Overview

How and in what contexts does evidence-based policymaking work in federal agencies? As the federal government increasingly deploys practices and policies for evidence-informed decision-making, program administrators and policymakers continually ask what works best in facilitating key capacity and processes needed for effective policymaking. The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) July 2023 report on Evidence-Based Policymaking: Practices to Help Manage and Assess the Results of Federal Efforts provides support for agencies seeking to determine how to monitor and improve their capacity for these efforts, including implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (Evidence Act). In the next Issues in Evaluation webinar, a partnership between the Data Foundation and GAO, experts from across the evidence-building community addressed the benefits and methods for building capacity in the federal government, and addressed the recommendations in the GAO report. This webinar included a discussion of opportunities for collaboration in improving the field, as well as next steps.