Strategies for evidence-based policy in government ministries: What is it, and what does it mean for practice?

The idea of evidence-based policy has received considerable attention among public authorities, not least since Tony Blair’s “what works” agenda in the late 1990s and especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Within public health, and increasingly in social policy, there are calls to improve the use of evidence in policymaking. This involves a commitment of governments to include evidence in policy development as well as the capacity to adjust their operational practices accordingly. Yet, we have limited knowledge on whether and why government ministries adopt formal strategies for using evidence and what these strategies mean for practice. The aim of the paper is therefore twofold: First, I outline different factors that are important to differentiate ministerial strategies for evidence-based policy. Second, I examine how these strategies for evidence-based policy translate into practice, based on interviews with Danish politicians and civil servants. Elucidating ministerial strategies for using evidence and their implications will improve the basis for public authorities to make decisions on whether to pursue evidence-based policy agendas.