthode chez les évaluateurs et évaluatrices, ainsi que de la complexité perçue du procédé. Cependant, la littérature et les entrevues sont claires : lorsque gérés adéquatement, les panels d’experts peuvent ajouter énormément de valeur à une évaluation. Il y a donc matière à réflexion pour considérer plus sérieusement l’ajout de ces panels à de futures évaluations. La présente note donne des recommandations pour les évaluateurs et évaluatrices, et pour la communauté d’évaluation dans son ensemble.
International Review of Public Policy, 2024
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and bibliography of international policy ca... more The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and bibliography of international policy capacity research that has developed over the past 40 years and to highlight themes that constitute the field. Through an international and multi-disciplinary synthesis of 311 English abstracts in 172 peer-reviewed journals, we find that policy capacity research has been driven by a handful of widely cited researchers, maintained a predominantly qualitative methodology, and focused on governments located in the West. Empirical research is needed to understand the dynamics of policy capacity outside of governments in the West, with a focus on developing actionable recommendations for practitioners to improve the quality of public policy in their respective jurisdictions. This paper fulfils the need for a comprehensive bibliography of policy capacity research for use by both academics and practitioners.
Teaching Public Administration, May 18, 2024
This article presents an approach for teaching policy capacity to civil servants based on a works... more This article presents an approach for teaching policy capacity to civil servants based on a workshop that took place in 2018 under the auspices of the Government of Prince Edward Island’s Policy Capacity Learning Series. It argues that workshops which introduce civil servants to the concept of policy capacity can enhance skills-based training and knowledge of the policy environment. Through a learner-focused, collaborative and constructivist pedagogy, the workshop involved a group activity where civil servants constructed a visual diagram of their policy environment by categorizing actors, skills, resources, institutions and concepts according to a policy capacity framework. This article discusses the workshop’s planning and delivery requirements which can be used, adapted and improved by practitioners in other jurisdictions. It also provides considerations for future training and education in public administration.
Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 2023
The purpose of this practice note is to promote knowledge sharing and insight for evaluation prac... more The purpose of this practice note is to promote knowledge sharing and insight for evaluation practitioners and academics in other jurisdictions by reflecting on evaluation policy development in Prince Edward Island. The author describes the process of developing evaluation standards and guidelines for the Government of Prince Edward Island and the benefits of a systematic development process. The author reviews each phase of the process, including “Identify,” “Consult,” “Study,” “Consensus,” “External Review,” and “Endorsement.” The author concludes that the benefit of developing evaluation standards and guidelines is two-fold: A new resource is added to the government’s evaluation toolkit, and the development process provides an opportunity for capacity and interdepartmental community building.
Canadian Political Science Review, 2022
In recent times, academics and practitioners have focused on the optimal processes and capabiliti... more In recent times, academics and practitioners have focused on the optimal processes and capabilities required to increase an organization’s policy capacity, but there is little research on the human resource theory adopted by practitioners to improve public policy and its development. This article presents the results of a 2018 case study of policy capacity involving thirty-one interviews with civil servants in a small provincial government in Canada. An informal theory of policy capacity and human resources centering on leadership, conflict management, change management, and analytical capabilities is articulated using the language of practitioners. For practitioners, the findings of this article provide guidance and context for human resource strategies for policy capacity. The article concludes that there is an opportunity for academics to expand the paradigmatic boundaries of human resources research in public administration for the purposes of improving policy capacity.
Full text: https://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/cpsr/article/view/1854
KOME, 2014
This article describes how local media in the smallest province of Canada socially constructed th... more This article describes how local media in the smallest province of Canada socially constructed the arrival of Hungarian refugees on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada from 1956-1957. This article addresses the role which the media has in the social construction of refugees, as well as sheds light on the niche topic of refugee migration to Prince Edward Island in the late 1950s. From an analysis of newspaper articles from The Guardian (PEI) it was found that during 1956-1957 Hungarian refugees were positively received on Prince Edward Island because they were anti-soviet political symbols. This political factor, coupled with their perceived ability to contribute to the Island's economy, encouraged their positive reception. The article argues that using newspapers as a primary source in a historical study of immigration can uncover both explicit and implicit attitudes with regards to communication, culture, and society.
