Governments face complex societal challenges requiring interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration across various government sectors. Evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM) seeks to ground policy decisions in credible evidence, including scientific evidence, which is crucial for gaining public trust and fostering democratic debate. However, current administrative silos and, frequently, a disconnect between scientists, policymakers, and society hinder effective EIPM implementation.

EIPM 2.0 objectives

The European Commission has pointed to the limited institutionalisation of science advice, inadequate professional competencies, and insufficient knowledge governance systems as central issues to improve EIPM. The EIPM 2.0 project will focus on contributing to building capacity through better coordination, enhancing professional skills, and improving systemic connections between the scientific and policymaking communities. It will support the preparation of the Member States' public administrations to develop core competences to work with evidence, to innovate and to engage with the scientific community, with a special focus on improving sectorial capacity to lead the green transition. These contributions align with Pillars I (the Public Administration Skills Agenda) and III (Greening Public Administration) of the ComPAct Communication.

The expected long-term impact of this project is the reinforced institutional integration of the use of evidence for policymaking and, as a result, reinforced trust in public administration and governments. In addition to helping the Member States strengthen their EIPM ecosystems, of which science-for-policy ecosystems are a crucial part, the project will also help the participating countries develop science-for-policy sub-systems in specific policy areas related to the green and digital transitions. 

Expected project outcomes

The expected project outcomes are as follows:

• Increased institutional capacity in governance and public administration for the demand, integration, use and impact of scientific evidence in policymaking.

• Improved professional capacity and collaboration: Increased professional competences in the scientific community and policymakers for evidence-informed policymaking, through knowledge exchange and mutual learning.

• Facilitating a platform for practitioners, scientists, knowledge brokers and policymakers to exchange practices, mutual learning, and to nurture ideas for policy development at the European and national level.