Policy‐Making As Designing: The Added Value of Design Thinking for Public Administration and Public Policy by ArwinvanBuuren, Jenny M.Lewis, and B.Guy Peters, Eds. Policy Press, an imprint of Bristol University Press, 2023, 244 pp., $149.95 (hardcover). ISBN 978–1447365938.
本书探讨设计思维在公共行政与政策制定中的应用，通过概念框架和全球20个政策实验室的案例，分析设计方法如何提升政策过程的创新性和有效性，适合从业者和研究者参考。
The book Policy-Making As Designing: The Added Value of Design Thinking for Public Administration and Public Policy is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the concepts and applications of design in public administration and public policy. The concept of “design” is interpreted as a creative art aimed at finding new solutions to existing problems. The design approach in policymaking and public administration involves the participation of all stakeholders to define the problems and seek effective solutions. This involves the use of tools to translate formal knowledge into artifacts and tools that encourage creative and innovative thinking. Readers will be guided to recognize the strengths and challenges of applying a design approach, which can help them take concrete steps to improve policy processes. Although the focus is more on conceptualization and theory, the book provides a strong foundation for further research on the role of design in changing the way public administration works. Thus, this book not only provides in-depth understanding, but also stimulates innovative thinking in this area. Additionally, by discussing case studies from various parts of the world and the potential contributions of policy labs in addressing policy challenges, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the application of design thinking in public administration and policymaking. This book is intended for practitioners and researchers in the fields of public administration and public policy as well as for policymakers and government officials. By providing a balanced view of theory and practice, this book is a source of inspiration for understanding the potential of design in the context of public decision making. Overall, this book explores the concept of public administration as a design science, with a focus on the application of design thinking in policymaking. This book discusses the evolution of design approaches in public policy and administration, current attention to design in these fields, and the potential benefits and challenges of applying design methods. By introducing ideal types of design approaches in public administration and providing a preview of the contributions in the edited volume, this book aims to explore the promise of design for improving public policy and administration. This book covers a variety of concepts related to problem solving, collaboration, design thinking, policy design, power dynamics, user participation, and validation in public policy and administration research. Key topics include succession perspectives, synergistic collaboration, systemic design, theory-based approaches, traditional policy design, user-oriented design, and validation-oriented research. The quality of this book can be measured from several important aspects, one of which is the diversity and depth of the case studies presented. The book includes case studies from 20 policy laboratories spread across five continents, in 16 countries and 20 cities. These case studies involve laboratories with varying ownership statuses, levels of operation, and years of experience, demonstrating the depth and diversity of research conducted for this book. Each chapter in this book has its own advantages. Chapter 1 of this book describes a new approach to policymaking as a creative design process. Design methods such as empathy and prototyping are explained as keys to creatively designing policies. Empathy involves a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of the target groups, while prototyping creates initial versions of solutions that can be tested and adjusted based on feedback. This approach ensures the involvement of users and stakeholders, resulting in policies that are relevant and responsive. Through empathy and prototyping, policymakers can develop effective and innovative solutions for society. In Chapter 2, van Buuren and colleagues provide an in-depth understanding of the latest trends and developments in the application of design in public administration. Through a clear conceptual framework, a developed typology of design approaches, and an analysis of design products, this chapter provides valuable insight into the variety of design approaches that exist. In contrast to Chapters 1 and 2, Chapter 3 criticizes design thinking, which is too focused on idea innovation without considering political processes and learning from past experiences in policy formulation. The fourth chapter highlights the importance of designing environments to support collaboration in addressing policy problems, while the fifth chapter explores the potential of policy labs in improving policy evaluation. Chapter 6 provides in-depth definition of design thinking in this context, comparing it with traditional approaches to policy design and policymaking, which helps readers understand the concepts discussed better. The author's analysis of the impact of design thinking on the policymaking process, especially at various stages of policymaking, helps readers understand the important implications of design thinking at the practical level. Meanwhile, the seventh chapter emphasizes the role of institutional design in supporting creativity in policy design. In addition, Chapter 7 places special emphasis on factors that influence the ability to design creative policies, such as the obstacles faced by policy design institutions. This is different from the previous chapters, which focused more on concepts, theories, and general approaches in policy design. Thus, Chapter 7 provides a stronger foundation for understanding how policy design principles are applied in broader institutional contexts. The eighth chapter clearly explains the concept of design science and its application in public policy and administration research. Detailed explanations and concrete examples enrich the reader's understanding, while also discussing the potential and challenges of applying design science. The straightforward language style and use of images enhance the clarity of the material. While the previous chapters discussed the concepts and applications of policy design in general, Chapter 9 specifically highlights how design approaches can be used to organize collaboration between stakeholders in managing public problems. This represents a transition from the use of design in designing single policies to its use in managing collaborative processes involving many parties. Next, the final chapter in this book, Chapter 10, entitled “Policy-making as designing: Taking stock and looking forward,” discusses the evolution and importance of design in the policymaking process. This chapter highlights that policymaking is essentially a design activity, involving the creation or construction of means (such as plans, rules, instruments, interventions) for specific purposes (to manage or address social problems). This book gets extra points because it takes a multidisciplinary approach to exploring the added value of design thinking in public administration and policy. Combining perspectives from various disciplines, this book provides comprehensive insights into the application of design in policymaking. In addition, the book highlights the importance of considering institutional diversity and innovative approaches in policy design, and provides an in-depth and diverse literature review on the use of design in public administration. The book also discusses the use of design approaches to create collaborative governance in organizations and collaboration with other organizations that support minority entrepreneurs. This highlights the importance of forums, arenas, and courts in shaping organizational norms, decision-making processes, and implementation strategies. Additionally, the book emphasizes the role of communication, interpretive schemes, and access rules in driving collaborative efforts toward achieving their goals. The book has several weaknesses worth noting. Firstly, its primary focus is on concepts and theories, while empirical studies supporting them are still limited. Consequently, for readers interested in practical design implementation, the book may not offer much assistance. Secondly, the complexity of the various design approaches described in the book may confuse lay readers who are not familiar with the design domain. Thirdly, there is no clear guidance or framework presented in the book on how design can be systematically applied in various policy contexts. Fourthly, the book also does not delve deeply into the challenges of design implementation such as organizational cultural changes, resource allocation, and regulatory aspects. Through an introduction to concepts such as problem solving, collaboration, and policy design, readers of Policy-Making As Designing are introduced to the evolution and importance of design approaches in the context of public policy and administration. The authors describe the types of design approaches that can be used in public administration and provide an overview of the contributions and challenges associated with their use. Through the use of case studies and an emphasis on collaborative governance, this book helps readers understand how design approaches can be practically implemented to improve public policy and administration. Funding: This review is sponsored by the Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP), The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. Adrianus Aprilius is a Doctoral Student at Airlangga University, Putra Bangsa Street, Surabaya City, Indonesia (email: [email protected]). Albertus Yosep Maturan is a Doctoral Student at Hasanuddin University, Rusunawa Unhas, Makassar City, Indonesia (email: [email protected]). Fransiskus Wuniyu is a Doctoral Student at Airlangga University, Kertajaya Street, Surabaya City, Indonesia (email: [email protected]). Putri Inggrid Maria Risamasu is a Doctoral Student at Hasanuddin University, Rusunawa Unhas, Makassar City, Indonesia (email: [email protected]).