Canadian Political Science Review, 2021
Policy work in government is often framed as existing in a "black box". It is assumed that public... more Policy work in government is often framed as existing in a "black box". It is assumed that public administrators, as "insiders", have more knowledge of policy development processes than those outside of government. Are black box narratives of policy work constructed by practitioners? Or is the idea of a "translucent" box more appropriate to understand policy work within the bureaucracy? Based on interviews with sub-national civil servants in one provincial government in Canada, this article finds that black box narratives are used by practitioners to understand policy work. I interpret these results to argue that a theory-practice gap does not necessarily exist when it comes to constructions of policy work: practitioners in the field, like scholars, employ black box narratives to frame policy work in the bureaucracy. Yet, academics may still find that translucent box theory provides a more nuanced way of understanding government's internal policy processes.
The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion (IJIDI), 2021
This study explores diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy texts in Canadian agriculture fr... more This study explores diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy texts in Canadian agriculture from a policy-as-information perspective. Public policy is a powerful form of information in shaping citizenship behaviour and identity. Borrowing theory from social constructionism and using “policy texts” as data, this article enables us to start to understand the discursive framework constructing under-represented groups in agriculture. The article finds that there is a patchwork quilt approach with DEI agricultural policy in Canada: Federal, provincial and territorial governments and non-governmental organizations are individually pursuing DEI agendas. The conclusion calls for future information research on DEI agricultural policy in Canada, with contributions from academics, practitioners, industry and farmers. The contribution of this article is twofold: It provides policy practitioners with a snapshot of current DEI policies in agriculture across Canada and it attempts to stimulate ...
Journal of Policy Modeling, 2021
Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are very popular for analyzing a wide range of policy... more Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are very popular for analyzing a wide range of policy issues. CGE applications vary from estimating the welfare impact of tax reform and alternative energy policies to the effect of foreign trade reforms, labour markets and employment. CGE models are commonly developed at the country level; however, modified versions of CGE, so called Regional CGE (RCGE) models, can be used at subnational disaggregation to examine impacts studied at the national counterparts on a specific region. RCGE models have grown in popularity as an alternative to the Input-Output (I-O) models, which are regularly used for regional analysis. RCGE models can provide comprehensive information, which make them more desirable analytical models for many researchers. Yet, RCGE models have not yet become a “go-to” for governmental policy practitioners when they are developing regional public policies. This paper reviews the current state of regional CGE models, describes th...
The Qualitative Report
Embarking on a qualitative Ph.D. research project in public administration is often daunting for ... more Embarking on a qualitative Ph.D. research project in public administration is often daunting for novice researchers. For those students who consider adopting an emic or insider approach for their research, the ethical, methodological, and analytical challenges that lay ahead may seem insurmountable at times. In this article, I reflect on my experience as a Ph.D. student completing qualitative research with my colleagues to study policy capacity in a provincial government in Canada. I review how I constructed an ethical framework by integrating policy from Research Ethics Boards and government. Throughout the article, I deal primarily with ethical considerations and the personal and professional tensions associated with insider research. In addition to providing an overview of the literature on insider and emic research, I present ethical protocols that student-practitioners in other settings should consider when completing academic research with their colleagues in government instit...
Teaching Public Administration, 2021
A substantial amount of scholarly work focuses on conceptualizing, theorizing and studying the po... more A substantial amount of scholarly work focuses on conceptualizing, theorizing and studying the policy capacity of governments. Yet, guidance for practitioners on developing policy capacity training programs is lacking. In this article, I reflect on my experience as a public servant in the provincial government of Prince Edward Island where I designed and implemented the Policy Capacity Development and Mentorship Program for civil servants, recent graduates and students. In this article, I offer a descriptive overview of the framework and logic of the program and discuss how I integrated policy capacity theory. This article may serve other practitioners who seek to implement similar programs in their respective organizations and provides a base for future interventions. The article also offers thoughts on practitioner-led collaboration with academics and recommendations for those who would like to establish similar programs in their organizations.
Journal of Public Administration Studies, Dec 30, 2020
The body of public administration literature is missing contributions from practitioners in the f... more The body of public administration literature is missing contributions from practitioners in the field. Emic or insider-led studies of public administration can act as powerful mechanisms to generate new knowledge. This article studies the relationship between place, perceptions and policy work by drawing on the author’s own public administration experience and interviews with civil servants. The results show that societal factors such as political culture and reduced anonymity associated with small place create challenges when developing public policy. However, expedited public engagement and problem identification were perceived by civil servants to be enhanced by a small context. This means that small place can be both limiting and beneficial for high levels of policy capacity. Overall, this article finds that geospatial factors such as smallness impact perceptions of policy work and capacity. Furthermore, this article finds that insider-led studies of public administration can indeed make important and unique contributions to the body of literature and are therefore deserving of more serious methodological consideration.
