The “SIDE” Framework

Addressing the information needs of a modern legislature

by: Marci Harris, Claire Abernathy, and Kevin M. Esterling
(Excerpt from summary of 2019 draft report to the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress)

Technology makes it possible for policymakers to access better data, better analysis and to hear from a broad swath of individuals, stakeholders and experts — if they choose to do so. The challenge for lawmakers is how to do so in an efficient, balanced way that does not further stall the already gridlocked lawmaking process.

As change fueled by technology impacts every aspect of society, Congress lags in its ability to understand emerging issues, propose ways to address them, weigh potential options, establish metrics for success, and evaluate the impacts of policies as they are implemented. Addressing this “pacing problem” will require lawmakers to do a better job of receiving and processing relevant information from a broad array of sources.

What is called for is not simply a technocratic system for data and analysis — though that is an important component — but also better methods for processing and considering the input of real people, the organizations that represent them, and experts in the fields of concern.

In recommendations to the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, co-authors Claire Abernathy, Kevin Esterling, and I call for the intentional incorporation of [S]takeholders, [I]ndividuals, [D]ata, and [E]xperts/Evidence (the “SIDE” Framework) into the work of Congress –– especially the work of committees –– and leveraging technology for that purpose (read summary of the report).

We wrote:

Though “Congress has access to the raw materials for a modern system of effective data-driven representation,” committees are not currently tapping into “the experiences and perspectives of citizens… [or]… the data produced through government-funded research, transactions and programs” in their work. (Lorelei Kelly, Modernizing Congress, 2019). Technology presents opportunities to streamline committee processes, better inform and engage committee members and their staffers, and to incorporate what we call the “SIDE” elements (Stakeholders, Individuals, Data, and Experts) into the lawmaking and oversight process.

Engaging a broad range of stakeholders and individuals can expand the knowledge base of committees, bringing in new perspectives and important information about the on-the-ground impact of policy proposals and policies already in place. High-quality data can help members move beyond anecdotes and provide committees with objective measures of policy impacts and areas that need their attention. And experts inside and outside of Congress can offer their informed judgments of policy proposals and their projected effects as well as analysis of problem areas in current policy. Taken together, SIDE can help committees take actions grounded in evidence and informed by widespread consultation with interested and knowledgeable parties. This is particularly important as committees work to oversee and legislate on complex and emerging technologies.

Examples of technology to improve committees’ access to information include:

• Introducing a (non-commercial) platform for stakeholders and experts to sign up to engage on specific topics
• Providing a request for information (RFI) process in the early stages of bill formation
• Encouraging initiatives to make nonpartisan experts available to answer staffer and lawmaker questions
• Introducing opportunities for moderated “open drafting” for early bill drafts
• Experimenting with “agile” policymaking that authorizes demonstration projects to compare results across different policy interventions
• Allowing for asynchronous online “21st Century Hearings”