Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Roundtable: How Foundations Can Support Evidence-Based Policy

(Public and Non-Profit Management and Finance)

Philanthropic funders are increasingly turning to the developing field of evidence-based policy as a way to tackle high-priority social problems and direct funding toward programs that measurably improve the lives of people in need. There are a number of factors driving the growing interest in using data to create more effective social programs: governments are facing demands for greater accountability and are being asked to serve more constituents with fewer resources; advances in technology, data collection, and statistical methods have lowered the cost of rigorous evaluation; and the federal government has shown that it will provide cities and states with more flexibility in implementing programs in exchange for rigorous accountability in results. This has created a window of opportunity for all stakeholders to develop innovative public-private partnerships that foster using rigorous evaluation and administrative data to better manage and continuously improve public programs. This APPAM roundtable will bring together five foundations to address how philanthropists are working in concert with academics and policymakers to advance “what works” in everyday government and opportunities for greater collaboration at all levels of government. Participants will discuss their current activities and strategy for achieving transformational and sustainable improvements in the use of evidence-based policy making.