Governments often struggle to access the technical and scientific expertise needed for informed policymaking. Despite having smart people, systems for recruiting and retaining specialized talent—especially in fast-moving fields like AI and climate science—remain outdated. This creates a gap between what policymakers need to know and the expertise available to them.
One way to address this could be through an integrated system that creates multiple pathways for governments to tap into technical knowledge:
A central coordination office could manage these channels while identifying expertise gaps across different government departments.
For such a system to succeed, it would need to align incentives for all involved:
Solutions to common challenges might include special hiring authorities for technical roles, emphasizing non-monetary benefits of government work, and creating flexible positions that accommodate academic schedules.
Current programs like the US Presidential Innovation Fellows or UK Government Office for Science show pieces of this concept working in isolation. The proposed system would combine their strengths while adding better integration, more flexible engagement models, and continuous feedback mechanisms.
While primarily a government function, such a system could potentially generate revenue through consulting services for local governments or licensing any assessment tools developed. The key advantage would be creating institutional memory around expertise access—a persistent challenge across governments worldwide.
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