What is successful policy experimentation?

This article discusses the concept of success in relation to policy experimentation, a type of policy innovation. Despite a growing literature on policy experiments, few studies define or explore what constitutes a successful experiment. This is important given the potential of experiments for policy learning and change, and also so that experiments can be evaluated and lessons learned across jurisdictions by academics and practitioners. The article develops a concept of success that is rooted in policy learning. Based on an empirical study of policy experimentation in Canadian federal cultural, heritage and sport policy, the article outlines four key ‘success criteria’: basic elements of an experiment; leadership and resources; procedural elements; and evaluation. It argues that experiments need to be evaluated not merely on outcomes, and that they should ultimately aim to encourage reflexive learning, characterised by dialogue and deliberation.