Effectively Engaging Experts in Nepal’s Policy Making: Lessons from the Failure of State Restructuring
Author: Gunjan Dhakal Publication Type: Policy Discussion Paper 

Experts are technically sound individuals who can articulate fellow citizens’ need and are capable of providing evidence and analyzing policy options. Their ability to comprehend the issue comes from their strong theoretical base and the considerable amount of time they spend in gathering experience and knowledge. But there is no single universally accepted way for experts to engage in the democratic process. Finding out how experts can play an effective role in policy making can be a challenge to decision makers as well as researchers. Their capacity and commitment to properly understand the seriousness and far-reaching implication of issues in question shape the reliability and authenticity of their expert knowledge. However, this does not happen most of the time because there are several other factors that shape their expert opinion. Understanding why it does not happen the way it should and what makes their role significant in policy process are explored in this paper. Having a democratic institutional arrangement that provides a different sphere for experts are also important considerations to be made. Thus, the paper explores how proper positioning of experts can enhance their interactive role in the policy process.