Roundtable:
Building & Sustaining Evidence-Based Policymaking: Lessons from Minnesota and New Mexico
(Public and Non-Profit Management and Finance)
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Evidence-based policymaking is the systematic use of evidence—findings from rigorous research like program evaluations and outcome analyses—to guide government policy and funding decisions. Sustaining the capacity to produce and use evidence in decision-making over the long term can be influenced by a variety of both tangible and less tangible elements, such as champions, investments in staff training and education, or financial incentives. This session, based on new research by the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative at the Pew Charitable trusts, will discuss key factors influencing the uptake, expansion, and sustainability of evidence-based policymaking initiatives. It will include discussion of key efforts by state budget offices in two states—Minnesota and New Mexico—and of their challenges, successes, and lessons learned along the way. The session will include a presentation of high-level research findings by Results First researchers, as well as a lively discussion of the practicalities of evidence-based policymaking with representatives from each state’s budget office.
