Briefing papersFebruary 2020Anne Buffardi, Samuel Sharp, Sierd Hadley and Rachel A. ArcherFree healthcare for children and pregnant women is a government policy (facilitated by the Partnership for Transition in Côte d’Ivoire), 2013. Photo: ©EC/ECHO/Anouk DelafortrieIn recent years there has been increased attention to and investment in evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in the international development sector and by some national governments. This brief focuses on health policy and characterises the evidence base on EIDM, identifies specific measurement challenges and discusses considerations for the design of future assessments.Key messagesThe evidence base on the practice of EIDM in international development is limited. Previous work has identified multiple roles that evidence could play; principles and desirable decision-making practices; and individual, interpersonal, organisational and contextual factors thought to influence the interpretation of evidence and decisions. Despite a proliferation of frameworks and guidance, there is a relative dearth of research on the extent to which and how they are applied in practice, at what cost and with what effects.EIDM faces measurement challenges, including investigation into largely undocumented and sometimes unobservable processes, multi-finality and equifinality (multiple pathways to multiple outcomes) and extended time horizons, in addition to difficulties establishing counterfactuals.In the health sector, current indicators tend to cluster around two ends of a long change pathway: tracking upstream activities and immediate outputs, and downstream changes in health coverage and outcomes.Building on existing systems, future efforts could be directed at the ‘missing middle’ in measurement, filling notable gaps in defining what constitute high-quality EIDM processes, minimising biases in measuring these processes and investigating how evidence-informed recommendations make their way through the policy process. Read the research Measuring evidence-informed decision-making processes in low- and middle-income countriesDocumentpdfRelated Regional bodies supporting national-level evidence-informed decision-making on vaccinesA range of regional bodies support national decision-making processes related to immunisation and public health policy, this brief profiles five bodies.Briefing papers4 February 2020 The role of National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups in evidence-informed decision-makingThis report outlines what could be done to strengthen and support National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs).Research reports and studies5 February 2019Guidelines and good practices for evidence-informed policy-making in a government departmentThis report proposes five guidelines that could underpin approaches to improving evidence-informed policy-making within a government department.Research reports and studies3 November 2016Understanding the organisational context for evidence-informed policy-makingWhat is important when it comes to understanding how and why a government department operates when using evidence in policy-making?Working and discussion papers3 November 2016See more:healthgovernanceevidence and policyGlobal
