OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER’S SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE The role of evidence in policy formation and implementation A report from the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor September 2013 “[An] important role that public servants play is to help Ministers and the community in general to understand the options and choices they have. It is too easy, perhaps even negligent; to leave Ministers to make decisions with insufficient information, without the best possible evidence, and without learning from what has gone before. And the point here is that there is rarely something where the issues are clear-cut, or where choices don’t have to be made.” “The policy advice that informs these decisions must be built on a strong foundation. We have to make sure what looks like a good policy idea is backed up by solid evidence and quality analysis.” Excerpts from a speech by Gabriel Makhlouf, Secretary to the Treasury, April 2013 Part of the Better Public Services Initiative of the State Services Commission Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee PO Box 108-117, Symonds Street, Auckland 1150, New Zealand Telephone: +64 9 923 6318 Website: www.pmcsa.org.nz Email:
[email protected] ISBN 978-0-477-10404-3 (paperback) ISBN 978-0-477-10405-0 (PDF) The role of evidence in policy formation and implementation Letter to the Prime Minister September 2013 The Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key Parliament Buildings WELLINGTON 6160 Dear Prime Minister Re: Evidence in the formation and evaluation of policy You have asked me to advise on how New Zealand’s ministries and agencies might improve their use of evi- dence in both the formation and evaluation of policy.