Policy transfer and policy learning: A study of the 1991 New Zealand health services taskforce

Research into policy transfer and lesson drawing has been? criticized as fe te authors have convincingly shown how cross-national policy learning actua lly influences policy formation in a particular jurisdiction. This article addresses this gap by presenting a study of the development of the 1991 hea lth policy in New Zealand. By studying the process of policy development, r ather than just a policy document, it was possible to disaggregate differen t aspects of the policy and to identify sources and influences. This articl e finds that the "conspiracy" model of policy formation allows not fit this case as it presents an overly simplistic view, which allows little space f or policy learning. This case illustrates the subtle and multifaceted influ ence of different jurisdictions, different institutions, and different indi viduals on a given policy.