In this article we conceptualise the public inquiry as a procedural tool and address the question of what makes a public inquiry an effective policy instrument. The issue of control is central to our arguments. In our conceptual work, we use control as a means of introducing the concept of the ‘catalytic procedural tool’ to better capture the variance in autonomy, location and function that can be associated with different inquiries. In our evaluative work, we use control as a means of analysing the effectiveness of an inquiry as a procedural tool, which centres on a capacity to build legitimacy and prospectively influence the implementation and institutionalisation of recommendations. We conclude by claiming that there is value in thinking about control as a means of understanding policy instruments because it can deliver insights into their effects once they leave the design table and enter a variety of technical, political and social environments.

中文翻译：

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公众查询作为程序性政策工具

在本文中，我们将公共调查概念化为一种程序工具，并解决如何使公共调查成为有效的政策工具的问题。控制问题是我们争论的核心。在我们的概念工作中，我们使用控制作为引入“催化程序工具”概念的一种手段，以更好地捕捉与不同查询相关的自主性、位置和功能的差异。在我们的评估工作中，我们使用控制作为分析调查有效性的一种手段，作为一种程序工具，它​​以建立合法性和前瞻性影响建议的实施和制度化的能力为中心。