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Evidence-based_policy

2014-4-3 00:10| view publisher: amanda| views: 1002| wiki(57883.com) 0 : 0

description: Evidence-based policy is public policy informed by rigorously established objective evidence. It is an extension of the idea of evidence-based medicine to all areas of public policy. An important aspe ...
Evidence-based policy is public policy informed by rigorously established objective evidence. It is an extension of the idea of evidence-based medicine to all areas of public policy. An important aspect of evidence-based policy is the use of scientifically rigorous studies such as randomized controlled trials to identify programs and practices capable of improving policy-relevant outcomes. However, some areas of knowledge are not well serviced by quantitative research, leading to debate about the methods and instruments that are considered critical for the collection of relevant evidence. Good data, analytical skills and political support, as such, are seen as the important elements.[1]

Although evidence-based policy can be traced as far back as the fourteenth century, it was more recently popularized by the Blair Government in the United Kingdom.[2][3] The Blair Government said they wanted to end the ideological led-based decision making for policy making.[2] For example, a UK Government white paper published in 1999 ("Modernising Government") noted that Government "must produce policies that really deal with problems, that are forward-looking and shaped by evidence rather than a response to short-term pressures; that tackle causes not symptoms".[4]

Evidence-based policy is associated with Adrian Smith because in his 1996 presidential address to the Royal Statistical Society, Smith questioned the current process of policy making and urged for a more “evidence-based approach” commenting that it has “valuable lessons to offer”.[5]

istory of evidence-based policy

The earliest form of evidence-based policy was tariff-making in Australia which was required under legislation to be educated by the public report issued by the Tariff Board. These reports were initially only reporting on the impacts but changed to also report on the effects of industries and the economy.[2]

The term “evidence-based policy” has evolved from “evidence-based medicine“, in which research findings are used as the support for clinical decisions and evidence is gathered by randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which is comparing a treatment group with a placebo group to measure results.[6] In 1993, the Cochrane Collaboration was established in the UK, and works to keep all RCTs up-to-date and provides “Cochrane reviews“ which provides primary research in human health and health policy.[6][7] There was then an increase in research and policy activists pushing for more evidence-based policy-making which lead to the formation of the sister organization to Cochrane Collaboration, the Campbell Collaboration in 1999.[6][8] The Campbell Collaboration conducts reviews on the best evidence that analyzes the effects of social and educational policies and practices.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) became involved in the push for more evidence-based policy making with its 1.3 million pound grant to the Evidence Network in 1999. The Evidence Network is a center for evidence-based policy and practice and is similar to both the Campbell and Cochrane Collaboration.[6]

The Methodology of evidence-based policy

There are many methodologies for evidence-based policy but they all share the following characteristics:

It tests a theory as to why the policy will be effective and what the impacts of the policy will be if it is successful
Inclusion of a counterfactual: what would have occurred if the policy had not been implemented
They incorporate some measurement of the impact
Examines both direct and indirect effects that occur because of the policy
Separates the uncertainties and controls for other influences outside of the policy that may have an effect on the outcome
Should be able to be tested and replicated by a third party
The form of methodology used with evidence-based policy fit under the category of a cost-benefit framework and are created to estimate a net payoff is the policy was to be implemented. Because there is a difficulty in quantifying some effects and outcomes of the policy, it is mostly focused broadly on whether or not benefits will outweigh costs, instead of using specific values.[2]

Evidence-based development policy

The Overseas Development Institute has pioneered RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach (ROMA) over the past five years as a means to help aid donors and partners better transform research into policy initiatives.[9]

Key lessons of evidence-based policy-making
Six key lessons have been developed, which are:

