Just like Korea in the 1970s? Slow Policy Transfer and the Fiction of Familiarity

Purpose: Practitioners are often tempted to accelerate the policy transfer process by taking shortcuts on the basis of reductive comparisons between donor and recipient. This, however, often hinders the effectiveness of policy transfer. To improve the policy transfer process and thereby the policies implemented, this paper introduces an actor-network theoretical approach to understanding policy transfer. By employing Korea’s Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) as a case, the paper also seeks to increase the effectiveness of policy transfer from Korea to its development partners. Originality: This paper contributes to the literature on policy transfer by introducing and adapting the Translation model of scientific knowledge production to policy transfer. This model allows for an enriched understanding of knowledge production in the policy transfer process and introduces the notion of “slow policy”. Methodology: The paper adopts a multimethodological approach. It first draws on World Development Indicators to compare Korea’s historical conditions with its development partners’ contemporary conditions. It then employs the science and technology studies literature to develop an improved model of policy transfer. Finally, existing literature is employed to apply this model to the KSP. Result: This article establishes first that Korea in its development decades was substantially different from its priority development partners today. It then introduces “slow policy”, which entails deeper engagement with recipients in formulating problems, conducting analyses, and developing more robust policies. Conclusion and Implication: The slow policy model suggests that time constraints inhibit the KSP’s capacity for producing co-learning outcomes and for developing truly custom-tailored policy recommendations. Slowing down implementation and extending personnel exchanges would produce deeper mutual learning, improve policy recommendations and implementation, and cultivate a new generation of experts.