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Narrative Policy Analysis and Participatory Policy Development
Van Eeten (2007, 251) outlines the various ways in which narrative has been considered in policy analysis. He distinguishes between: the narrative analysis of policy, in which the narrative and symbolic structure of policy are examined; the analysis of policy narratives, where the stories that actors tell about policy are examined; the narrative of policy analysis, where the narrative foundations of policy analysis are unearthed, and my concern, the policy analysis of narratives whereby the relations between conflicting policy narratives are analysed in order to proceed with policy development and implementation.
Narrative policy analysis, as expounded by Roe (1994), provides a means of documenting and analysing the discourses prevalent in a policy development process. It consists of analysing the dominant narratives in a controversy and contrasting them with the counter narratives, which are usually expressed in less articulate form and voiced by less powerful stakeholders (van Eeten, 2007). Narratives which express uncertainty and complexity are juxtaposed with non-stories and counter-stories, that run contrary to the dominant narrative (Roe, 1994). This is particularly relevant in technocratic cases where issues can no longer be decided by appealing to 'objective facts' (van Eeten, 2007). Within this process meta-narratives are developed by the policy analyst, which convey some form of rapprochement between dominant and counter-narratives. These meta-narratives do not provide consensus but a way for the narratives to coexist. The juxtaposition of dominant and counter-narratives provides a means of giving a voice to arguments and counterarguments.
The parallels between narrative policy analysis and participatory, deliberative approaches to policy development have been drawn out by various commentators. Fischer (2003) points out that Roe's meta-narrative policy analysis is compatible with participatory approaches but argues that narrative policy analysis privileges the policy analyst rather than the public participant. Van Eeten (2007, 255) has written that 'The approach is an open, deliberative process grounded in argument, evidence, and policy debate where participants can critically reflect and reappraise their initial framing of the issue'. Van Eeten suggests that all of the steps in narrative policy analysis could be done in a participatory way with the stakeholders actively contrasting different narratives. If a meta-narrative comes out of this process, it is likely to have more support than if...