presented by Professor Ron Johnston Australian Centre for Innovation IPTS Seminar 17 October 2005 Sevilla Evidence-based Policy Making: Some Issues

Recent Headlines  “Big Brother not required by First Minister” – The Scotsman  Tender – foreign economic aid-related services – EUR-OP  “Check unethical health practices” – The Hindu  “Sure Start – What a Waste” – Daily Mail  “Danger – major quango ahead” – The Scotsman

An Example – the Campbell Collaboration TTTThe challenge – safety and efficacy DDDDisasters – whole-language reading, driver education at school, ‘scared straight’ justice, ‘3 strikes, you’re out’ SSSSo, experiment first, make policy later TTTTheir approach - systematic evaluative review of policy interventions, selection of most effective, and publication of authoritative guidance

What is EBPM? An approach that helps people make well- informed decisions about policies, programmes and projects by putting the best available evidence from research at the heart of policy development and implementation (CERI/OECD, 2004)

As opposed to OBPM Relies heavily on either the selective use of evidence or on the untested views of individuals or groups, often inspired by ideological standpoints, prejudices or speculative conjecture (CERI/OECD, 2004)

Experience from History

Some Observations  “Intelligence has nothing to do with politics” (Winston Churchill)  Policy-making is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, mis-diagnosing it, and then applying the wrong remedies (Groucho Marx)  If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there (Lewis Carroll)

But we are faced with different types of problems  Type 1 – responsibility for solving a problem rests solely with government  Type 2 – responsibility for solving a problem rests with both the government and the governed  Type 3 – no feasible solution to a problem exists, so government and governed must work together to deal with a situation that neither can change, at least in the short term

Why is EBPM Needed Now?  Complexity, uncertainty, speed of change  Better informed public with greater demands  Key policy issues overlap  An inter-connected, inter-dependent world  National issues become international issues  Growing demand on solutions that work across boundaries  Demand to bring about visible change in the real world

EBPM is embedded in concept of professional policy making Key competencies:  Forward looking  Outward looking  Flexible and innovative  Evidence-based  Involve key stakeholders  Inclusive  Joined up  Continuous improvement  Evaluation-based learning

Key Issues – I The Nature of Policy-Making  The Interface of Policy-making with Politics  Power/Influence versus Rationality  The Power of Myths

Key Issues – II Constraints on Policy-Maker’s Access to Evidence  Time demands preclude research  Information overload  Information evaluation  Information gaps  You don’t know what evidence you need or don’t have  Where is the cross-cutting evidence for cross-cutting policy?

Key Issues – III The Nature of Evidence  Information or knowledge  Codified or tacit  Expert or interest-based  Reliability  Relevance  Translation  Fit

Key Issues – IV The Role of Evidence 1.‘Straightforward’ issues – get the facts 2.Complex issues – facts/expert judgments are always challengeable 3.Instrumental versus Transformative 4.Agenda setting 5.Providing a language of discourse 6.Active learning

A Case Study Desert Knowledge in Central Australia

Implications for IPTS  Policy makers need to establish what they will need to know  The challenge of joining up – structures for horizontal research (eg Canada)  Creating policy knowledge pools  Establishing and applying good practice