Peer Review and Quality Assurance

Robust peer review and systematic quality assurance reduce the risk of error and mistaken or misleading advice. Three mindsets to help overcome an aversion to review and criticism are: it is never my report (it is our agency’s advice and it reflects collective thinking and input from many people other than the author); different knowledge, skills, and experience within a policy team enable us to correct and complement each other’s contributions to policy analysis and advice; and because none of us is infallible, we will make mistakes and it is preferable for a colleague to spot these than a senior manager, politician, or the media. Tools and techniques include systems and processes for quality assurance from commissioning all the way through to post-project review; agreed criteria for a standard (comprehensive) peer review and for a rapid appraisal under urgency; and consideration of how best to give and receive feedback.