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A transparent process for “evidence-informed” policy making
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 15:18 authored by Lynn V Dicks, Ian Hodge, Nicola P Randall, Jörn P W Scharlemann, Gavin M Siriwardena, Henrik G Smith, Rebecca K Smith, William J SutherlandPolitical institutions are keen to use the best available scientific knowledge in decision-making. For environmental policy, relevant scientific evidence can be complex and extensive, so expert judgment is frequently relied upon, without clear links to the evidence itself. We propose a new transparent process for incorporating research evidence into policy decisions, involving independent synopsis of evidence relating to all possible policy options combined with expert evaluation of what the evidence means for specific policy questions. We illustrate the process using reforms of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy currently being negotiated. Under the reform proposals, 30% of direct payments to farmers will become conditional upon three “compulsory greening measures.” Independently, we compiled and evaluated experimental evidence for the effects of 85 interventions to protect wildlife on northern European farmland, 12 of which correspond to aspects of the compulsory greening measures. Our evaluation clearly indicates evidence of consistent wildlife benefits for some, but not all, of the greening measures. The process of evidence synopsis with expert evaluation has three advantages over existing efforts to incorporate evidence into policy decisions: it provides a clear evidence audit trail, allows rapid response to new policy contexts, and clarifies sources of uncertainty.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Conservation LettersISSN
1755-263XPublisher
Wiley-BlackwellExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
7Page range
119-125Department affiliated with
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2013-07-02First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2013-07-02Usage metrics
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