Advocacy coalition formation and key actors within the policy

Abstract The article discusses advocacy coalition formation and the roles of key actors in science, technology and innovation (ST&I) policies for social inclusion in a subnational context. The policy subsystem category and concept of advocacy coalition are used in the context of the advocacy coalition framework and address the need to understand the influences of key actors (policy broker and policy entrepreneur) on it. The policy subsystem was outlined using case-oriented research and the discourse was analyzed in order to understand the policy actors’ beliefs. The analysis of two cases of ST&I policy processes for social inclusion (assistive technology and social technology) highlighted policy broker and policy entrepreneur key roles in the emergence of policy subsystems, but had different effects on advocacy coalition formation. The policy entrepreneur had a closer relationship with advocacy coalition building when setting up regular mechanisms to share beliefs and policy-oriented learning, as well as taking initiatives to coordinate the collective action of members in the early advocacy coalition. Although relevant in agenda setting and maintaining a specific social inclusion agenda in the policy process, the policy broker did not achieve a positive relationship with advocacy coalition building. The article corroborates the possibility of incorporating the concept of policy entrepreneur in analyses of the advocacy coalition framework and highlights this actor’s characteristics through this analytical model.

摘要 本文探讨了次国家级语境下，面向社会包容的科学、技术与创新（Science, Technology and Innovation，ST&I）政策中的倡导联盟形成过程，以及核心行动者的角色。研究采用倡导联盟框架（Advocacy Coalition Framework）下的政策子系统范畴与概念，旨在厘清政策中介（policy broker）与政策企业家（policy entrepreneur）两类核心行动者对政策子系统的影响机制。本研究通过案例导向的研究方法勾勒政策子系统轮廓，并通过话语分析解读政策行动者的信念体系。针对两项面向社会包容的ST&I政策进程案例（辅助技术与社会技术）的分析显示，政策中介与政策企业家均在政策子系统的形成中发挥了关键作用，但二者对倡导联盟形成的影响存在差异。在建立常态化信念共享与政策导向学习机制，且在倡导联盟形成初期主动协调成员集体行动的场景中，政策企业家与倡导联盟构建呈现出更为紧密的关联。尽管政策中介在政策进程的议程设置与特定社会包容议程的维系中发挥了一定作用，但其与倡导联盟构建并未形成正向关联。本文验证了将政策企业家概念纳入倡导联盟框架分析的可行性，并通过该分析模型凸显了该行动者的特征。