Stakeholder Input into Franchise Inquiries : An Australian Exploratory Study

It is thought that evidence based policy is essential for making laws that serve the community best. The Australian Government has endorsed evidence based policy making. This paper reports the results of an exploratory study into stakeholder participation in government policy making within the context of the franchise sector in Australia. It is based on the South Australian Parliament’s Inquiry into existing laws governing franchising of 2008. General themes that emerged from this study support the view that policy proposals from the SA inquiry do result from evidence-based research. The value of having all stakeholders participating is identified and it is concluded that final recommendations from the South Australian Inquiry are not drawn primarily from any particular category of stakeholders. Finally, additional areas that will be pursued in the fuller study being conducted during 2010 are noted