Unpopular Decisions Research Articles

Getting Acceptance for Tough Decisions

This article discusses research-based strategies that organizational leaders can use to effectively implement unpopular decisions and gain acceptance of necessary changes from employees and stakeholders. It outlines the importance of clear communication to explain the rationale and context behind tough choices. Leaders must be transparent in their decision-making process and involve stakeholders to address concerns and build ownership of outcomes. Addressing the negative emotions that arise and exploring alternative options or ways to mitigate impacts can help address psychological and practical issues. Enlisting champions and coalitions of supporters to reinforce the reasoning for decisions can boost consensus. Continued communication on outcomes and progress reinforces that the difficult period was necessary. Ultimately, navigating tough times requires combining these communication strategies with empathetic and honest leadership that cultivates trust and shared commitment to organizational goals and vision despite short-term hardship.

Opularization of Nordic Combined Through the Introduction of New Disciplines in the Program of Various Ranks Competitions.

Topicality. The presented research paper examines and analyzes the regulations for holding Nordic combined competitions at the Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. The main changes and expansion of sports competition programs, which took place during the last decades and influenced its popularization, have been described. The purpose of the research. Analysis of the dynamics and reasons for the introduction of new disciplines into the program of competitions of various ranks at Nordic combined. Research methods. Analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, theoretical analysis of regulatory documents and documentation of competitive sports activities (detailed analysis of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation`s bulletins) and review of research analytical sources and information from e-resources (search and analysis of historical data). The research results. Based on a detailed analysis of scientific and methodological sources and available Internet sources as well as the new competition rules, it was found that the basis of the Nordic combined competitions is the following disciplines: a) the individual Gundersen competitions (standard normal and large ski jumping hills; 10 km competition in cross-country skiing), the Men's team sprint competition (included into the program of the Winter Olympic Games only for men); b) the mass start (individual competitions), the Women`s individual Gundersen competitions, the Women`s team sprint. This allowed to systematize the peculiarities of competitive activity and highlight the main aspects in the above mentioned disciplines in accordance with the modern rules of the Nordic combined competitions. Findings. Among the reasons for radical changes and innovations into the Nordic combined was a long stagnation and reluctance to make unpopular decisions, which led to a decline, a decrease in popularity and the number of the competition participants. During the 100-year FIS history, the most changes occurred at the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century, in particular, the Gundersen method application, the introduction and search for new disciplines, etc.

Outcome Isn’t Everything: Electoral Consequences of Implementing or Withdrawing Unpopular Policies

AbstractIncumbents often make unpopular policy decisions. But can they remedy their negative electoral consequences? We extend the wide literature concerning retrospective voting to the case of unpopular policies and examine whether voters reward a responsive withdrawal of an unpopular policy proposal or punish the disclosed policy intention despite the withdrawal. To test this, we use granular data on Swedish local election results from 2002 to 2018 and the case of widely unpopular school closure proposals, some of which were implemented and others not. We exploit within municipality variation in voting over time to causally estimate the consequences for incumbents in the neighborhood surrounding the schools. Our results confirm that even if a school remains open, voters punish the incumbent and consider the initial proposal as informative for their vote. Our findings have implications for the understanding of democratic accountability and which information voters take into account when casting their vote.

Do Governments Always Take Unpopular Decisions Knowingly? How Perceptual Inaccuracy Affects Policy Decisions

ABSTRACT Governments’ occasional failures to respond to voters’ preferences are usually ascribed to ‘rational’ behaviours; that they are knowingly being ‘responsible’ rather than ‘responsive’, prioritising perceived policy benefits over electoral goals. Yet given the increasing evidence that decision-makers are poor at estimating public opinion, could an additional explanation for their occasional failure to respond simply be that they fail to anticipate the unpopularity of such decisions? In this study, I trace the decision-making process in three cases where UK governments took electorally costly decisions to explore whether and why decision-makers misjudged voters’ reactions. I find that key decision-makers dismissed signals that voters would punish them for these actions, often prioritising information that reinforced their existing policy preferences. The results support findings that decision-makers’ judgements are compromised by motivated reasoning and shed light on how politicians’ failure to estimate public opinion plays out in practise.