Policy processes are complex and rarely linear or logical and simply presenting information to policy-makers and expecting them to act upon it is very unlikely to work. Policy processes are not purely linear as they have various stages that each take varying lengths of time to complete and may in fact be conducted simultaneously. Strategies must be fluid.
Policy is often only weakly informed by research-based evidence due to information gaps, secrecy, the need for speedy responses, political expediency and the fact that policy makers are rarely scientists.
Research-based evidence can contribute to policies that have a dramatic impact on lives. Success stories quoted in the UK's Department for International Development's (DFID) new research strategy include a 22% reduction in neonatal mortality in Ghana as a result of helping women begin breastfeeding within one hour of giving birth, and a 43% reduction in deaths among HIV positive children using a widely available antibiotic.
The need for a holistic understanding of the context in which the policy is to be implemented.
Policy entrepreneurs need additional skills to influence policy.[10] They need to be political fixers, able to understand the politics and identify the key players. They need to be good storytellers, able to synthesise simple compelling stories from the results of the research. They need to be good networkers to work effectively with all the other stakeholders, and they need to be good engineers, building a programme that pulls all of this together.
Policy entrepreneurs need clear intent – they need to really want to do it. Turning a researcher into a policy entrepreneur, or a research institute or department into a policy-focused think tank involves a fundamental re-orientation towards policy engagement rather than academic achievement; engaging much more with the policy community; developing a research agenda focusing on policy issues rather than academic interests; acquiring new skills or building multidisciplinary teams; establishing new internal systems and incentives; spending much more on communications; producing a different range of outputs; and working more in partnerships and networks.
These lessons show that the relationship between research, policy and practice is complex, multi-factoral, non-linear, and highly context specific.[9] What works in one situation may not work in another. Developing effective strategies in complex environments is not straightforward. Simple tools such as cost–benefit analysis, logical frameworks, traditional project management tools and others may not work on their own, as they fail to take into account the existing complexity.

Based on research conducted in six Asian and African countries, the Future Health Systems consortium has identified a set of key strategies for improving uptake of evidence in to policy,[11] including: improving the technical capacity of policy-makers; better packaging of research findings; use of social networks; establishment of fora to assist in linking evidence with policy outcomes.[12][13]

RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach
ROMA approach takes these lessons into account has been field tested through more than 40 workshops and training courses worldwide. It is an eight-step approach for each of which the ODI has developed resources and policy tools to ensure each step is comprehensively addressed:

Define a clear, overarching policy objective.
Map the policy context around that issue and identify the key factors that may influence the policy process. The RAPID framework provides a useful checklist of questions.
Identify the key influential stakeholders. RAPID’s Alignment, Interest and Influence Matrix (AIIM) can be used to map actors along three dimensions: the degree of alignment (i.e. agreement) with the proposed policy, their level of interest in the issue, and their ability to exert influence on the policy process.
Develop a theory of change - identify the changes needed among them if they are to support the desired policy outcome.
Develop a strategy to achieve the milestone changes in the process - Force Field Analysis is a flexible tool that can be used to further understand the forces supporting and opposing the desired policy change and suggest concrete responses.
Ensure the engagement team has the competencies required to operationalise the strategy.
Establish an action plan for meeting the desired policy objective - useful tools include the RAPID Information matrix, DFID’s log frame and IDRC’s Outcome Mapping Strategy Map among them.
Develop a monitoring and learning system, not only to track progress, make any necessary adjustments and assess the effectiveness of the approach, but also to learn lessons for the future.
Results
This has resulted in:[9]

Over 50 case studies on successful evidence-based policy engagement have been compiled, a network
Development and facilitation of the evidence-based policy in Development Network (ebpdn), which links more than 20 institutional partners and thousands of practitioners working on evidence-based policy processes.
Creating an array of practical toolkits designed with civil society organisations, researchers and progressive policy makers in mind.
Direct support to civil society organisations (CSOs) to provide training in policy influencing and strategic communication.
Strengthening the capacity for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to influence other actors.
The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that advocates that the use of evidence-based policy increases the effectiveness of policy. The coalition believes that evidence-based policy needs to be used in more areas of social policy domains other than medicine, such as education, poverty reduction, and crime prevention with the hope that more effective policy will lead to the saving of billions of dollars.[14]

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