Revisiting lesson-drawing: methods to assess policy’s institutional transferability
Open accessAbstract
This article revisits the insights of lesson-drawing. Today, policy design experts are well aware of the risk of the best practice approach, or policy transfer conducted in a one-size-fits-all manner. However, often warnings are provided only in reference to the distinctive nature of policy-borrowing jurisdictions. This is insufficient in terms of designing a policy transfer conducive to problem-solving or for preventing inappropriate transfer, which merely leads to a waste of time and resources. What must also be taken into consideration is the nature of the original policy itself. To use the size metaphor, we must detect not only the size of those who purchase and wear the costume but also the size of the costume itself so as to compare them and assess fitness. In particular, although “setting and context” are deemed integral to policy transferability, discovering relevant setting and context in ex ante assessment remains an analytical challenge. Paraphrasing setting and context to institutions (which are understood as the rules of the game following the Northian definition), this article advances two methods to identify relevant institutions behind the policy under assessment: looking at the policy’s historical origins and exploring cases of failure.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance
North, D. C. (1990) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511808678 · Cited by 32,691 · see citing works
Learning from Abroad: The Role of Policy Transfer in Contemporary Policy‐Making
Dolowitz, D. P., & Marsh, D. (2000) · Governance · doi:10.1111/0952-1895.00121 · Cited by 3,314 · see citing works
(2004) · doi:10.4324/9780203413845 · Cited by 2,963 · see citing works
Who Learns What from Whom: A Review of the Policy Transfer Literature
Dolowitz, D. P., & Marsh, D. D. (1996) · Political Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.1996.tb00334.x · Cited by 2,122 · see citing works
Rose, R. (1991) · Journal of Public Policy · doi:10.1017/s0143814x00004918 · Cited by 1,356 · see citing works
The lessons of learning: Reconciling theories of policy learning and policy change
Bennett, C. J., & Howlett, M. (1992) · Policy Sciences · doi:10.1007/bf00138786 · Cited by 1,346 · see citing works
Why Do Firms Train? Theory and Evidence
Acemoglu, D., & Pischke, J.-S. (1998) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.1162/003355398555531 · Cited by 992 · see citing works
Escaping Capability Traps Through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA)
Andrews, M., Pritchett, L. H., & Woolcock, M. J. V. (2013) · World Development · doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.05.011 · Cited by 630 · see citing works
Systematising Policy Learning: From Monolith to Dimensions
Dunlop, C. A., & Radaelli, C. M. (2012) · Political Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00982.x · Cited by 575 · see citing works
The Limitations of ‘Policy Transfer’ and ‘Lesson Drawing’ for Public Policy Research
James, O., & Lodge, M. C. (2003) · Political Studies Review · doi:10.1111/1478-9299.t01-1-00003 · Cited by 436 · see citing works
Policy transfer in critical perspective
Evans, M. (2009) · Policy Studies · doi:10.1080/01442870902863828 · Cited by 359 · see citing works
Conservative Parties and the Birth of Modern Democracy in Europe
Ziblatt, D. (2017) · doi:10.1017/9781139030335 · Cited by 353 · see citing works
Urban Sustainability: Learning from Best Practice?
Bulkeley, H. (2006) · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · doi:10.1068/a37300 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
Voß, J.-P., & Simons, A. (2014) · Environmental Politics · doi:10.1080/09644016.2014.923625 · Cited by 271 · see citing works
Policy Transfer as Policy Assemblage: Making Policy for the Creative Industries in New Zealand
Prince, R. (2010) · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · doi:10.1068/a4224 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Howlett, M. P. (2004) · Policy and Society · doi:10.1016/s1449-4035(04)70030-2 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Understanding Cross National Policy Transfers: The Case of Britain and the US
Wolman, H. L. (1992) · Governance · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0491.1992.tb00027.x · Cited by 231 · see citing works
Is the German apprenticeship system a panacea for the U.S. labor market?