Book Review Political political theory: essays on Institutions

Political Political Theory: Essays on Institutions" by Jeremy Waldron delves into the complexities of political theory and institutions, emphasizing their central role in modern politics. The book discusses various democratic institutions and the challenges of exercising political power in a diverse society. Generally, Waldron notes the existence of a consensus in defending rights. However, he acknowledges that disagreements persist, especially when it comes to specific rights and policy frameworks. The author proposes that the solution to these disagreements lies in institutional design. Yet, he acknowledges the fragility and ineffectiveness of some regimes, complicating the practical application of political theory in this context. Waldron highlights the paradox in democratic decision-making when faced with disagreements about what should be done. He argues that democratic institutions must be transparent and trusted to maintain their integrity in enforcing potentially unpopular decisions. Despite the imperative for resolution, disagreements over rights continue to persist. Nonetheless, the author suggests that (re)centering the normative dimension may provide a basis for collective action amid democratic disagreements. In summary, "Political Political Theory: Essays on Institutions" offers profound insights into political theory and the challenges of implementing it in diverse democratic institutions, with specific focus in the need for navigating disagreements through normative dimensions.

ОСНОВНІ ВИКЛИКИ РОЗВИТКУ ТУРИЗМУ: СПРОБА КЛАСИФІКАЦІЇ

The article is devoted to the main challenges faced by modern tourism. The importance of tourism in the context of economic growth in modern conditions has been explained. Economic and sociological approaches, which reflect the main spectrum of modern challenges for the tourism industry, have been highlighted. The usefulness of the economic approach for studying the role of tourism and its contribution to the country’s economy and economic development has been proven. The possibility of using a sociological approach to study the structure, functioning and development of tourism as a social phenomenon in its connection with social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of society has been demonstrated. The author’s classification of factors (as well as challenges) that affect the tourism business has been presented. Two groups of factors have been distinguished: 1) natural and man-made; 2) socioeconomic and political. Natural factors, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, pandemics make tourism dangerous. Man-made factors include incidents, disasters, accidents in industry, crowded places, transport accidents, etc. A list of examples of transport accidents in which a large number of tourists were injured and died has been given. Socio-economic and political factors include the actions or inaction of people, individual groups, enterprises, states, international organizations, etc. Thus, the bankruptcy of a tourist or other company prevents the fulfillment of obligations to tourists. A workers’ strike often affects people who are not directly related to it and are indirectly involved in the conflict. Thus, air transport workers strike lead to flight delays and cancellations, that influences tourism business. Political processes can also cause problems to tourism business. It has been emphasized that poverty, social instability, unpopular decisions of the government or local authorities often lead to riots. At the same time, we have noted that tourists may suffer during these disturbances due to a number of certain reasons. Political crises, revolutions and coups d’état change the political landscape of a country, its legal norms, conditions for crossing the border, etc. Examples of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and other countries that experienced coups or mass protests have been given. Particular attention has been paid to terrorism as a hazard factor. Examples of terrorist acts directed against tourists have been given. The destructive influence of hostilities on tourism has been proven, but it has been shown that tourists can be attracted to places associated with war. Special attention has been paid to the problem of recognition of states.

No Kin in the Game: Moral Hazard and War in the US Congress

Why do wars occur? We exploit a natural experiment to test the longstanding hypothesis that leaders declare war because they fail to internalize the associated costs. We test this moral hazard theory of conflict by compiling data on 9,210 children of 3,693 U.S. legislators who served in Congress during the four conscription-era wars of the 20th century: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. We test for agency problems by comparing the voting behavior of legislators with draft-age sons versus draft-age daughters. We estimate that (i) having a draft-age son reduces legislator support for pro-conscription bills by 10-17%; (ii) support for conscription increases by a quarter as a legislator's son crosses the upper age threshold; and (iii) legislators with draft-age sons are more likely to win reelection when the draft is less popular. These results are consistent with a political agency model in which voters update their beliefs about politicians' motives when they make unpopular legislative decisions. Our findings provide new evidence that agency problems contribute to political violence, and that elected officials can be influenced by changing private incentives.

