[Quality of scientific advice to politics. Lecture at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Science and Humanities].
Scientific advice to politics is a primary function of governmental research. The advisory process is, in the ideal situation, a collective duty of science and politics. The final decision rests ultimately with politicians. An understanding of the differences between science and politics is necessary for successfully providing advice to politicians. The requirements necessary to allow politics to substantially follow the advice of scientists are multifarious. The first of these is trust from the side of politics and the public and from the side of science competitive research, respect and communication skills, neutrality and integrity. From these requirements it is possible to derive criteria for quality assurance in advice to politics. The maintenance of scientific expertise at the competitive international level demands independent, qualified and adequately financed research. Governmental institutes have an antenna function: they have to recognize in good time whether risks are increasing, whether the government has to be informed and whether there is a need for action. The continuing maintenance of excellence requires measures of quality assurance at all levels. Evidence for the quality of advice to politics can, for example, be found in the good reputation of an institution and its prominent representatives. Success in research is an indirect quality criterion that can be and should be measured to a certain extent. The influence of advisory activities on political decisions is direct evidence for the quality of the advice. A classic example of highly successful policy advice is the development of the German AIDS policy.
Kurth
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Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Nordufer 20, Berlin, BRD. KurthR@rki.de
Glasmacher
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D005858:Germany; D006076:Government; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D012106:Research; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D012586:Science; D035502:Trust