Harhoff, D., & Kane, T. J. (1997) · Journal of Population Economics · doi:10.1007/s001480050037 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Policy Transfer as a Form of Prospective Policy Evaluation: Challenges and Recommendations
Mossberger, K., & Wolman, H. L. (2003) · Public Administration Review · doi:10.1111/1540-6210.00306 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
How Solutions Chase Problems: Instrument Constituencies in the Policy Process
Béland, D., & Howlett, M. P. (2015) · Governance · doi:10.1111/gove.12179 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Presidential address—The extrapolation problem: How can we learn from the experience of others?
Bardach, E. (2004) · Journal of Policy Analysis and Management · doi:10.1002/pam.20000 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
The German dual vocational education and training system as ‘good practice’?
Deißinger, T. (2015) · Local Economy The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit · doi:10.1177/0269094215589311 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Learning from Second‐Hand Experience: Methodology for Extrapolation‐Oriented Case Research
Barzelay, M. (2007) · Governance · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0491.2007.00369.x · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Overcoming the failure of ‘silicon somewheres’: learning in policy transfer processes
Giest, S. N. (2016) · Policy & Politics · doi:10.1332/030557316x14779412013740 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Policy transfer routes: an evidence-based conceptual model to explain policy adoption
Minkman, E., van Buuren, A., & Bekkers, V. (2018) · Policy Studies · doi:10.1080/01442872.2018.1451503 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
The Evolution of the Modern Vocational Training Systems in England and Germany: a comparative view
Deißinger, T. (1994) · Compare A Journal of Comparative and International Education · doi:10.1080/0305792940240103 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Handbook of Policy Transfer, Diffusion and Circulation
(2021) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781789905601 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Blake, O., Glaser, M., Bertolini, L., & Brömmelstroet, M. T. (2020) · European Planning Studies · doi:10.1080/09654313.2020.1840523 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Howlett, M. P., & Mukherjee, I. (2018) · Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/13876988.2017.1418223 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Debate: Rose's ‘10 steps’: why process messiness, history and culture are not vague and banal
de Jong, M. (2009) · Policy & Politics · doi:10.1332/030557309x386966 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
International benchmarking: Politics and policy
Dominique, K., Malik, A. A., & Remoquillo-Jenni, V. (2013) · Science and Public Policy · doi:10.1093/scipol/scs128 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
EVALUATING THE CROSS-NATIONAL TRANSFERABILITY OF POLICIES: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Williams, C. C., & Dzhekova, R. (2014) · Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship · doi:10.1142/s1084946714500228 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Marmor, T. R. (2017) · Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/13876988.2017.1279439 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Comparative Politics and Comparative Policy Studies: Making the Linkage
Peters, B. G. (2018) · Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/13876988.2017.1414409 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Brockmann, M., & Smith, R. M. (2023) · Journal of Education and Work · doi:10.1080/13639080.2023.2174958 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Kuhlee, D., Steib, C., & Winch, C. A. (2022) · Journal of Philosophy of Education · doi:10.1111/1467-9752.12669 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Learning Across Time and Space: Richard Rose’s Work on Lesson-Drawing
Dussauge‐Laguna, M. I. (2023) · Executive Politics and Governance · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-40817-5_8 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Chen, Z., & Zhu, Z. (2026) · Policy Design and Practice · doi:10.1080/25741292.2026.2733378
- Authors
- Yamada, M.
- Affiliations
- European University Institute (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Yamada, Makio
- ORCID
- Yamada, Makio
- Venue
- Policy Design and Practice
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2025-12-08
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 82-91
- ISSN
- 2574-1292 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4417143077
- Cited by
- 1
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1
- FWCI
- 3.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Policy Design and Practice (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Cadmus - EUI Research Repository (European University Institute) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policy Transfer and Learning
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Keywords
- policy transfer, lesson-drawing, best practice transfer, policy borrowing, institutional analysis, ex-ante evaluation, policy design
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
