Environment Canada’s S&T Liaison Division is hosting a presentation by Louise Shaxson, Delta Partnership, UK on evidence-based policymaking
Join us on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 10:30 AM
South Seminar Room, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington
For further information and to confirm your attendance, contact Shannon deGraaf (905-315-5235 or [email protected])
Please RSVP by Friday, May 14, 2010
Evidence-based policymaking: how do we know when it’s any good?
Louise Shaxson
Delta Partnership, UK
The phrase ‘evidence-based policymaking’ has gained wide currency in the UK and internationally, yet there is still no clear definition of what it is and how to determine when you’re good at it. While there has been a concern with the use of evidence in policy since the 1950s, the phrase ‘evidence-based policymaking’ grew out of work in the health sector to encourage policy to use evidence that was more statistically robust. For the past ten years Louise has worked in and with UK Government Departments to understand whether the original approach to evidence-based policymaking can be adopted by environmental policymakers and prescribed according to rigorous and evaluable metrics; or whether it needs to be adapted to each policymaking organisation’s specific needs, structure, and the wider context within which it operates. Starting from first principles, Louise will reflect on what makes a robust evidence base for policy, who owns it, how it links research to policy, how it links to knowledge management, and how it plays into wider policymaking and Departmental business processes.
Based in London, England, Louise works internationally helping improve public sector science policy and strategy within the broad framework of evidence-based policy making. This presentation will be of interest to all at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters as well as colleagues elsewhere who are interested in how science gets into policy.