A framework for open policy analysis

Fernando Hoces de la Guardia, Sean Grant and Edward Miguel

Department of Economics, Working Paper Series from Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley

Abstract: The evidence-based policy movement promotes the use of empirical evidence to inform policy decision-making. While several social science disciplines are undergoing a 'credibility revolution' focused on openness and replication, policy analysis has yet to systematically embrace transparency and reproducibility. We argue that policy analysis should adopt the open research practices increasingly espoused in related disciplines to advance the credibility of evidence-based policy making. We first discuss the importance of evidence-based policy in an era of increasing disagreement about facts, analysis, and expertise. We present a novel framework for 'open' policy analysis (OPA) and how to achieve it, focusing on examples of recent policy analyses that have incorporated open research practices such as transparent reporting, open data, and code sharing. We conclude with recommendations on how key stakeholders in evidence-based policy can make OPA the norm and thus safeguard trust in using empirical evidence to inform important public policy decisions.

Keywords: Policy and Administration; Human Society; Clinical Research; 8.3 Policy; ethics; and research governance; Health and social care services research; Generic health relevance; Quality Education; research transparency; open science; policy analysis; Political Science; Law; Science Studies; Policy and administration; Political science (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-06-23
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Related works:
Journal Article: A framework for open policy analysis (2021)
Working Paper: A Framework for Open Policy Analysis (2018)
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