Damage to Federal Policy Research & Evaluation

Roosevelt Institute

A small but crucial industry has developed to ensure policymakers understand the likely impacts of their proposals, the costs associated with implementing them, and the trade-offs they face. But right now the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is canceling contracts and closing offices, leading to mass layoffs of evaluation scholars.

The Right Way to Make Data-Driven Decisions

Harvard Business Review (Podcast 28:49 minutes)

Fueled by the promise of concrete insights, organizations are increasingly prioritizing data in their decision-making processes. But that process can easily go wrong. Many leaders don’t understand that their decisions are only as good as how they interpret the data. This episode shares a framework for making better decisions by interpreting data more effectively.

The UK Performance Tracker: Inside the England & Wales Prison Crisis

Institute for Government

This first in a series of reports on local public service performance in the UK combines statistical analysis of published data and interviews on the systemic problems in UK prisons. However, some stand out as high performers and offer examples of successful prisons that can deliver rapid improvements.

Resource of the Week:  No Spin Evidence Review

Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

We systematically monitor the literature of all rigorous program evaluations . . . We select studies to summarize and report on based on factors such as policy importance, study duration (i.e., whether the study measured more than just short-term effects), publication in a leading journal, and level of press or policy attention.