This is a really good point, and perhaps the number one mistake I see in this area. People also forget that policy changes have colossal impacts on very complex human systems—the bigger the change, the bigger the impact. A small step is a lot easier for end-user buy-in to stomach than a large one.
I often advise to think the cost and effort difference between “I have to re-wallpaper one wall” as opposed to “I need to tear my house down to the foundations and rebuild it”.
That said, I think a lot of it is because actual policy is super hard to break into and get experience. There needs to be more training etc available to people—particularly early careers researchers.
This is a really good point, and perhaps the number one mistake I see in this area. People also forget that policy changes have colossal impacts on very complex human systems—the bigger the change, the bigger the impact. A small step is a lot easier for end-user buy-in to stomach than a large one.
I often advise to think the cost and effort difference between “I have to re-wallpaper one wall” as opposed to “I need to tear my house down to the foundations and rebuild it”.
That said, I think a lot of it is because actual policy is super hard to break into and get experience. There needs to be more training etc available to people—particularly early careers researchers.