Evidence for Better Decisions

Module 1: Understanding Evidence Types for Decision Making

Identify the types of evidence useful for policy and initiative decisions

• 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.

Module 2: Evaluating Evidence Quality and Suitability

Evaluate whether evidence is suitable for advice

• 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.

Module 3: From Evidence to Action: Using evidence in proposals

Use evidence to develop policy and initiative proposals through to Budget bids or funding requests

• 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.