Evidence for Better Decisions
Build practical skills for using evidence to take a policy, or initiative, all the way to a Budget bid or funding request
Description
This course teaches practical skills for finding useful evidence, judging if it’s suitable, and using it to take a policy, or initiative, all the way to a Budget bid or funding request.
Testimonial 2
"This was an excellent, engaging course that incorporated our different experiences and skills. I highly recommend the training and will give the information back to my team and encourage them to engage. Warm, supportive presenter who treated all our skills and diversities with respect"
- Policy Analyst | Ministry for Social Development
What you will learn
By attending this course you will:
- understand the kinds of evidence that are useful for policy, or initiative, decisions
- understand how to judge whether evidence is suitable to use for policy, or initiative, decisions
- understand how to use evidence to take a policy, or initiative, right through to a Budget bid or funding request
Testimonial 1
"A great course for policy makers to understand how data and evidence can be used to develop more robust policy which has a greater chance of implementation"
- Policy Analyst | Department of Internal Affairs
Who should attend
This course is suitable for people who have no training in how to work with evidence, who want to learn to apply their evidence skills in an advisory context, or who want to understand Budget and funding basics. All career levels can benefit from this course.
Course format
The course is delivered through three two-hour sessions, with additional material for learners to complete between sessions.
What is covered in the course
Session one
- Breaking down an ‘evidence need’ into answerable questions.
- The different types of evidence that could answer the questions.
- Major data sets, and how they can help answer questions.
Session two
- What are research, monitoring and evaluation, and how they can help answer questions?
- Other evidence inside and outside your organisation, and what it might tell you.
- Judging whether evidence answers the questions you need it to, and whether it’s good enough.
Session three
- What to do when the evidence available doesn’t give the full picture.
- The basics of turning evidence into cost-benefit analysis to help with a Budget bid or funding request.