A THINKER AHEAD OF TIME: THE PRINCIPLES OF PERSONALITY EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COLLECTIVE SOCIETY BY BRONISLAW FERDINAND TRENTOVSKY

The article analyzes the biography, the stages B. Trentovsky’s formation as a scientist under the influence of the academic courses of Victor Cousin, Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot, Abel-Francois Villemain and others, listened to during his studies at Warsaw, Berlin, Heidelberg and Paris universities. From the general list of scientific works, those dedicated to pedagogical issues were singled out, which made it possible to highlight the foundations of the pedagogical views of the outstanding Polish philosopher of the XIX century. The specifics of the historical processes that took place in the history of Poland in the first half of the 19th century have been clarified as well as the circumstances that shaped the peculiarities of the philosophical and pedagogical preferences of the Polish thinker-pedagogue. Attention is focused on the formation of the Polish variant of messianism as an attempt of Polish intellectuals to return the lost greatness of the Polish people, and the affiliation of B. Trentowski to this philosophical trend is emphasized. His interpretation of the principles of personality education, features of studentsʼ assimilation of knowledge, abilities and skills is highlighted. Emphasis is placed on the authorʼs vision of the general principles of team building, the peculiarities of human behavior in the collective, the necessary prerequisites for its harmonious functioning, the expediency of taking into account the existing objective and subjective contradictions of the personal value priorities of individuals. The role of the leader in the team management, the need for him to make unpopular managerial decisions, the mandatory executive discipline of subordinates, the system of incentives and punishments for personnel are emphasized. At the same time, possible risks associated with power abuse are formulated. The philosopherʼs personal contribution to the formation of cybernetics and the importance of his scientific heritage for the further development of philosophy and pedagogy of the 19th and 20th centuries are highlighted.
 Keywords: philosophy; freedom; romanticism; messianism; pedagogy; didactics; cybernetics; personality; сollective; manager; management.

ISLAM IN KAZAKHSTAN UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC CONDITIONS: “TESTING” WITH MEDIATIZATION

The article is devoted to the study of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the functioning of Islamic institutions in Kazakhstan. The COVID-19 pandemic gave a new impetus to the mediatization process of Islam in Kazakhstan, resulting in the transfer of most of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (SAMK) and its subdivisions’ activities to the Internet and media space, excluding religious rituals. The authors argue that the use of new media technology had a substantial impact on the activities of official Islamic structures in Kazakhstan, becoming a ‘test’ of mediatization, based on the concepts of ‘mediatization’ of religion by S. Hjarvard and ‘network religion’ by H. Campbell. The authors show that the SAMK, which represents ‘traditional Islam’ in Kazakhstan, is currently involved by the state as a mediator for outreach work among the population for the purpose of reducing social tension and promoting official state discourses on various social issues. The SAMK’s mediation function in the context of the coronavirus pandemic is to explain and substantiate, from an Islamic perspective, the government’s unpopular decisions to close mosques during the state of emergency and the subsequent ban/restriction of collective prayers in religious institutions. The authors identified the discourses produced by the SAMK under quarantine conditions and broadcast on its media platforms and messengers based on a content analysis of the Muftiat’s website and social media pages. The content posted in the media by official Islamic structures demonstrated the intertextuality of state institutions’ official discourse and the SAMK’s discourses, legitimizing government decisions by appealing to Islamic values. Support for state-imposed emergency and quarantine restrictions, the discourse of Islam as a religion of purity, the discourse-call for Muslim unity, and the discourse on the importance of charity were among the dominating discourses. Interviews with the mosque’s imams and ministers made it possible to hear the voices of Muslim clergy who interacted with the local population (in particular, the benefits and drawbacks of new forms of work from their perspective were revealed), as well as show how they passed the ‘test’ of mediatization. In a decentralized and competitive media space, such a consequence of mediatization as a shift of religious authority from traditional Islamic structures to new influential religious actors, including both promoting SAMK discourses and expressing alternative positions based on their reading of Islam, was given particular attention. The pluralization of religious authority in the discussion of the media agenda shaped by the issues of Muslims in the context of the pandemic had caused a conflict of interpretations. In general, the ‘test’ of mediatization resulted in strengthening the SAMK’s activities to adapt new media technology, in the production of new initiatives, such as the electronic muftiat, and the advancement of new requirements for the competencies of imams.

