Lessons from the UK for developing countries
"Social science research evidence is central to development
and evaluation of policy…" David Blunkett, former
Education Secretary*
The idea of using evidence to inform policy is not a new
idea. What is new, however, is the emphasis the British government
has given to the Evidence-based Policy (EBP) approach since
1997. As part of the Blair government's reforming and modernising
agenda, the aim has been to try to shift away from ideologically
driven politics and towards rational decision making. The
Modernising Government White Paper in 1999 called for policies
"that are forward looking and shaped by the evidence
rather than a response to short-term pressures; that tackle
causes not symptoms".
This matters even more for developing countries. Better utilization
of evidence in policy and practice can help save lives, reduce
poverty and improve development performance. For example,
the Government of Tanzania has used the results of household
disease surveys to inform health service reforms that helped
reduce infant mortality by 40 per cent. However, the HIV/AIDS
crisis has deepened in some countries because governments
have ignored the evidence of what causes the disease and how
to prevent it spreading. In developing countries, the challenges
of evidence-based policy are significantly greater that in
the North. Social and political environments are more difficult.
Capacity is much more limited and resources are scarcer.
The aim of this work is to identify lessons and approaches
from evidence-based policymaking in the UK which may be valuable
for progressive policymakers in developing countries. It responds
to a repeated call from our partners in the South to understand
more about what is happening in the UK regarding evidence-based
policy and what can they learn from the UK experience.
Project Outputs
Useful resources
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