Knowledge Systems and Public Policy

Available for on-campus & remote (online) learning. Students participate in interactive, real-time classes. 2026 dates: The benefits and challenges of developing policy informed by evidence have been widely discussed by scholars and are illustrated by the response of governments to the covid-19 pandemic. It is generally agreed that considering up to date evidence is important for robust policy, what is less clear is what constitutes evidence or knowledge and who can be considered an expert, especially as lines of ‘fact’ versus ‘opinion’ become increasingly blurred and calls for the democratisation of knowledge challenge conventional hierarchies. Studies have shown that policy-makers rely, at least in part, on trusted knowledge sources who may be colleagues, academics or others with experience and content knowledge relevant to the issue at hand. These different sources of expertise, informal knowledge sharing pathways and social interactions are part of the knowledge systems in which policy-making is situated. This course is designed for anyone with an interest in public policy-making and governance. Case studies will draw substantially on the environment domain, where the concepts have largely developed, but will explore the implications for other domains. It will firstly explore knowledge systems as one conceptualisation that can be useful to policy-makers and how it has evolved from other deficit type conceptualisation. Another key component of the course is examining the variety of communication and knowledge co-production mechanisms by which knowledge is created and shared as potential ‘solutions’ to traditional knowledge-based hierarchies.. By exploring some of the better studied systems pertinent to the Australian public-policy domain such as academic Indigenous knowledge systems, students will be encouraged to think reflexively about the types of knowledge they can draw upon and the opportunities and barriers in doing so.