The polycrisis isn’t going anywhere. Misinformation is rife, and public trust in government is low. As the political landscape and the structures of government rapidly evolve, so the pace of policymaking grows ever more demanding.
Against this backdrop, trust in evidence may seem like a minor consideration. But the use of evidence in policymaking is a critical tool for navigating this complexity.
Evidence helps to tell us what is happening, why it matters, who it affects, and what could be done to address it. It provides a solid foundation on which robust policy can be built, through improving understanding, illuminating challenges, and identifying solutions.
Yet evidence itself is increasingly contested. Evidence comprises a complex cocktail of research findings, data, lived experience, and professional expertise. Evidence may be partial or incomplete. Different studies may offer different answers. Experts may disagree on each other’s conclusions. Lived experience may not accord with professional expertise or academic evidence. There’s a reason that a favourite conclusion in academic research is that ‘more research is needed’.
With knowledge more voluminous and more available than at any time in recent history, which evidence matters most? Which interpretation of the evidence is more reliable? What evidence gaps are most problematic? And how should evidence be balanced against other factors in policymaking and decision-making?
Sustaining trust in evidence is one means of cutting through the overwhelming noise of opinion, inaccuracy, and polarisation. This means understanding what constitutes reliable or objective evidence, which sources are to be trusted, and how to interpret it. It also means understanding how evidence can offer a more rounded picture, and how it can be applied to different policy problems. Drawing on (multiple forms of) evidence can help to make policy more robust, and ensure greater confidence in decisions.
Sarah Chaytor, Co-Founder, co-chair and director of programmes at Universities Policy Engagement Network
At UPEN’s annual conference, In Evidence We Trust, which takes place on 29-30 June, we will be exploring some of these issues, why trusted evidence matters, how to navigate trust in evidence, and how evidence can help ot address the wider trust crisis the UK faces.
Using evidence to inform policymaking demonstrates that decisions are based on facts, not feelings; the balance of evidence, not best guess; collective wisdom, not individual whims.
The current challenges that UK government faces are pernicious. Evidence isn’t a magic bullet. But it can help to point the way and to ensure a more solid base from which to develop policy responses. And, crucially, it gives us greater confidence that public decisions are informed by the best available evidence, rather than assumption, instinct or expediency.
Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) acts as a conduit between universities and policymakers, strengthening relationships and the evidence–policy ecosystem with access to expertise and evidence at over 110 UK universities. Find out more about how UPEN can support you at Policymaker support – UPEN
Apply for a place at the UPEN Conference