PhD Dissertation, Ryerson University, 2019
This study explores Prince Edward Island (PEI) provincial public servants’ perceptions of policy ... more This study explores Prince Edward Island (PEI) provincial public servants’ perceptions of policy capacity using interviews with deputy ministers, directors, and managers and a survey administered to all public servants at one department. As a practicing public servant in Canada’s smallest province, PEI, with a population of 152,021 and a provincial civil service made up of 2,174 staff members, in this study I bring an emic or inside-government perspective to the study of policy capacity and show the benefits of adopting a single case study approach as opposed to a comparative method. The research questions which drove this study were: (1) What are PEI public servants’ perceptions of the general nature of policy processes and policy work in PEI and why? (2) How have PEI public servants constructed analytical, operational, and political policy capacity at the systemic, organizational, and individual levels? (3) What have PEI public servants observed in practice regarding analytical, operational, and political policy capacity at the systemic, organizational, and individual levels? and (4) What are PEI public servants’ recommendations for improving policy capacity and why?
This study represents the first time that Government of PEI policy capacity has been subject to rigorous, scholarly inquiry as well as the first time that a practicing public administrator has adopted an explicitly emic or insider-approach to study policy capacity. This study therefore provides a blueprint for public administrators in other Canadian jurisdictions to study policy capacity, and fills a gap in knowledge of provincial government policy capacity in PEI. Inductive analysis resulted in the development of the islandness of public policy concept, policy leadership theory, the policy-driven organization concept, and recommendations for sub-national governments to improve policy capacity. Deductive analysis using a nested theoretical model of policy capacity resulted in empirical findings related to the Government of PEI’s analytical, operational, and political capacity at the individual, organizational, and systemic levels.
First, the study’s focus on Government of PEI policy capacity heeds policy scholars who have noted that there are gaps in knowledge about how sub-national provincial governments in Canada view policy work and policy capacity. The literature review showed that similar studies of a provincial government’s policy capacity and policy work have been completed in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec but not in PEI. Second, the study found that Government of PEI policy capacity is impacted by the smallness, isolation, reduced physical distance, and reduced anonymity associated with islandness; this has implications in terms of how policy processes and policy work unfolds in government. Third, historical and current austerity practices and discourses have resulted in challenges for the development of effective provincial public policy in this jurisdiction.
Finally, grounded in the practice-based experiences of public servants, this study makes several recommendations for sub-national provincial governments to consider to improve policymaking abilities and policy work. For academics, this study recommends that future research continues to develop theories and empirical typologies of policy work which are applicable to both policy analysts and non-policy staff. Doing so will expand and deepen knowledge on the complex web of bureaucratic policy work which is required to develop public policy.
Centre for Policy Innovation and Public Engagement, Oct 2018
In 2018, the Government of PEI, Veterans Affairs Canada, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and... more In 2018, the Government of PEI, Veterans Affairs Canada, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Start-Up Zone brought together 49 individuals from the public and private sector to participate in a Policy Hackathon Program. A series of learning sessions were delivered while participants moved through a public policy case competition. This paper evaluates and studies this program and makes design recommendations for future policy hackathon programs. In the process, the paper draws attention to not only the relevance, performance and impact of the Program, but also larger discussions related to the unique attributes of the islandness of public policy, policy innovation, and austerity on an island.
Strategic Leadership Review, Dec 16, 2014
Program and policy evaluation is a key component of strategic management. Managers and other lead... more Program and policy evaluation is a key component of strategic management. Managers and other leaders need to know “what works” to determine if strategic priorities are being achieved. In the 21st century, managers are required to have a broad range of knowledge and skill sets to support business development and to establish and maintain strategic priorities. In our efforts to ensure that our evaluative work is “evidence-based” and “scientific” we may overlook those evaluative approaches and models which do not necessarily align with the traditional, positivist approach to program and policy evaluation. Managers should be aware of alternative approaches to program and policy evaluation to ensure that methods are able to capture the complexity of the social phenomenon which is inherent to every program and policy. This paper makes a case for using Responsive Evaluation and provides an overview of its development, application, and strengths.
