社会智库如何利用运营机制创新促进发挥政策影响力

How China's Civil Think Tanks Rise Policy Influence Through Operation Innovation

        苗绿(中国与全球化智库(CCG) 北京 100004)
        王辉耀(中国与全球化智库(CCG) 北京 100004)

         社会智库;运营创新;智库政策影响机制

        civil think tank;operation innovation;think tank policy influencing mechanism

        社会智库发挥政策影响力有助于推动中国建立民主科学的公共政策体系。目前，中国社会智库发展相对官方智库严重滞后，存在资金短缺、内部管理混乱、人才流失等问题。文章以中国社会智库典型代表“中国与全球化智库（Center for China and Globalization，CCG）”为例，分析社会智库的运营创新及其对政策影响力的推动作用。建议社会智库建立以研究为核心的竞争力，重视对外传播，建立多元化的政策影响渠道等。

        In Janurary 2015, China's General Office of the Central Committee of the CPC and the General Office of the State Council issued Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of New Types of Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics. One notable requirement for “think tanks with Chinese Characteristics” is to improve the quality of public policy initiatives devised by government policy-makers. Chinese think tanks currently fall into three categories: government-affiliated, university-based, and non-governmental, or so called civil think tanks. The civil think-tanks play a unique role in promoting scientific public policy decision mechanism. In China, civil think tanks are facing more challenges than governmental think tank, such as capital shortage, disorder management, limited policy impact channel, unavailable research data, and brain drain. In this paper, we take the influences of CCG on the policies of the international talents as a case, to analyze the positive impact of operation innovation on civil think tank's policy influential mechanism. CCG has generated policy influences and impacts on policy makers and other policy actors by three main interventions: government projects, policy advisory reports, and policy memos. In 2014, CCG submitted more than 40 policy advisory reports and policy memos, over a dozen of CCG's policy recommendations considered or actually adopted by central authority, municipal governments and departments. CCG's key to successful policy impact can be concluded as below. Firstly, innovative measures on research ability, think creative ability, international and social communication could contribute to policy impact improvement. Civil think tank has less policy impact opportunities compared to governmental think tank. Only in the phase of proposal, draft, and evaluation of public policy, civil think tank could be involved. CCG creates value by (1) conducting high-quality policy research to promote the globalization of Chinese enterprises and talent; (2) holding high-level public events on an international level; and (3) producing high quality publications, journals, and policy advisory memos that are widely disseminated through traditional and new social media channels. Through submitting the advisory report, committed the government research projects, and participating government seminar, CCG submit policy suggestions and maintain the good relationship with government. Publications and multiform events help CCG spread the policy view and building brand. Secondly, assessing the public through publications, media channels and events. One drawback in China's mainstream think tank is that they lack a close connection with the public. CCG had made great effort in addressing the problem and to gain more access to the general public through (1) using traditional and new media channels and (2) holding varieties of policy-dialogue events on national or international level. Thirdly, organizational independence. Organizational independence can thus be seen as a major reason why U.S. think tanks are institutionally stronger, particularly when it comes to offering effective policy advice. CCG also stands out for being relatively independent from the government. This independence enables CCG to deliver higher quality policy-advice, which it has used to maintain a competitive advantage in the think tank market and expand its influence within this market. CCG has established an operating model of diversified funding support. Because the culture of social donations is not that well developed in China, fundraising has always been the biggest challenge confronting Chinese non-governmental think tanks. CCG has been highly innovative in addressing this problem, using corporate funding as an important source of its operating revenue. The paper suggests Chinese civil think tank to build core competitiveness based on research ability, establish diversified policy influencing channels, and emphasize on communication and international cooperation. Currently, think tanks in China have shown their internationalized feature. However, Due to late start and pre-existing conditions, Chinese think tanks still receive limited global recognition. China should provide a better institutional environment for think tank survival and Chinese think tanks' international impact. CCG is unique in this aspect because of its great effort to do research promoting the internalization and globalization of Chinese companies and Chinese talent.