The document discusses the nature and purpose of science, technology, and innovation (STI) strategies, defining strategy as a guided, coherent action among networks of actors. It identifies four primary functions of STI strategy documents: controlling relationships, building consensus, communicating goals, and fulfilling organizational motives. Successful strategies are characterized by implementable plans, realistic goals, and coherence with other strategy documents.

1. Policy Transitions
Hunter McGuire
Working Party for Innovation and Technology Policy (TIP)
OECD-VINNOVA Workshop, Session 1
The nature, function, and global
landscape of STI strategy

2. 2
What is a strategy?
Strategy is “coherent action, guided by a longer-term
sense of direction, to transform value-generating
processes, undertaken by (a network of) actors,
backed by an argument.”
- Wauters, B., (2019), “Strategic management in the public sector and public
policy-making: friend or foe?”.

3. 3
What purpose does a strategy serve?
Principal-agent
relations
• Principals can issue a strategy
document to control internal or
external agents
• Agents can issue a strategy
document to report to principals
Consensus-
building
• Strategy documents can reify a
consensus or commitment
between actors in an innovation
system
• They can coordinate action
Communication &
signalling
• Strategy documents can be used
to communicate an actor’s goals
to an external partner
• Strategy documents can be used
to signal priorities to the public
Organisational
motives
• Strategy documents can be
drafted to increase profile in a
bureaucracy
• Strategy documents can be
drafted as a matter of procedure
We hypothesise
that STI
strategy
documents are
drafted to fulfil
one or more of
the following
four functions:

4. 4
Long or short?
Many Documents Few Documents
Long Documents Short Documents
• Discoverability
• Likelihood of document
being read
• Simplicity
• Limited capacity for
diverse actors to
participate in strategy
making
• Greater capacity for
diverse actors to
participate in strategy
making
• Granularity
• Discoverability
• Likelihood of document
being read

5. 5
What makes a successful strategy?
Features
of
an
ideal
strategy
system
Principal-agent
relations
• Principals can issue a strategy
document to control internal or
external agents
• Agents can issue a strategy
document to report to principals
Consensus-
building
• Strategy documents can reify a
consensus or commitment
between actors in an innovation
system
• They can coordinate action
Communication &
signalling
• Strategy documents can be used
to communicate an actor’s goals
to an external partner
• Strategy documents can be used
to signal priorities to the public
Organisational
motives
• Strategy documents can be
drafted to increase profile in a
bureaucracy
• Strategy documents can be
drafted as a matter of procedure
Support greater
effectiveness

6. 6
What makes a successful strategy?
Features
of
an
ideal
strategy
system
1. Contain a plan that is implementable.
2. Grounded in a clear understanding of reality and have
realistic goals.
3. Mutually reinforce other STI strategy documents.
4. Carefully consider the best length for their purpose.