Temporal and spatial dimensions in the management of scientific advice to governments

Abstract

Scientific advice is given to governments through a variety of processes and structures. A key task is, thus, to understand the pros and cons of the various process design options. In this article, two very basic and abstract components of all process options are discussed: Their temporal and spatial dimensions. The temporal axis is bracketed by processes that are either divided into entirely distinct tasks or joined into interactive processes. The spatial axis is bracketed by teams that are either physically or administratively embedded or sequestered. The separation of these two axes and their endpoints provides a foundation for a governance analysis that is highly universal and that provides some insights into all types of scientific advice to governments. This article is published as part of a collection on scientific advice to governments.