Report On Evidence Based Policy - 2653 Words

Course: POL822; Using Research Assignment: Assignment 3: Short essay on evidence based policy Name / ID: Aymaan Sobhan / 4385716 Question: In what ways does the evidence-based policy movement add value to the policy making? Consider any weaknesses in the evidence-based approach that may inhibit value. Word Count: 2,180 (approximate, excluding references and headings) Introduction The evidence-based policy movement can be considered the ideal method and means of establishing usable and relevant knowledge in addressing and resolving policy issues. This has been associated with the importance of rational problem solving, which focuses on accurate diagnosis and knowledge of causal linkages (Brian, 2010). Evidence-based approaches in†¦show more content†¦This paper will focus on the value of the evidence-based policy movement in policy formulation and areas through which the evidence-based policy movement is criticised. History of evidence-based approaches Evidence-based policies are traceable to the 14th century, where they were motivated by a desire to discipline the whimsical rule of despots (Banks, 2009). Nevertheless, the most notable shift towards evidence-based approaches occurred in the 1970s and 1980s by those who advocated for a New Public Management (Brian, 2008). The New Public Management employed the use of innovative analytical frameworks in tackling traditional problems, aimed at improving program performance information in each portfolio area. By the 1990s, there was a rise in policy process that was potentially less technocratic and more open to network approaches (Hood, 1991). There was community involvement, multi-stakeholder consultation and collaboration across stakeholder sectors (Brian, 2008). Following this and the development of involving other stakeholders to policy work, the UK Government began to deal with the more complex issues that required comprehensive approaches in the design and delivery of policy ser vices (Freiberg Carson, 2010). A total shift into evidence-based policy work in the UK occurred after the 1997 national election that ushered in the Blair government (Freiberg Carson, 2010). The Blair government involved social scientists and other evidence-based innovations