Evidence-based Policy Making in Times of Acute Crisis: Comparing the Use of Scientific Knowledge in Germany, Switzerland and France

Hadorn, Susanne; Sager, Fritz; Mavrot, Céline (2021). Evidence-based Policy Making in Times of Acute Crisis: Comparing the Use of Scientific Knowledge in Germany, Switzerland and France (Unpublished). In: 5th International Conference on Public Policy. Barcelona. 6.-8.07.2021.

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The notion of evidence-based policymaking (EBP) originates in the successful 1997 New Labour programme in the UK to formulate policy not on the basis of ideology but on the basis of sound empirical evidence. This article will provide a brief overview over the history of the concept and the current debates around it. We then outline the main characteristics of the policy advisory systems in Germany, Switzerland and France through which scientific knowledge - either in the form of person-bound expertise or evidence generated through standard scientific processes - is fed into policy formulation processes in normal times. Whereas EBP takes place in the form of institutionalized advisory bodies and draws on expertise rather than evidence in Germany, Switzerland focuses more on the use of evidence provided through external mandates. This article then analyzes how this different prioritization of expertise vs. evidence in the three countries affects policymakers’ capacity to include scientific knowledge into policy decisions in times of acute crisis. We propose that countries with policy advisory systems that are more strongly designed to use expertise are better placed to incorporate scientific knowledge into their decisions in times of acute crisis than countries with policy advisory systems that rely primarily on evidence in normal times.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Division/Institute:	11 Centers of Competence > KPM Center for Public Management
UniBE Contributor:	Hadorn, Susanne (A), Sager, Fritz, Mavrot, Céline Hélène Jeanne
Subjects:	300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 320 Political science 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 350 Public administration & military science
Language:	English
Submitter:	Céline Mavrot
Date Deposited:	16 Jul 2021 10:45
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 23:37
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/157508