Promoting evidence-based approaches to policymaking ...

Evidence, knowledge and research have a massive potential to inform and improve policy design and implementation as well as the policy process more generally. At the same time, there is an inherent tension between ‘knowledge production’ and ‘knowledge utilisation’. The logics, time horizons and criteria of relevance differ between the world of knowledge production on the one hand and the world of policymaking and government on the other. These tensions need to be acknowledged and managed based on the accumulated experience with evidence-informed policymaking in frontrunner governments and innovative thinking currently emerging.

“Under which conditions does advice affect policy?”

Prof. Dr. Thurid Hustedt
Professor of Public Administration and Management
Course lead, Co-developer and instructor.

“Smart policy design is about finding out what works and expanding what is feasible through tactical policymaking.”

Prof. Dr. Kai Wegrich
Professor of Public Administration and Public Policy
Course lead, Co-developer and instructor.

“How would you like to apply AI tools in your daily work in the future?”

Prof. Slava Jankin, PhD
Professor of Data Science and Public Policy
Co-developer and instructor.

“How and to what extend can experiments and quasi-experimental approaches generate policy-relevant evidence?”

Prof. Dr. Christian Traxler
Professor of Economics
Co-developer and instructor.

...across the EU. Science meets parliaments - science meets regions!

Acknowledging the need to familiarise policymakers at all levels within the European Union with evidence-informed approaches, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) tasked Hertie School Executive Education with the design of three customised training modules on "Evidence-informed policymaking".

Over the course of 8 months, different stakeholder groups came together in Brussels, Berlin as well as online to learn about proven approaches and to explore innovative tools for introducing evidence to the policymaking process. Under the leadership of Hertie School faculty, policy advisors from the regional to the supranational level deepened their knowledge in the areas of:

  • Quantitative and qualitative data analysis   
  • AI
  • Data science
  • Policy advice and stakeholder engagement
  • Policy design and evaluation
  • Citizen engagement and co-production.

The 2-4 day trainings balanced academic perspectives with hands-on knowledge and case studies, through a combination of seminar type formats, group discussion and exercises conducted in small groups.

Are you interested in this topic?

Sign up for our executive training on Bureaucracies and evidence-based policymaking.

Does your team need training in evidence-informed policymaking?

Get in touch with us today for a tailor-made training solution!