16/10/08
The practice of evidence based policy has gained increasing endorsement in recent years, so much so that it could now reasonably be argued that no policy decision is justified without a strong evidence base to substantiate it. Drawing on the findings of the Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme at the Overseas Development Institute in London, this article will argue that a robust evidence base helps to underpin policy-decisions, both enriching the process and, perhaps more importantly, increasing their legitimacy. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) can find a niche in providing this ‘evidence’ to policy-makers, thus establishing their utility in the process. However, at the same time, they must prove the legitimacy of the evidence they provide if they are themselves to be considered credible contributors in the policy-making arena. A GuideStar system seeks to illuminate the work of civil society organisations around the world; in doing so it makes government sourced data on CSOs visible and accessible. The Value of Evidence Based Policy.pdf
Alison Manuell, 16th October 2008
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