Supporting the Use of Evidence to Inform Policy Outcomes (Evidence to Action, E2A)

Background

ESCAP and Bloomberg Philanthropies are collaborating to implement a project under the Data 4 Health Initiative entitled “Getting everyone in the picture: strengthening civil registration and vital statistics systems in Asia and the Pacific.” As part of this project, this initiative builds government capacity to use CRVS-related data and evidence for policy, so that existing data, as well as data improved through the project, is well-analyzed and synthesized in user-friendly formats responding to decisionmakers’ needs. The aim is to ensure that the evidence generated is used to inform and improve policies and programmes, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

While numerous data is collected, and even analyzed and disseminated in technical vital statistical reports, the key points of the data, their interpretations, and resulting recommendations for policy purposes are often lost. Reports often present numbers, with little analysis or explanation, leaving it up to the reader to interpret. Policy makers are not necessarily statistical experts and may not have the time or inclination for in-depth analysis themselves. Thus, to have a real, tangible impact on policy, data producers need to disseminate findings in a way that is conducive to policy use. However, data producers often lack the skills and capacity to do so, and many lack confidence to accurately interpret their findings and to provide relevant policy implications and recommendations.

Furthermore, ensuring data are used adequately and correctly is key to increasing demand for quality data, thus leading to improvements in the production, analysis and dissemination of data, creating a positive feedback mechanism.