There was a time, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern noted to his public servants last year, when those who had an interest in policymaking would be given the same warning as people who like sausages — “don’t look too closely at how they are made”.
Happily, today’s policymakers are increasingly realising the importance of examining various ingredients of policymaking, particularly the evidence-based approach.
This is normally taken to mean that decisions taken on the course a country runs must be based on a body of facts rather than on ideology, historical baggage or the wishes of special interest groups.
Nevertheless, there does not appear to be an understanding of what evidence-based policymaking really means.
Public policy is both complex and diverse. It connects areas such as housing and education to health and arts, so that what happens in one sector affects many others.
Public policy is reflected in budget expenditure, information campaigns tackled by government and, most importantly, in the legislative programme. The danger of this is that policies are often taken aboard from previous administrations. Officials see it as their duty to deliver their decisions to the public rather than to allow policies to bubble up from the public.
Evidence-based approaches should improve the effectiveness of social and economic policies and legitimise public policies, using data and models from civil society.
The aim is to reduce guesswork and to solicit better-quality information to achieve the best possible data on which to target policy.
Again, given the complexity and diversity of the task, it is impossible to remove guesswork from public policy-making. The objective should be to reduce this as far as possible by comprehensive and foresighted understanding of the evidence.
Evidence-based policymaking should link objectives and outcomes with strategic decisions. The government must produce policies that deal with the existing problems and keep a sharp eye on the future. Forward-looking policies are shaped by the evidence rather than by short-term pressures.
Ahern highlighted key aspects of the problems that confront policymakers. “Firstly, the huge complexity of the social and market systems that we seek to influence, can defy our complete understanding at any point in time. Secondly, the interrelationships between the various factors change over time and will change as a result of our intervention,” he said.
The government has to accept that it does not know everything and that it relies on the input of outsiders. Examples of this are HIV/Aids, stem cell research and genetically modified foods.
It must realise that sometimes the intent of policy does not match the outcome, necessitating corrective measures. It has to monitor, evaluate and adjust policies and it is here that evidence-based policymaking is key.
An increasingly sophisticated electorate wants to see the analysis and the number-crunching before policy is implemented. It is here that the evidence-based approach is transparent and holistic. The public also wants regular reviews of projects and legislation to see if it is achieving the desired result. This is where the evidence-based approach ensures effectiveness and efficiency.
Naturally, there are challenges to this approach. For starters, politicians and public servants must decide which evidence can be relied upon. Often the temptation is to take the direction pushed by the most vociferous interest groups. This is where the fairness of the consultation process is tested.
Channels of communication between the government and academics must be built and maintained so the results of independent research can flow to policymakers.
In justifying their existence, NGOs are driven by their purpose of inspiring broad public support for their respective causes; informing the government and the public of their reality, and representing the views of their constituents; and improving the society in which they operate by holding the powers-that-be accountable. Using the evidence-based approach NGOs can build the momentum necessary to become part of the agenda-setting process. They can gain the credibility necessary to ensure they are part of the formulation process of policy. And they are able expertly to monitor the process of implementation.
What the experts say
Isobel Frye, senior researcher, Poverty Eradication and Socio-Economic Rights, National Labour and Economic Development Institute
“The government seems to be entering into a critical interrogation of many of its driving policies, and it is essential that other social partners become part of this process. This will require certain shifts from all sectors — for the government it will be to appreciate that consultation involves an inclusive process from the beginning, rather than briefings once decisions have been reached. For academia, this will require that certain research outputs are presented in more accessible ways to be of benefit to policymakers, and broader civil society must be able to engage with out-of-the-box thinking to provide innovative alternatives, moving away from sector-specific interests during such engagement.”
Benjamin Roberts, research specialist, Urban, Rural and Economic Development , Human Sciences Research Council
“The last decade has seen substantive improvements in the availability and use of empirical evidence in South Africa and the region. This has occurred alongside a concern with the monitoring and evaluation of government policy outcomes and the demand for more participatory approaches to policy design. This is beginning to produce a shift from traditionally top-down modes of decision-making towards a culture of evidence-based policymaking. Yet obstacles remain. These include: human and financial resource constraints, the politics of representation which informs whose evidence gets heard, the credibility of the evidence, the effective communication of research findings, and the willingness of senior officials to accept difficult conclusions.”
Gemma Wright, deputy director, Centre for the Analysis of South African Social Policy, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
“By placing independent research evidence at the heart of the policymaking process, evidence-based policymaking ensures that effective use is made of scarce resources, and that the government is seen to be acting in an informed and transparent way. However, evidence can only identify the nature and extent of social problems, and point to possible policy solutions. It is then the role of the government to make policy choices. Once policies have been formulated they should be piloted and independently evaluated to explore ‘what works’ before the policies are rolled out. Academics play a crucial role in producing independent evidence and have a duty to ensure that the research is of a high quality.”