Presidential address: Evidence‐based decision making: What will it take for the decision makers to care?

Over the past 10 years, there has been a growing emphasis on evidence-based policy and practice throughout in the United States and elsewhere around the world. This should be music to the ears of the APPAM membership, as most of us entered our professions, in no small part, to feed our personal interests in helping make the world a better place. The field of public policy research has changed enormously in the 26 years since the founding of APPAM in ways that have improved the quality of evidence that can be produced, expanded the breadth of questions addressed, and broadened avenues for communicating findings. Still, we are far from a world in which evidence is routinely and smartly produced and integrated into decision making. APPAM’s mission is to “[improve] public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis, and education.” Yet, much of the research we produce is ignored or misused for three main reasons. First, some of the research produces results that lack credibility. We know how to judge the credibility of study findings and should be vigilant in doing so. Second, much research addresses questions that have intrinsic interest and value, but yield results that are not helpful to policymakers and practitioners and, indeed, may be misinterpreted by them. We should sift and sort the information we direct to the policy and practitioner communities to promote proper interpretation and application of evidence. Third, there are many terrific examples of valuable syntheses of evidence on particular issues. However, there also are many examples of nonsystematic (and, in some cases, biased) reviews of evidence. There are well-established, but poorly disseminated methods for systematically synthesizing evidence on particular questions in ways that provide clear guidance regarding what we do and do not know with a particular degree of confidence. Three personal experiences that have occurred during the course of trying to provide policy-relevant answers to important questions illustrate some challenges in using research for the development and management of public policy and to guide practice. Experience 1. The question is: Are there things that could or should be done to improve the neighborhoods where children live? Three evidence-based answers are: Yes, No, and Maybe. 1 This talk reflects much that I have learned from my colleagues in APPAM and elsewhere, including those who have been my collaborators, my teachers, my mentors, and my students. There are too many of you to name individually. But you know who you are. One or more of you deserves credit for any true insight that may be lurking in this talk. I am grateful to Phoebe Cottingham, Stuart Kerachsky, Lauren Scher, and Matthew Stagner for very useful comments on an early draft of this talk. I alone am responsible for any errors or omissions.