The Judicial Bookshelf

The Judicial Bookshelf Donald Grier Stephenson Jr. (bio) Introduction: Supreme Court History as a Parade of Themes Of the hundreds of books about the Supreme Court published in the twentieth century, surely few have been more widely read and referenced than The American Supreme Court by Robert G. McCloskey, professor of government at Harvard University from 1946 until his death in 1969. First published in 1960 by the University of Chicago Press, this compact and elegantly written one-volume interpretive history of the Court has been updated now through six editions by McCloskey's student, Sanford Levinson of the University of Texas.1 The paragraph that concluded the Epilogue in the initial edition combined a historical overview with what appeared to be an admonition for the Warren Court, ironically just as it was on the eve of an even more activist phase. From 1789 to the Civil War, the Court labored to establish a reasoned argument for the cause of union. From the war to 1937 it performed a similar function on behalf of laissez faire. Toward the end of each of those periods, the judges overstepped the practical boundaries of judicial power and endangered the place they had earned in the American governmental system. Since 1937, the Court has striven to evolve a civil rights doctrine that will realize the promise of the American libertarian tradition, yet accord with the imperatives of political reality. Even when criticisms are duly acknowledged, the fact remains that the Court has contributed more to an understanding of this issue than any other agency in American life. It would be a pity if the judges, having done so much, should now once again forget the limits that their own history so compellingly prescribes.2 McCloskey's paragraph illustrates a common goal of many who write about the Court: Highlighting one or more themes that capture the essence of a period of judicial history. [End Page 113] Indeed, in fewer than 150 words, McCloskey pointed to at least four such themes, the last of which was hardly a surprise. As William Lasser observed some three decades later in the context of warnings against an overreach of judicial power, the theme of "weakness and vulnerability pervades the literature on the Supreme Court."3 This theme perhaps echoed the same "forbearance in the use of power" to which Paul Freund referred as he eulogized Justice Felix Frankfurter in 1965.4 The word forbearance itself is a reminder that the Court's work of deciding cases occurs in at least three dimensions as it may choose to allow, to direct, as well as to forbid. Yet in the context of deciding cases contemporary observers as well as someone decades hence might well choose to associate the words political or partisan as both a related and even an identifying theme for the Court of this part of the twenty-first century. That characterization, however, is hardly novel or even distinctive in that the label could also easily be applied to much of the Court's history. Indeed, scholars have long regarded the Court as political in numerous ways. Perhaps most obviously, the Court is political because its decisions shape public policy by deciding what government—national, state, or local—may or may not do. At least since the 1960s, for example, the Court has overseen operation of the criminal justice system to a degree never before experienced, from police-citizen encounters through punishment. Second, decisions clarify the boundaries of political authority, focusing less on what may be done than on who may do it or how it may be done. The Steel Seizure Case5 turned not on whether government could cope with labor disruptions but on whether President Truman in the executive order had exceeded his authority and intruded into Congress's law-making domain. The Legislative Veto case6 did not question government's authority to deport a particular individual but instead challenged the device by which Congress had mandated deportation. Third, the Court itself may become an issue in presidential elections, as has happened at least a dozen times since 1800 because of unpopular decisions. Quadrennial campaigns in the past four decades, for example, would have...

Problems of the transformation of labor legislation according to the conditions of the marital state in Ukraine

The main ways of adapting labor legislation in accordance with the conditions of martial law are revealed, the innovations and individual issues of changes in labor relations under the conditions of martial law in Ukraine are analyzed. Since the issue of limiting, violating and protecting the labor rights of employees, and expanding the labor rights of employers became quite relevant with the onset of martial law, the authors focused on the important provisions of the amended labor legislation and tried to explain the theoretical and practical features of the application of new labor legislation. After all, war times require the adoption of difficult and unpopular decisions in other spheres of life, in particular, in labor relations. The main aspects of the transformation of labor legislation in wartime conditions were studied, the content of the updated provisions of the legislation was revealed, namely, on the dismissal of employees, on the procedure for suspending an employment contract, registration of layoffs and vacations, on changing the terms of wages and on increasing working hours. The positive and negative aspects of changes in labor legislation at such a difficult time for Ukrainian society are analyzed. At the same time, the authors of the article revealed the mechanisms, provided by the current labor legislation, which, although aimed at maximum compliance with the rights and guarantees for employees, cannot always be fulfilled by employers in martial law conditions

Career Confidential: Staff members are rude to principal when they dislike his decisions

In Career Confidential, Phyllis Fagell gives career advice to educators. In the September 2022 column, a principal wants to know how to respond when teachers get angry about unpopular decisions. And teacher who received an automated rejection letter when applying for a leadership position in her district wonders how she can help improve the process.

