How to strengthen evidence-based policy making? Strategic positioning within government

Scientifically sound analyses cannot replace the political decision-making process. But they can provide the basis for better-informed decisions - provided they are introduced at the right time. For politics and science to cooperate effectively, appropriate structures are needed. The second online roundtable on international best practice models looks at ways to improve the infrastructure for evidence-based policy making.

Guests include Dr Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor to the Canadian Government, Dr Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Director of the think tank Bruegel, former Deputy Head of Department at the International Monetary Fund and former Director-General and Chief Economist at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. As a German best practice, Dr. Kai Hielscher, Head of the Regulatory Sandboxes Coordinating Office, will present the Regulatory Sandboxes. The experimental spaces for innovative technologies, products or services, which are limited in time and often in space, provide the basis for further developing the legal framework in an evidence-based manner. As a British best practice, we get to know the work of the Evaluation Task Force presented by Miriam Styrnol, Senior Evaluation Advisor. Established in 2020 as a joint initiative of the Cabinet Office and the Treasury, it undertakes a variety of activities to support government departments in impact evaluation.

In a question and answer session afterwards, the audience is invited to participate in the discussion.

The "Initiative for Evidence-Based Policy Making", represented by Prof. Regina T. Riphahn ML and Prof. Monika Schnitzer, has been working for several years in various ways to strengthen the exchange between science and politics. The aim of the initiative is to overcome institutional barriers and pave the way for "more evidence" in political decision-making processes.

ML = Member of the Leopoldina