Integrating Evidence-Based Practices Into Policy Systems

How can we successfully transform scientific research results into Government policy? This book chapter presents innovative processes that have been developed in University College Cork and used to bridge the interface between the research ecosystem and policy-making ecosystem. Available here https://lnkd.in/evFNv9Hu. While the insights can apply across many areas of policy, the specific example here focuses on how energy systems modelling has been used to inform energy and climate mitigation policies in Ireland. From our experience over a 15 year period, motivation is critically important in order to overcome the challenges and to take on the extra effort to move beyond the traditional research process towards any or all of: actively informing, influencing, underpinning and co-producing policy. Engagement is not about communicating research findings, but critically also about listening to the policy practitioners needs, and developing a clear understanding of the policy making process, which is significantly different from the research process. Building trust with policy practitioners can take a lot of time and effort, but is hugely important. This includes developing personal relations respecting their role, their position, and when conversations are confidential in nature (especially when this not explicitly stated). Based on this experience, coupled with the examples provided, our approach can be summarised in a seven step plan that other research teams may find useful, in particular those who wish to bridge between the research and policy eco-systems: 1. Undertake scientifically robust research, submit it for peer review, publish it in scientific journals and make methods and results openly and publicly available. 2. Frame research questions that respond to specific policy needs, and then submit the results and insights to policy practitioners to inform policy 3. Translate research results into policy insights—including through the use of ‘policy briefs’ 4. Improve communications of research findings through the development of infographics 5. Engage actively with policy practitioners and policy makers—this is critical to move beyond informing and towards influencing policy, mindful of the different roles and responsibilities of each. 6. Co-produce policy—challenging but can be very successful. 7. Build absorptive capacity in the policy system—the focus here is on equipping the policy makers to understand the strengths and limitations of the approaches used, and improved interpretation of the scenario results generated. Thanks to co-authors Paul Deane and Fionn Rogan, and to MaREI, Science Foundation Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ireland, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Minister Eamon Ryan, International Energy Agency (IEA), IEA-ETSAP | Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program

This is a brilliant paper - hot off the press - which makes the point that for too long, behavioural insights have been seen as a tool for tweaking individual behaviour—nudges, default settings, and small interventions. But this report argues that behavioural insights has the power to shape entire systems, not just individuals. "Systemic change is fundamentally rooted in human behaviour: while structural, political, economic, or technological challenges may set the stage, it is the decisions and actions of individuals that ultimately drive change. Behind every challenge lies the potential for human behaviour to alter the course, provided the right behavioural pathways are identified and leveraged." Created by Marion Dupoux and colleagues at the European Commission Joint Research Centre, it outlines how to harness the full potential of behavioural insights, by: 1️⃣ Moving beyond Nudges: By doing more than influencing individual choices—they can inform policy mixes that integrate regulations, incentives, and behavioural interventions 2️⃣ Creating policy coherence: By helping to identify where different policies complement or contradict each other, leading to more effective, aligned strategies 3️⃣ Leading to systemic Impact: By embedding behavioural insights early in the policymaking process, we can design policies that work with human behaviour rather than against it The authors call for us to go further with behavioural insights: "We argue that a more proactive and systematic approach is needed for BI to contribute to systemic change. This involves ensuring behavioural interventions are crafted with scalability in mind, informing the design of traditional policy instruments from the outset and, last but not least, understanding and working with complex systems." One of my favourite parts of this resource is the section focussed on achieving a systemic impact with behavioural insights. In this section, the authors highlight several key principles: 1️⃣ Embracing interdisciplinary collaborations and research  2️⃣ Embedding behavioural insights across the policy cycle, and crucially, starting early  3️⃣ Fostering knowledge of behavioural insights  4️⃣ Making tools from behavioural insights more readily available "BI should be integrated into all phases of the policy process, with particular emphasis on the earliest stages, to ground policy design in human behaviour, enhance policy coherence, and ensure a better functioning system." Source: Dupoux, M. (2025). Unlocking the full potential of behavioural insights for policy. From influencing the individual to shaping the system. European Commission Joint Research Centre.

68% of Europeans believe scientists should intervene in political debates to ensure decisions are evidence-based (Eurobarometer 557). Yet, too often, the bridge between research results and policymaking remains underused. The European Research Executive Agency (REA) Agency has published a kit for EU-funded projects on how to share scientific evidence with policymakers. Its logic is simple but powerful: if research is publicly funded, it should not only advance knowledge but also inform policy choices. What this means The document outlines three principles for achieving policy impact: • Understand the policy context – track priorities, identify the right timing, and make results relevant. • Join forces with stakeholders – academics, industry, civil society, and other EU projects. • Plan for impact from the start – define audiences, key messages, and the right channels. It also lists the most effective formats to reach policymakers: policy briefs, consultations, workshops, and direct reporting. Interestingly, it stresses that researchers’ own social media accounts can also play a role in authenticity and engagement. Why this is interesting and for whom • For researchers: the kit provides 10 concrete steps and links to EU tools such as CORDIS, Horizon Dashboard, and the Horizon Results Platform, turning evidence into actionable insights. • For policymakers: it offers a structured way to receive scientific input in real time, aligned with the EU policy cycle. • For citizens: it strengthens the expectation that public policies are backed by evidence, not just political negotiation. The message is clear: EU-funded research is not complete until its results have reached the people shaping Europe’s future laws and strategies.

What happens to evidence once it enters a government department? This paper (https://lnkd.in/etZG37gg) strips away the fiction that #evidence simply “feeds into” #policymaking. Inside departments, #KnowledgeBrokering is less about transfer and more about constant translation, negotiation, and alignment. Evidence moves through informal conversations, trusted relationships, and iterative sense-making long before it appears in briefings or submissions. What matters most is not the quality of evidence in isolation, but its fit with departmental priorities, timing, and internal workflows. Brokers spend much of their effort managing expectations, mediating between analytical standards and policy urgency, and protecting evidence from being either ignored or overstated. The insight here is practical and political. #EvidenceUse is shaped by organizational pressures and power relations, not by deficit of skill or goodwill. Strengthening evidence-informed policy, therefore, means investing in brokering capacity as core governance infrastructure rather than treating it as a peripheral function. Evidence does not travel on its own. It moves because someone makes space for it. #KnowledgeTranslation #PoliticalLiteracy

𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧. Policy briefs aren't neutral summaries. They're decision tools under political, fiscal, and institutional constraints. I saw this during my policy analysis work under the SPEED project in Uganda. A brief on phasing out certificate-level nurses shaped Ministry of Health decisions. It didn't dump evidence. It anticipated pushback: workforce gaps, training costs, transition timelines. What made it work: → Asked what they needed to decide, not what we wanted to share. → Treated it as conversation starter, not final product. → Followed up. Evidence without engagement goes nowhere. This guide from African Collaborative captures it well. 𝐀 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. If you work with government advisors, policy analysts, donor teams, or knowledge brokers, keep this close. What mistake do you see most often in policy briefs? CIREM Hub: Complexity, Systems Thinking & Politics, Moses Mukuru, Catherine M. Jones, Miriam Nattimba #PolicyBriefs #EvidenceToPolicy #HealthPolicy #SystemsThinking #Development