PANEL DISCUSSION

Turning evidence use into a routine: pathways for the institutionalization of evidence-informed policy-making 

day3

13:05–14:00 (CEST)

The session will provide participants with valuable insights on the institutionalization of Evidence-Informed Policy-Making (EIPM).

By integrating Evidence-Informed Policy-Making (EIPM) into organizational structures and processes, countries can improve their policies and establish a culture of accountability and foster trust between policymakers, researchers, and the public. This session will share current tools and approaches that facilitate EIPM integration into organizational structures. Learn from successful examples and gain practical guidance to advance EIPM institutionalization in your country.

The session will provide participants with valuable insights on the institutionalization of Evidence-Informed Policy-Making (EIPM). Participants will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with current tools and approaches that facilitate the integration of EIPM into organizational structures and processes. Speakers will share diverse approaches and tools available to support the institutionalization of EIPM, exploring how they adapted these practices within their own organizational contexts. By highlighting successful examples and sharing practical guidance, the session aims to inspire participants and empower them with the knowledge and resources necessary to advance EIPM institutionalization within their countries. 

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Key questions and session highlights

  • What are the current approaches to facilitate EIPM institutionalization? 

  • What can be learned from the existing experiences of institutionalizing EIPM in diverse organizational contexts? 

  • How can EIPM practices survive the governmental changes produced by electoral cycles? 

 

Moderators

Arash Rashidian

Director, Science, Information and Dissemination, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt

Professor Arash Rashidian is the Director of Science, Information, and Dissemination in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization. He has led WHO regional agendas in areas of evidence-informed policy-making, health information systems, digital health, research promotion and governance and knowledge sharing since 2015. He is the Vice-Chair of WHO’s Guideline Review Committee and the Executive Editor of the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal.
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Kheirandish-R

Mehrnaz Kheirandish

Regional Adviser Evidence and Data to Policy, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt

Mehrnaz Kheirandish is a Regional Advisor for Evidence and Data to Policy in WHO EMRO since 2020. She is leading the programs related to Evidence-Informed Policy-Making to enhance the institutional capacity for using evidence and data for policy development and delivery for impact. Mehrnaz has an MD and a PhD in Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management, and among key previous positions, she was Director General for Assessment and Control of Prescribing and Use of Medicines in Iran FDA.
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Panelists

Parkhurst-R

Justin Parkhurst

Associate Professor of Global Health Policy, London School of Economics, United Kingdom 

Dr Justin Parkhurst is an Associate Professor of Global Health Policy at the LSE (The London School of Economics and Political Science). He is the founding and current serving Chair of the LSE Global Health Initiative. Dr Parkhurst’s research interests lie in global health politics and policy, as well as the political nature of evidence use to inform policy decisions. He recently led a 5-year programme of work on Getting Research Into Policy in Health (the GRIP-Health programme) funded by the European Research Council – which has produced a number of outputs and publications (most open access) on the politics and governance of evidence. This includes the book [tinyurl.com/JParkhurst]The Politics of Evidence: From Evidence Based Policy to the Good Governance of Evidence – which presents a ‘Good Governance of Evidence Framework’ to help consider key normative principles that can be used to guide institutional development of evidence advisory systems. These concepts have been incorporated into recent planning by international organisations including the European Commission and OECD amongst others.
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Natália Koga

Institute of Applied Economic Research of the Brazilian Government, Brazil

PhD in Politics from the University of Westminster/UK, Master in Public Administration and Government from FGV-EAESP and Law Degree from the Law School of the University of São Paulo.  Member of the career of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management of the Ministry of Management and Innovation. She is currently a researcher at the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea) and professor at the Brazilian National School of Public Administration (Enap) in the fields of policy analysis, bureaucracy and democracy. She had professional experience as a federal manager at the Ministry of Social Development (MDS), Ministry of Planning and Budget and Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME). In recent years she has organized publications and research on the use of evidence by Brazilian bureaucrats and public organizations.
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Peter Gluckman

