Institutional Amnesia in Government

How much is enough?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v20i1.9046

Keywords:

Institutional amnesia, Organisational memory, Public policy, Public sector performance, Historical storytelling

Abstract

The concept of institutional amnesia represents a means of describing the loss of policy-relevant knowledge across time. This loss is keenly felt in all government institutions and typically leads to a conclusion that institutional amnesia is a problem to be fixed. However, there are positives that can be associated with a lack of memory. This article explores the good and the bad of memory loss by asking ‘how much amnesia is enough?’ This question prompts a discussion of the nature of amnesia in government, where it is most keenly felt, what causes it and the effects it produces.

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Author Biography

Alastair Stark, University of Queensland

Alastair Stark is an associate professor in public policy at the University of Queensland. His current research focuses on policy learning and the nature of institutional memory in public services.

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Published

2024-02-11

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2024): Policy Quarterly

Section

Articles

License

Permission: In the interest of promoting debate and wider dissemination, the IGPS encourages use of all or part of the articles appearing in PQ, where there is no element of commercial gain. Appropriate acknowledgement of both author and source should be made in all cases. The IGPS retains copyright. Please direct requests for permission to reprint articles from this publication to igps@vuw.ac.nz.