The Knowledge Sector Initiative has posted four video podcast interviews with the authors of working papers and stories of change that document international and Indonesian experiences with processes and systems that can help to strengthen the demand and use of evidence in policy making.
Investing Evidence in Policy Making
Over the past ten years, United Kingdom (UK)’s department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has adopted systematic approach to improve how it sources and uses evidence to inform policy making. It has implemented two five-year strategy processes that ensured the resources it invested were better directed towards both long and short-term policy goals. These strategies have also helped to improve the transparency of the debates around evidence for environmental policy making. Louise Shaxson from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) explains how DEFRA has been implementing more systematic ways of bringing evidence into their policy processes.
Working Politically: the Contribution of Research in the Formulation of the Village Law
In the knowledge sector, policy research organizations produce research that aims ay informing and influencing policy makers. In doing so, these policy research organizations need to work politically. But what does it mean to work politically? What makes political the work of research organizations? Arnaldo Pellini from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Senior Advisor at the Knowledge Sector Initiative speaks about the experience of the Institute for Research and Empowerment (IRE) of Yogyakarta in informing the legislative process that lead to the passing of the new Village Law in December 2013.
Government Think Tanks: an Overview of Comparative Models
There has been a discussion within the government of Indonesia on the role and function of government think tanks to help improve the evidence-based policy making process. However, what do we mean by “government think tanks”? How do they work? What makes them different from other types of think tanks? Jessica Mackenzie from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) speaks of different models of government think tanks.
Productivity Commission: Providing Independent Policy Advice to Government
Think tanks play an important role in policy processes. The policy research they produce is a critical ingredient of evidence-based policy making. Think tanks are not a homogeneous groups. Some think tanks are established within or by universities. Some are set up by or as non-government organizations. Some are established by or within government. Kym Holthouse from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University speaks about a particular government think tank, the Productivity Commission in Australia.