Policy analysis has long been recognised as a core function of modern bureaucracies (Lasswell, 1971; Meltsner, 1976; Brans et al, 2012). It consists of providing analytical support to government to make intelligent choices for solving societal problems (Colebatch, 2006). Policy analysis is not static, nor is the content of the civil servant's toolbox. The emergence and development in the use of specific analytical techniques (or ‘formulation tools’) is best understood against the background of important past and emerging trends that affect policymaking practice: the evidence-based movement; Europeanisation; and the professionalisation of policy analysis. While policy analysis is not confined to the governmental arena alone and involves the work of many actors, such as policy analysts situated in academia, think tanks, consultancy firms and specialists of organised interests outside government (Colebatch, 2006), this chapter is exclusively devoted to in-house policy analysis in Belgium. It explores in depth the development and application of policy-analytical techniques and methods within Belgium's federal and subnational administrations.

Considering that policy analysis is an emerging professional activity, the chapter has a twofold aim. First, it investigates to what extent trends and challenges to policy analysis have affected Belgian national and subnational governments with regard to the methods and techniques used in policy analysis; the institutionalisation of analytical practices within government; and the establishment of policy networks engaging civil servants, academics and private or non-profit actors in policy analysis. This discussion focuses on the development of two institutionalised practices symbolising a growing use of analytical techniques: regulatory impact analysis and policy-oriented futures studies. These can be considered as two meta-methods, in the sense that they both encompass a wide range of tools such as cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder analysis, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, interviews and focus groups. Moreover, they can be applied to a broad array of policy sectors. Second, the chapter assesses at the individual level to what extent analytical techniques are used by Belgian civil servants. Based on a sample of civil servants (N=1,601), the use of a variety of well-known analytical techniques such as cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria analysis, stakeholder analysis or benchmarking is investigated. The discussion finally focuses on an analysis of the use these techniques by individual civil servants across government levels and policy sectors. Policy analysis is in this sense approached from both an organisational and an individual perspective.