Criteria for a Public Policy Business Case

In my previous post about a research project, in which two think tanks with decidedly different heritage and focus were invited to assess the same 20 policy initiatives using a common set of criteria (effectively a draft evidence-based policy standard), I mentioned that those criteria had been developed by Prof Kenneth Wiltshire AO, and previously… Continue reading Criteria for a Public Policy Business Case

Evidence for Good

The UK-based Alliance for Useful Evidence has recently published two new resources that will be of interest to all not-for-profit organisations, but especially to those involved in public policy advocacy. The first relates to their goal that “Decision-makers in government and civil society routinely make appropriate use of high quality evidence to inform strategy, policy and practice“. … Continue reading Evidence for Good

CDC word bans include “evidence-based”

You may have missed this story in the pre-Christmas rush, but the Washington Post (WaPo) published two stories in mid-December about the Trump administration telling divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services that they should avoid using certain words or phrases in official documents being drafted for next year’s budget. This story could… Continue reading CDC word bans include “evidence-based”

Should we make a submission?

Not-for-profit organisations often have opportunities to make submissions in response to inquiries and reviews, and many spend considerable effort in preparing and lodging responses to these. The question of whether to make a submission may best be addressed by reference to a few principles, framed as simple questions. We can learn from the Tasmanian Government… Continue reading Should we make a submission?

Lobbying and advocacy in the spotlight

Most associations and charities are represented by their senior leaders rather than ex-politicians within professional lobbying firms, and so the code of conduct may not apply directly to your organisation, however, it would be prudent to monitor the debate on the revised code to see what implications may arise for your advocacy work.