President, International Science Council, New Zealand

Peter Gluckman became President of the International Science Council in October 2021. His term will continue until the General Assembly of 2024. He is also an ISC Fellow and a member of the Fellowship Council, as well as a member of the Global Commission on Science Missions for Sustainability. Peter Gluckman is an internationally recognized biomedical scientist, and currently heads Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland. From 2009-2018 he was first Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and from 2012-2018 Science Envoy for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  He was foundation chair of the International Network of Government Science Advice (INGSA) from 2014-2021. He trained as a paediatrician and biomedical scientist, publishing over 700 papers and several academic and popular books in animal science, developmental physiology, growth and development and evolutionary biology and evolutionary medicine. A key theme of his research has been on understanding how a baby’s environment between conception and birth determines its childhood development and life-long health – and the impact that this knowledge has for individuals and whole populations. He co-chaired the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (2013-2017). He is chief scientific officer of the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences. Peter Gluckman has written and spoken extensively on science-policy, risk assessment, science-diplomacy, and science-society interactions. In 2016 he received the AAAS award in Science Diplomacy. He has received the highest civilian and scientific honours in New Zealand. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of London, of the Royal Society of New Zealand a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine (USA). He holds a Distinguished University Professorship in the University of Auckland, New Zealand and honorary chairs at the University College London, University of Southampton and National University of Singapore.  
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Sultana Al Sabahi

Knowledge Translation Specialist, Directorate General of Planning and Studies, Ministry of Health, Oman

Driven by a firm belief in research's transformative power to foster healthier, wealthier, and more stable communities, I am dedicated to translating robust evidence into impactful policies and practices. Holding a Ph.D. in Health Policy, my expertise lies in evidence-informed policymaking and health economics. As a Knowledge Translation Specialist at the Omani Ministry of Health, I empower policymakers through synthesizing evidence for informed decision-making. Together, let's pave the way for a brighter future through evidence-based policy. Meet Sultana Al Sabahi, bridging research and policy for positive change with unwavering commitment.
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Josephine Watera

Assistant Director, Department of Research Services, Parliament of Uganda, Uganda

Ms Watera is a seasoned evaluator with sixteen years working experience in the evidence-informed decision-making space. She is the Assistant Director, Research Services and previous Head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Division. She leads her team to synthesise and disseminate evidence to inform budgeting, legislation, and oversight decisions in the Uganda Parliament. She is a member of the Independent Evaluation Panel of the Global Fund, an advisory to the Board, providing quality assurance and independent assessment of evaluation activities. Josephine is a member of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group, that conducts peer reviews, quality assurance of evaluations reports and supports the use of the evaluation findings at the national level. Josephine led development of the “African Evaluation Principles”, and contributed to a book entitled, “African Parliaments: Evidence Systems for governance and development” (2021). She the 2023 Winner of the African Evidence Leadership Award- Evidence User Category.
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Interactive session

How can WHO help to foster the institutionalization of E2P in your context?

In this session, participants will reflect on the domains of institutionalization in evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) at the country level and explore the support offered by the World Health Organization (WHO). A brief overview of the six institutionalization domains will be shared, so that participants can identify one domain that they believe is closest to being institutionalized in their country and one domain that is far from institutionalization. Participants will also reflect, in the EVIPNet LinkedIn group, on the different types of support they believe WHO can provide for advancing EIPM institutionalization in their countries, such as training, mentoring, translation of tools, or assistance in securing funding.  

The collective reflection and insights from the session will be captured using digital interactive whiteboards. This will ensure a comprehensive record of the participants' appraisal and contributions to a rich and diverse body of knowledge on evidence-informed policy-making. 

 

Key questions and session highlights

  • What are the most mature and least mature domains of EIPM institutionalization in different countries? 

  • What kind of support can WHO provide to your country to advance EIPM institutionalization?