October 2019
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This seminar brought together key stakeholders from business and the research community with policymakers from across Whitehall, the devolved administrations and local authorities, to examine the priorities for supporting evidence-based policymaking in the UK.
It followed the announcement of extra funding for the Open Innovation Partnership, aimed at helping government officials work more closely with academics to develop innovative, evidence-based policies across a range of policy areas.
With the 2021 REF extending the weight of the ‘impact’ criteria, delegates discussed both how to maximise opportunities to influence the policymaking process and how to demonstrate that impact for the purposes of the REF.
Delegates also looked at priorities and best practice for supporting evidence-based policymaking, including how systemic barriers to innovation - such as risk-averse cultures in some policymaking circles and entrenched policies - can be addressed. They also looked at best practice in science communication, particularly at a time of concern that political and popular culture was increasingly influenced by emotional and ideological motivations, rather than scientific evidence.
Further sessions considered translating behavioural science into effective policy, and assessed how behavioural science research and intervention can be used to anticipate the impact of policies and potential problems relating to policy enforcement and implementation.
Delegates also assessed progress and the developing role of the What Works Network in building a more comprehensive evidence base and promoting the use of evidence in local, regional and national policymaking. This came as the Network continued to expand, with the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) set to launch later in 2019.
There was also discussion on the potential of data in transforming policy processes and outcomes, looking at issues surrounding the expansion and reliability of citizen science, opportunities created by data sharing and the open data movement - as well as issues around data sharing and security.