Evidence-based policy-making: A survey of policy and practice in Australia and New Zealand

This paper surveys the development and current configuration of ‘evidence-based’ approaches to policy-making in Australia and New Zealand, two countries often considered to be at the forefront of public management reform... [ view full abstract ]

This paper surveys the development and current configuration of ‘evidence-based’ approaches to policy-making in Australia and New Zealand, two countries often considered to be at the forefront of public management reform and the deployment of evidence in policy and managerial decision-making. It compares and contrasts institutional arrangements, and examines policy and practice across a number of policy domains, with a focus on the design and effectiveness of contemporary arrangements. The paper will explore three important features of ‘evidence-based’ policy-making settings: the receptivity of public officials to the role and value of expertise and research in policy processes; the development of dedicated structures and systems for producing applied, policy-relevant research; and the development of institutional arrangements and approaches to both encourage and embed the use of evidence in policy-making processes. As both a historical and institutional survey, the paper will identify themes of convergence (e.g. the place of applied economic research in policy-making) and divergence (e.g. the strength of policy capacity in the quasi- and non-government sectors). It will also highlight the pre-eminent role of specially created institutions (e.g. the Productivity Commission in Australia) and the impact of new initiatives to fuse digital technologies and data to better support program design and delivery (e.g. the ‘social investment approach’ in New Zealand).