Study on the Connectivity between Management System and EBPM: A Case Analysis of Policy Making in Japanese Local Government

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibility of a positive change in the progress of EBPM within administrative agencies, inferring the practical reality of the connection between the management system and EBPM in Japanese local government. For this purpose, this paper focused on the behavioral norms of public officials, who are the actors in the system that determine the superiority or inferiority of the connection, inferred the behavioral patterns related to the connection, and discussed the connectivity of the two. The results of the search based on this inference are as follows. First, the utilization of scientific knowledge in the management system depends on the degree to which each actor recognizes the value of utilization. In light of the political games being played in the system, the attitude of the actors toward the use of scientific knowledge is generally not positive. Second, however, if internal factors are in place, that is, if the cost of acquiring scientific knowledge is organizationally acceptable and if some actors can predict in advance how to make positive use of the knowledge, the connectivity of the knowledge to the actors will change favorably. Third, even if the influence of direct external requests and interventions is strong, if the opposing views are high in society, and if actors plan to reduce their influence by making use of scientific knowledge, the connectivity will change favorably.