| CODE | PPL2054 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Evidence-Based Policy Making | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Policy, Politics and Governance | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces the concept of evidence-based policy (or evidence-informed policy). How does 鈥榚vidence鈥� speak to 鈥榩ower鈥�? What is 鈥榚vidence鈥�? Can and does 鈥榚vidence鈥� influence the policy process and policy decisions? What constitutes highly scientific research and if well communicated, can it return more effective decisions and policies than opinion-based or ideology-based policy-making? The pursuit of EBP is based on the premise that policy decisions should be better informed by available evidence and should include rational analysis. This is because policy which is based on systematic evidence is seen to produce better outcomes. The approach has also come to incorporate evidence-based practices. This study-unit will discuss what facilitates and what hinders the use of evidence in policy-making. It will also explore the politics of evidence-based policy-making. The nature of evidence, potential sources and how to use evidence for policy will also be discussed. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to provide students with an appreciation of the concept of evidence-based/informed policy-making, encompassing the bidirectional link between researchers and policy-makers, exploring the politics of evidence-based policy. It aims at exposing the theoretical and empirical concepts of evidence-based policy wherein scientific data acts as a platform on which public policy is formulated, implemented and evaluated. In addition, it aims at sensitising students to the relationship between the policy-maker and the researcher, as well as the difference the manner of communicating evidence makes. Furthermore, it seeks to introduce the idea of a hierarchy of evidence, the dynamics between policy-formulation and scientific data, thus rendering students capable of setting up the right structures and systems to facilitate the use of evidence. It also aims at managing evidence-Based Policy through the use and interpretation of both statistical and narrative data. At the same time, students are invited to ponder on the principle that evidence-based policy is not a substitute, but rather is considered complementary to policy considerations rooted in ideology. It aims to show students how to use evidence for policy. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - recongize the complex concept of evidence-based policy; - Identify the strengths and limitations of evidence-based policy; - categorise the barriers and facilitators for evidence-based policy; - examine the hierarchy of research; - illustrate the centrality of highly scientific research and evidence in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation; - discuss the mutual working relationship and the politics between researchers and policy-makers; - deterime the different research methods as part of a scientific inquiry leading to policy exploration and/or improvement; - Identify key sources of potential evidence. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Debate about the use of evidence for policy-making and political decisions; - Argue for and against the use of evidence; - Propose ways which support the use of evidence; - Know sources and be critical and appreciative of research; - Think more critically about policy-making processes; - Deepen and widen their understanding of good governance. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Essential readings: - Cartwright, N. and Hardie, J. (2012) Evidence-Based Policy: A Practical Guide to Doing it Better. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Pawson, R. (2006) Evidence-based Policy: A Realist Perspective. Los Angeles: Sage. (in library). - Cairney, P. (2016) The Politics of Evidence-Based Policy-Making. London: Palgrave Macmillan. (Available online: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057%2F978-1-137-51781-4.pdf). - Parkhurst, J. (2017) The Politics of Evidence: From Evidence-based Policy to the Good Governance of Evidence. Oxon: Routledge. - Journal articles on evidence-based policy. (Available through the library). Suggested readings: - Burnham, P., Gillanrd Lutz, K., Grant, W and Layton-Henry, Z. (2008), Research Methods in Politics, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lect, Ind Study, Project, Seminar and Tutorial | ||||||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Marie Louise Mangion |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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