What was perhaps most striking was the comment in the conclusion that no single policy offered the secret to success. To quote: Rather, what is needed is an approach to “productivity policy” that embraces both the drivers and enablers of firm performance, and is consistently applied.
That in turn requires policy-making processes that can achieve clarity about problems, reach agreed objectives and ensure the proper testing of proposed solutions (including on the “detail” and with those most affected). The beneficial and enduring structural reforms of the 1980s and 1990s are testimony to the value of these policy-making fundamentals.