Merilin Truuvaart
Title: Framework for Experimental Government: Cases of Finland, Canada and Estonia
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Rainer Kattel
Opponent: Margus Sarapuu, Advisor to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
Defense: 9 June 2017
Abstract: Policy experimentation is on the rise all over the world. Governments are interested in the topic and trying to create a policy framework to promote the uptake of experimental approaches to tackle complex policy problems and drive for better policy outcomes. This theses analyses Finnish, Canadian and Estonian experimental government frameworks and looks for answers to questions like what have been the main drivers to promote experimental government policies; what is understood as experimental government; which policies are employed to promote experimental government; what are the strengths and weaknesses of these policy frameworks; and which lessons could Estonia draw from Finland and Canada when developing its experimental government framework further. Each country has its own main driver for emergence of the topic. The scope of experimental government is rather broad and confusing. There is quite an elaborate policy framework and support system created for the promotion of experimental government in both Finland and Canada. In Estonia most of the elements of the support system are still being developed and the other two cases form a good source of learning.
Keywords: Finland, Canada, Estonia, Experimental Government, Experiments, Public sector innovation.
