Evaluating the use of evidence in economic policymaking

Learning lessons from strengthening evidence-informed policymaking in Uganda

What is the issue?

Illustration of a group of people putting a puzzle of a gear together

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It is often the case that policymakers wait for research and evaluative evidence to appear before mobilising; however, there is potential to rethink evidence-informed policymaking. Intermediaries can bring together researchers and policymakers in order to allow policymakers to prioritise the most important research questions, whilst also improving the demand for evidence and strengthen engagement, whilst also helping the allocation of scarce research resources.

Understanding how evidence-informed policymaking works in practice is a challenge. While there is a range of knowledge brokering activities in practice around the world, there is limited empirical understanding of how this works, including the intersection of evidence with the role of other factors.

How are we helping?

The Center for Rapid Evidence Synthesis (ACRES) in Uganda is a well-known knowledge brokering organisation. RAND Europe will be working with ACRES, alongside key project advisors Ian Goldman and Louise Shaxson, to evaluate how the organisation supports evidence use by convening stakeholders and prioritising policy-relevant research questions. The team will use a theory-based mixed methods approach, and will examine changes in access to evidence, trust, relationships, and observable policy influence. The evaluation seeks to generate transferable lessons for strengthening knowledge brokering in economic policymaking.

RAND Europe has been awarded funding for this project by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) through funding provided by the Global Research and Technology Development (GRTD) as part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).