Abstrakt
The chapter describes the ways policy analysis is generated in the Czech Republic, the features of various styles of policy analysis and the methods applied. First, various forms of policy analysis in the Czech Republic are described.
Then, the dominant styles are identified and thoroughly depicted. Based on the features of these styles, we derive some more general characteristics of policy analysis in the Czech Republic.
The chapter will be based mainly on desk research of policy analysis demands and outputs and on expert interviews. Since policy analysis is far from being an established discipline, there are various streams and styles of policy analysis that co-exist in the Czech Republic.
There is a strong sociology-related stream which can be demonstrated through the analysis of public contracts in R&D for the needs of the state launched in recent years by five Czech ministries. This style is characterized by a vague formulation of demand (there is no specific demand for policy analysis methods or for output) which means that the supply depends mostly on the experience and background of the analyst (e.g. it is likely to be "academic" and "theoretical").
On the other hand, there is also a strong economy-oriented stream. This stream has two sources: a general discourse in the Czech public policy that (at least on a rhetorical level) prefers an economical point of view and the formation of EU operational programs which often require some kind of economic assessment (such as CBA) of proposed projects.
The EU operational programs not only strengthened the use of economy-oriented methods but also established demand (and thus a material and practical framework) for new policy analysis areas such as evaluation. Besides these two dominant streams that are described thoroughly (and with the use of research findings), some minor ones (public participation, RIA) will are also explored.