Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University
Across the world, professionals engaged in policymaking face a shared challenge: how to effectively incorporate research findings and data-driven evidence into policy decisions. Responding to this concern, the volume “Professionalizing Policy Analysis: Voices from Around the World” brings together contributions from ten policy experts from diverse regions and fields of expertise. The volume addresses, from multiple perspectives, key questions including: (1) how policy analysis can be established as a profession; (2) what is required to encourage policymakers to make greater use of research-based evidence; and (3) how to bridge the differing worlds of politics and science.
As one of the contributors to this volume, Professor Keiichi Ogawa of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University, authored a chapter titled “Policy Analysis, a Profession: The Need to Professionalize Policy Studies in Education.” In his contribution, Professor Ogawa outlines key issues related to the professionalization of policy analysis in the field of education. He argues that education policy analysis should not be regarded as a peripheral activity, but rather as an essential practice for guiding education systems in desirable directions. He emphasizes the importance of cultivating specialists who can integrate evidence, economics, institutional dynamics, and political realities in order to translate analysis into feasible policy options.
Professor Ogawa further notes that effective policy analysis requires the ability to move between macro-level perspectives, such as national indicators, budgets, and demographic trends, and micro-level understandings grounded in the realities of schools and households. He highlights the value of integrating diverse data sources, including learning achievement assessments, household surveys, labor statistics, and administrative records. At the same time, he points out that key datasets are often held by ministries outside the education sector, that data sharing may be limited, and that political considerations can restrict access. In this context, cross-ministerial collaboration and the strengthening of data governance emerge as important challenges.
Finally, Professor Ogawa argues that establishing policy analysis as a profession requires a broad set of competencies. These include proficiency in statistical software; the ability to apply methods such as simulation modelling, cost–benefit analysis, and human capital analysis; as well as the capacity to use qualitative research to understand institutional practices, stakeholder perceptions, and political processes. He concludes by emphasizing that evidence gains persuasive power in policy processes only through sustained collaboration between analysts and policymakers, and that building networks connecting actors within and beyond government is crucial for advancing evidence-informed policymaking.
Authored by Yudai Ishii (Doctoral Student)