Humanitarian Activities of the Zemstvos of Kharkiv Province During the First World War (1914–1917)

The article discusses the humanitarian activities of the zemstvos of Kharkiv province during the First World War. In military time, the whole life of the country has changed, including the tasks of various governing and self-government have been changed or expanded. Without studying the activities of the zemstvo and other public and political institutions of the period under study, in our opinion, it is impossible to objectively reconstruct the realities of the life of the population of the empire in the conditions of the First World War. The purpose of the article is to define the essence and nature of the humanitarian activity of one of the leading Ukrainian Zemstvos – Kharkiv Province. The article discusses such spheres of humanitarian activity as helping patients and wounded soldiers, work with refugees, helping the families of military personnel and disabled of war. As a study showed, in wartime, zemstvos demonstrated their own ability to adapt to the challenges of everyday life, and not only adapt, but also ability to give their activity a new meaning, enrich their tools of socially significant spheres with new methods of activity. In a short time, due to the funds of the All-Russian Zemsky Union, the provincial zemstvo and the public attracted by it, a sufficient number of places in the medical institutions of the province were organized, the sanitary security of the region was provided. Zemstvos faced a constant shortage of funds to be paid for their activities by the treasury and were forced to rely on their own sources of income. Adherence to the interests of local residents sometimes contradicted the need to implement unpopular government decisions, which in turn negatively affected the authority of the local zemstvo. Not all tasks in the field of socio-economic well-being of the region have been completed. But it is only fair to note that the activities of the zemstvos of Kharkiv province during the First World War showed a number of signs of civic responsibility and humanism.

The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of radiography staff and managers in Northern Ireland, UK: The radiography managers' perspective

IntroductionIncreasing evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the mental health of health professionals, including radiographers. Less is known about the effect of the pandemic on the mental health of radiography managers. Radiography managers have led their teams through the pandemic, making unpopular decisions to safeguard staff and patients. This study explores radiography managers’ perceptions regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of themselves and their staff. MethodsEthical approval was obtained from the NHS Research Ethics Committee (ID 287032). Eleven interviews were conducted with therapeutic and diagnostic radiography managers between March–April 2021. Written information was also included from a paediatric diagnostic radiography manager. Data was analysed independently by 2 researchers using thematic analysis. ResultsThree central themes emerged:1) Factors perceived to have negatively influenced mental health, which included changing PPE guidance, restructuring of work conditions, social isolation, challenges to patient care and lack of quality vacation leave.2) Factors perceived to have positively influenced mental health, which included witnessing staff resilience and team camaraderie.3) Support provided for mental health. ConclusionManagers felt that they had implemented appropriate strategies to support their staff throughout the first year of the pandemic and expressed feeling responsible for the wellbeing of their staff. Strong empathy was evident towards staff and their experiences. Despite the availability of mental health support services, managers felt that resources were underutilised by radiography teams. Implications for practiceManagers should be proactive in communicating their appreciation for their staff in an era where remote working can add to disconnect between staff and management. Mental health support services should be promoted and continually reviewed, to ensure that appropriate support services are maintained.

Prawo administracyjne w czasach stale zmieniającego się środowiska regulacyjnego

The Hungarian administrative law has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several rules – which were introduced during the state of danger based on the epidemic situation – have been incorporated into the Hungarian legal system. The administrative procedural law has been influenced by the epidemic transformation. However, the rules on e-administration have not been reformed significantly (due to the digitalisation reforms of the last years), but the rules on administrative licenses and permissions have been amended. The priority of the general Code on Administrative Procedure has been weakened: a new, simplified procedure and regime have been introduced. The results of these reforms became obvious in 2021: the number of administrative cases has been decreased. Even the decision-making of the central government bodies has been transformed partially, a trend of “militarisation” can be observed, as well. The local self-governance has been impacted by the reforms. The transformation has had two opposite trends. On the one hand, the Hungarian administrative system became more centralised during the last year: municipal revenues and task performance have been partly centralised. The Hungarian municipal system has been concentrated, as well. On the other hand, the municipalities could be interpreted as a “trash can” of the Hungarian public administration: they received new, mainly unpopular competences on the restrictions related to the pandemic. This approach transformed in the last months, and even several unpopular decisions were recentralised. Although, these changes have been related to the current epidemic situation, but it seems, that the “legislative background” of the pandemic offered an opportunity to the central government to pass significant and reforms.

