Generating evidence is only part of achieving positive change. Using that evidence in policy and implementation is the other critical part. IDS is working to help social policy professionals to link evidence to decision-making in ways that can improve people’s lives.
Through sustainable and equitable partnerships with UN agencies, philanthropic organisations, non-governmental and civil society organisations, universities, and independent consultants, IDS is supporting professional development and learning on the uptake and use of evidence from research.
Our work with Jordan’s Ministry of Education is a prime example of championing evidence use for positive change. Over two years, up to late 2021, IDS led a programme of facilitated learning activities to build the capacity of Ministry of Education staff to use high-quality policy research to inform decision-making. The ultimate aim is to improve learning outcomes for children in Jordan.
The IDS-led activities have prompted increased commitment from the Ministry of Education to use evidence-informed approaches to policy development and implementation. Officials also committed to boost research capacity and connections to education researchers and practitioners.
The activities in Jordan were commissioned by the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development in coordination with the Ministry of Education, as part of the Evidence-Driven Results in Learning (EDRiL) project, with funding from the UK and Canada.
Stimulating research uptake
A key problem identified by EDRiL was that pockets of good practice in education research were not well linked to uptake in policy or implementation by the Jordanian Ministry of Education. To address this missing link, IDS was asked to co-design and deliver a capacity-building workshop and an evidence review for the ministry.
Thirty participants from across the ministry benefited from the week-long workshop, using a highly tailored version of the IDS short course Shaping Policy with Evidence. Workshop goals included deepening understanding of the role of evidence in decision-making and improving participants’ ability to apply tools and approaches to evaluate a policy context. Priority areas were agreed in advance with the ministry.
The key recommendation of the IDS work was for Jordanian officials to facilitate an evidence-for-policy event to enable cross-governmental discussions and learning. In December 2021, the Ministry of Education held its first-ever high-level Evidence Forum, including the UK Ambassador to Jordan and Jordan’s Secretary General for Educational Affairs. IDS’s Director of Communications and Impact, James Georgalakis, was invited to present the findings of the IDS evidence review to help frame the discussion.
Connecting power of ‘unique’ course
The basis of the learning programme in Jordan was IDS’s Shaping Policy with Evidence course, held both online and in-person. Running since 2019, the course has helped more than 115 individuals to build their capacity to make better use of evidence for producing viable policy options.
Comments from course attendees testify to its impact. ‘The course strengthened my understanding of the link between evidence and the politics of influencing social change in a complex world,’ Aileen O’Donovan, Deputy Head of Development at Irish Aid Ethiopia said, praising ‘the networking and interaction with people from different disciplines across the globe.’
‘The course is unique in that it connects topics related to the production of evidence to the use of evidence in policymaking and influencing,’ noted Henk Gilhuis, Manager of Science and Impacts at the Rainforest Alliance. UNICEF’s Social Policy Specialist in Yemen, Ali Al-Agri, described the course as ‘amazing, rich, informative and powerful’.
The course has produced several follow-up requests for technical support from IDS, such as from the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat which works with displaced communities in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