Journal of Management & Public Policy, 2014
The United Nations (UN, 2010) reports that 25.2 million people, an overwhelming majority from th... more The United Nations (UN, 2010) reports that 25.2 million people, an overwhelming majority from the Global South, are displaced: 10.55 million refugees and 14.7 million internally displaced people (IDP). The phenomenon of Refugee Studies as a field of academic inquiry is a main focus of this paper. This paper makes a case for more critical analysis in – and of – refugee studies in order to better protect displaced people and to assist government in creating policies which respect the dignity of individuals. Based on a review of academic literature, first this paper discusses key concepts, labels, and theories in refugee studies. Second it traces the emergence
of the field of refugee studies. Following it discusses the dilemma within the study of refugee policy research in regards to our ability to remain critical while maintaining a close relationship with government funding agencies. Finally, the conclusion makes a case for studying asylum seekers as a distinct phenomenological group. Implications for the management of refugee claims administration, researchers and policy analysts are brought forward while arguing that theoretically a separate space for asylum studies is required.
KOME - An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry, 2014
This article describes how local media in the smallest province of Canada socially constru... more This article describes how local media in the smallest province of Canada socially constructed the arrival of Hungarian refugees on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada from 1956-1957. This article addresses the role which the
media has in the social construction of refugees, as well as sheds light on the niche topic of refugee migration to Prince Edward Island in the late 1950s. From an analysis of newspaper articles from The Guardian (PEI) it was found that
during 1956-1957 Hungarian refugees were positively received on Prince Edward Island because they were anti-soviet political symbols. This political factor,
coupled with their perceived ability to contribute to the Island’s economy, encouraged their positive reception. The article argues that using newspapers as a primary source in a historical study of immigration can uncover both explicit and implicit attitudes with regards to communication, culture, and society.
Perspectives on European Security - STETE Yearbook 2010, 2010
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Papers by Bobby Thomas Cameron
Dans cette note de pratique, les auteurs se penchent sur l’utilisation et l’utilité des panels d’experts en évaluation. Ils appliquent le modèle « décrire, analyser, théoriser, agir » à l’aide d’entrevues avec des évaluateurs et évaluatrices, les conclusions d’articles révisés par des pairs et leurs propres observations professionnelles. On établit des liens avec des discours plus vastes sur l’évaluation dans le domaine de la réflexion, de l’opinion d’experts, de l’expertise, de l’autorité épistémique et de l’expérience vécue. On a trouvé que les panels d’experts sont généralement sous-utilisés en évaluation en raison d’un manque de sensibilisation à la méthode chez les évaluateurs et évaluatrices, ainsi que de la complexité perçue du procédé. Cependant, la littérature et les entrevues sont claires : lorsque gérés adéquatement, les panels d’experts peuvent ajouter énormément de valeur à une évaluation. Il y a donc matière à réflexion pour considérer plus sérieusement l’ajout de ces panels à de futures évaluations. La présente note donne des recommandations pour les évaluateurs et évaluatrices, et pour la communauté d’évaluation dans son ensemble.
Full text: https://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/cpsr/article/view/1854
This study represents the first time that Government of PEI policy capacity has been subject to rigorous, scholarly inquiry as well as the first time that a practicing public administrator has adopted an explicitly emic or insider-approach to study policy capacity. This study therefore provides a blueprint for public administrators in other Canadian jurisdictions to study policy capacity, and fills a gap in knowledge of provincial government policy capacity in PEI. Inductive analysis resulted in the development of the islandness of public policy concept, policy leadership theory, the policy-driven organization concept, and recommendations for sub-national governments to improve policy capacity. Deductive analysis using a nested theoretical model of policy capacity resulted in empirical findings related to the Government of PEI’s analytical, operational, and political capacity at the individual, organizational, and systemic levels.
First, the study’s focus on Government of PEI policy capacity heeds policy scholars who have noted that there are gaps in knowledge about how sub-national provincial governments in Canada view policy work and policy capacity. The literature review showed that similar studies of a provincial government’s policy capacity and policy work have been completed in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec but not in PEI. Second, the study found that Government of PEI policy capacity is impacted by the smallness, isolation, reduced physical distance, and reduced anonymity associated with islandness; this has implications in terms of how policy processes and policy work unfolds in government. Third, historical and current austerity practices and discourses have resulted in challenges for the development of effective provincial public policy in this jurisdiction.
