Policy & Practice: Data, Evidence and Public Policy

How is quantitative evidence used to inform policymaking? What are the obstacles to its effective use? Which types of evidence are most influential? The recent explosion of policy-relevant data has been matched by a desire from policymakers to convert that information into actionable insights. But using it effectively poses technical, practical andethical challenges. Our panel of experts in data science and policy evaluation will discuss the promise and perils of harnessing big data to make better policy.  

 
Mallory Durran is Head of Evidence and Evaluation at the Number 10 Delivery Unit and Number 10 Data Science (10DS) at 10 Downing Street. 
 

Michal Nachmany is Founder and CEO of Climate Policy Radar CIC. 
 

Emily Power is a Senior Evaluation Advisor in the Evaluation Task Force at the Cabinet Office. 
 

Alex Sutherland is Chief Scientist and Director of Research and Evaluation at the Behavioural Insights Team. 
 

Chair: Jack Blumenau is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Quantitative Research Methods at UCL and is co-director of the MSc Data Science and Public Policy.