ABSTRACT
The role of a policy analyst is to provide recommendations to decision makers. A policy analyst reviews the available information on a particular topic, develops options, evaluates the pros and cons of each option, and, based on this analysis, recommends an option to a decision maker. For a policy analyst, the questions not under investigation by scientists might be as important as the questions under investigation. Because science is ever evolving, there are often competing theories about a particular phenomenon. It is important for policy analysts, decision makers, and the public to realize that the science of today may not be the science of tomorrow. Ideally, good policy would engage the public, especially on controversial issues. The IPCC has become the leading science advocate on climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) models are examples for how multidiscipline systems might work.