Finally, grounded in the practice-based experiences of public servants, this study makes several recommendations for sub-national provincial governments to consider to improve policymaking abilities and policy work. For academics, this study recommends that future research continues to develop theories and empirical typologies of policy work which are applicable to both policy analysts and non-policy staff. Doing so will expand and deepen knowledge on the complex web of bureaucratic policy work which is required to develop public policy.
of the field of refugee studies. Following it discusses the dilemma within the study of refugee policy research in regards to our ability to remain critical while maintaining a close relationship with government funding agencies. Finally, the conclusion makes a case for studying asylum seekers as a distinct phenomenological group. Implications for the management of refugee claims administration, researchers and policy analysts are brought forward while arguing that theoretically a separate space for asylum studies is required.
media has in the social construction of refugees, as well as sheds light on the niche topic of refugee migration to Prince Edward Island in the late 1950s. From an analysis of newspaper articles from The Guardian (PEI) it was found that
during 1956-1957 Hungarian refugees were positively received on Prince Edward Island because they were anti-soviet political symbols. This political factor,
coupled with their perceived ability to contribute to the Island’s economy, encouraged their positive reception. The article argues that using newspapers as a primary source in a historical study of immigration can uncover both explicit and implicit attitudes with regards to communication, culture, and society.
Dans cette note de pratique, les auteurs se penchent sur l’utilisation et l’utilité des panels d’experts en évaluation. Ils appliquent le modèle « décrire, analyser, théoriser, agir » à l’aide d’entrevues avec des évaluateurs et évaluatrices, les conclusions d’articles révisés par des pairs et leurs propres observations professionnelles. On établit des liens avec des discours plus vastes sur l’évaluation dans le domaine de la réflexion, de l’opinion d’experts, de l’expertise, de l’autorité épistémique et de l’expérience vécue. On a trouvé que les panels d’experts sont généralement sous-utilisés en évaluation en raison d’un manque de sensibilisation à la méthode chez les évaluateurs et évaluatrices, ainsi que de la complexité perçue du procédé. Cependant, la littérature et les entrevues sont claires : lorsque gérés adéquatement, les panels d’experts peuvent ajouter énormément de valeur à une évaluation. Il y a donc matière à réflexion pour considérer plus sérieusement l’ajout de ces panels à de futures évaluations. La présente note donne des recommandations pour les évaluateurs et évaluatrices, et pour la communauté d’évaluation dans son ensemble.
Full text: https://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/cpsr/article/view/1854
This study represents the first time that Government of PEI policy capacity has been subject to rigorous, scholarly inquiry as well as the first time that a practicing public administrator has adopted an explicitly emic or insider-approach to study policy capacity. This study therefore provides a blueprint for public administrators in other Canadian jurisdictions to study policy capacity, and fills a gap in knowledge of provincial government policy capacity in PEI. Inductive analysis resulted in the development of the islandness of public policy concept, policy leadership theory, the policy-driven organization concept, and recommendations for sub-national governments to improve policy capacity. Deductive analysis using a nested theoretical model of policy capacity resulted in empirical findings related to the Government of PEI’s analytical, operational, and political capacity at the individual, organizational, and systemic levels.
First, the study’s focus on Government of PEI policy capacity heeds policy scholars who have noted that there are gaps in knowledge about how sub-national provincial governments in Canada view policy work and policy capacity. The literature review showed that similar studies of a provincial government’s policy capacity and policy work have been completed in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec but not in PEI. Second, the study found that Government of PEI policy capacity is impacted by the smallness, isolation, reduced physical distance, and reduced anonymity associated with islandness; this has implications in terms of how policy processes and policy work unfolds in government. Third, historical and current austerity practices and discourses have resulted in challenges for the development of effective provincial public policy in this jurisdiction.
Finally, grounded in the practice-based experiences of public servants, this study makes several recommendations for sub-national provincial governments to consider to improve policymaking abilities and policy work. For academics, this study recommends that future research continues to develop theories and empirical typologies of policy work which are applicable to both policy analysts and non-policy staff. Doing so will expand and deepen knowledge on the complex web of bureaucratic policy work which is required to develop public policy.
of the field of refugee studies. Following it discusses the dilemma within the study of refugee policy research in regards to our ability to remain critical while maintaining a close relationship with government funding agencies. Finally, the conclusion makes a case for studying asylum seekers as a distinct phenomenological group. Implications for the management of refugee claims administration, researchers and policy analysts are brought forward while arguing that theoretically a separate space for asylum studies is required.
media has in the social construction of refugees, as well as sheds light on the niche topic of refugee migration to Prince Edward Island in the late 1950s. From an analysis of newspaper articles from The Guardian (PEI) it was found that
during 1956-1957 Hungarian refugees were positively received on Prince Edward Island because they were anti-soviet political symbols. This political factor,
coupled with their perceived ability to contribute to the Island’s economy, encouraged their positive reception. The article argues that using newspapers as a primary source in a historical study of immigration can uncover both explicit and implicit attitudes with regards to communication, culture, and society.