Transport policy in the grip of a moral dilemma: a post-COVID reopening of the Russian borders

The future of international passenger transport is largely determined by how the post-COVID border opening will proceed. The restoration of full-fledged work of transport enterprises and other sectors of the economy in the conditions of a new normality, as well as the life and health of people depend on this. On the example of Russia, it was found that post-COVID border opening is characterized by contradictory trends: opening borders is more difficult and longer than closing them; ensuring epidemiological security is imposed on the principles of reciprocity, proximity and poorly diagnosed political preferences. According to epidemiological indicators, the re-closing of borders may be hindered by the limited state budget for providing economic assistance to affected transport enterprises, the unwillingness of the authorities to ‘annoy’ the population with unpopular decisions. At the same time the widespread information coverage in the mass media of news related to the disease in other countries can contribute to border re-closing. In such conditions, transport policy balances between a choice in favor of epidemiological well-being and a decline in the economy, or in favor of economic recovery with a deterioration in the epidemiological situation. The presented results and identified trends can be used in the implementation of transport policy and ensuring epidemiological safety.

Neki aspekti privatizacionih efekata na tržište rada u Republici Srbiji

In the last more than 30 years transformation of numerous state-owned companies has been privatized in countries that started the transition process from socialism to free trade and capitalism including Serbia. Many economic studies prior to the transition process have started pointing out the importance of these changes for economic development and efficient growth of economies. After these processes were established, many praised privatization and its positive impact on economies on the whole as well as on micro levels of the firms. Regardless of studies and their findings, the interesting part is the public opinion of those processes which is generally very suspicious in terms of their benefits. It is not hard to understand the reasons, privatization is hard to sell in political and social terms, it leads to many unpopular decisions and impacts on the working class, it brings changes that are sometimes hard to understand and accept, as positive, people that are perceived as unproductive, lose their jobs and stay without income in very volatile external conditions. Privatization result is positively perceived in transition countries but in Serbia dominant perception is that it has been badly realized and has had a big and negative impact on labor and layoffs. The conclusion is that privatization has led to a worse set of selected models, as well as problems in the implementation and problems of annulment of one of their important parts.

The Phenomenon of Unpopular Political Decisions: Theoretical Frameworks and Practical Trends in Terms of the Transitional State

The Phenomenon of Unpopular Political Decisions: Theoretical Frameworks and Practical Trends in Terms of the Transitional State

JUSTIÇA SOCIAL COMO PRINCÍPIO DA SEGURANÇA SOCIAL

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of social justice on the volume, types, and amount of social security in the distribution of benefits in society. This study approaches the direction of social policy in the state and the place of social justice in the priorities of legislative activity. Failure to keep a balance between the interests of different classes of the population leads to confrontation in society and conflicts with the authorities. The state is constantly facing challenges that require a review of traditional social security conditions. Deteriorating demographic situation and other reasons that affect the amount of funding for the social sphere are forcing authorities to make unpopular decisions that worsen the conditions of social security. Therefore, the principle of social justice and the principle of legitimate expectation must be observed when changing the legislation in the field of social security. This article proposes the definition of the compensation coefficient in legislation, and its amount should be set in a bill to amend the legislation in the field of social security. This paper also focuses on the problem of social justice in providing social security to migrants.

What is evidence as evidence is used? A case of dualism?

How ‘evidence’ is conceptualised, generated and deployed in meso-level policy implementation on the ground is critical to health delivery. Using the case of a large-scale health service reconfiguration in northwest England, this study began as a narrative investigation into how different data types and sources are prioritised as NHS administrative structures change over time. During the research, one unpopular reconfiguration decision, the downgrading of a hospital, was challenged using judicial review. Suddenly, a key decision was being based not upon ‘facts and data’ type evidence but upon evidence of adherence to administrative procedure. This transferred focus away from the ever-shifting categories and hierarchies of data ‘types’ towards an emphasis on process. By comparing two deliberative contexts—committee and judicial review—this article proposes that evidence can be understood as simultaneously entity and process. As health service reconfigurations continue in response to austerity, integration agendas, evolving organisational landscapes, and demographic and political change, it is increasingly important to recognise the different meanings and uses of evidence.