Can One Tool Turn Expert Advice into Better Government Policy?

How Policy Synth Is Changing the Way We Build Public Policy

Policy Synth is a structured digital toolkit designed to help governments and institutions turn expert contributions into clear, evidence-based policy drafts. Developed by GovLab at NYU in collaboration with Citizens Foundation in Iceland, the platform applies the Smarter Crowdsourcing model—a method designed to organize public and expert knowledge into actionable policy.

Instead of hosting open forums or unstructured surveys, Policy Synth guides contributors through specific questions, supports moderators with built-in workflows, and produces a final output that reflects both expert feedback and supporting documentation. The process is detailed in the research paper Using Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Collective Intelligence, which outlines how structured engagement combined with AI-enhanced synthesis can accelerate complex decision-making.

This approach has already been featured in real-world pilots, as noted in Reboot Democracy’s project announcement, showing how Policy Synth moves beyond concept into live government consultation settings. The open-source code and templates are available through Policy Synth’s GitHub repository, allowing adaptation across cities, ministries, and research institutions.

Why Policy Synth Is Built for Real-World Needs

What makes Policy Synth useful is how it adapts to real policy challenges. Each function in the toolkit serves a specific role: collecting expert perspectives, sorting them by topic, and helping facilitators create structured policy notes. In pilot projects, it sped up group decision-making without reducing the quality or depth of input. It also supported transparency participants could see how their insights were included in final recommendations.

The toolkit also allows teams to scale participation without increasing complexity. A single moderator can manage dozens of contributors using pre-built prompts and workflows. Policy Synth also comes with documentation, templates, and examples, making it easier for governments to try without long training periods. In real terms, that means a city department or ministry can go from open consultation to usable draft policy in a matter of weeks.

How Policy Synth Fits into Real-Life Policy Challenges

Policy Synth was tested in real-world settings, including workshops focused on AI governance and digital rights. These weren’t simulations—they were actual policy labs run by public institutions and guided by complex, time-sensitive questions. In these cases, Policy Synth was used to structure discussion, surface common themes, and turn diverse views into clear direction.

The platform’s modular design also means it can be applied beyond government. Universities, nonprofits, and international organizations are beginning to explore how to use it in research translation, civic engagement, and systems thinking. As interest grows in responsible, data-backed policy development, Policy Synth provides a framework that’s easy to replicate and scale. It shows how institutions can improve decision-making without replacing people—just by structuring the process differently.