Evidence-based policy-making (EBPM) aims to increase the use of scientific research and other evidence in the policy-making process. EBPM asks questions about the nature of the issues; how they have been addressed elsewhere; and the cost, benefit and effectiveness of the interventions that were used to address them.
Policy-making is not just a rational process but a social process too – grounded in theory, ideology and practice. For researchers to contribute effectively to EBPM, they need to have a better understanding of the policy environment – and its drivers – and how they can contribute to this.
In addition, they need to understand the various contexts which shape the policy-making process, namely:
- The organisational context, that is, is the organisation operating in silos instead of dealing with the reality of cross-cutting problems?
- The political context, in which beliefs and ideology play a role, as does the influence of lobbyists and donors.
- The wider public context, where stakeholders and a diverse public are engaged and informed of the policies.
Researchers also need incentives and professional development so that they are rewarded for not only producing academic publications and research reports, but for making policy contributions as well.
Why make policy more evidence-based?
Policy-making is a complex process which is influenced by many factors, ranging from people’s beliefs, values, knowledge and vested interests; to structural, cultural and financial constraints.
This means there may not be strong evidence of why a particular approach will lead to a political objective. It is therefore crucial to make the policy-making process more evidence-based so that there is:
- Effectiveness – to ensure we do more good than harm;
- Efficiency – to use scarce public resources to maximum effect;
- Service orientation – to meet citizen’s needs and expectations;
- Accountability – transparency of what is done and why;
- Democracy – enhance the democratic process;
- Trust – help ensure trust in government and public services.