Some constraints on the influence of public policy conferences on the programs of the respective sectoral policies

Abstract

This article seeks to explain disparities in the influence capacity of different public policy conferences. Here, I retrieve the findings of a previous work (Petinelli, 2015) about the capacity of influence of a set of events – the 1st Conference of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Cities, Environment, Sport, Women and Racial Equality´s Policies-on national policies and I also propose an analytical model to explain such results. The article assesses the possible effects of the institutional design of the conferences on the recommendations approved therein and the constraints arising from the legal institutional framework and the dynamics of the respective sectoral policy regarding the incorporation of the proposals after the meetings. From this analysis, it can be concluded that not only the combination of institutional design, legal institutional framework and political dynamics impacts the capacity of influence of conferences, but political will on the part of the state actors is also decisive.