On Friday, August 17, 2018, the Southern California Evaluation Association (SCEA) co-hosted an Evidence-Based Policy Making Panel Discussion with the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC) as part of their Professional Development Evaluation Workshop Series. A panel of four evaluation professionals discussed emerging issues and strategies for supporting evidence-based decision-making in organizations. These individuals included Leslie Fierro (Claremont Graduate University), Nick Hart (Bipartisan Policy Center), Andrew McEachin (RAND Corporation), Stephanie Shipman (U.S. Government Accountability Office, retired).

The event was held in person at Claremont Graduate University and broadcasted as an online webinar with over 50 attendees participating worldwide. Panelists shared their thoughts and experiences on the perceived nature of evidence, its uses and non-use in decision-making processes, and how evaluators can translate the implications of federal expectations to practice across different contexts. Panelists also shared their tips on on finding creative ways to engage policy makers who are not interested in reading lengthy journal articles or reports, finding ways to broker knowledge, and explaining the importance of evidence to policy makers.

A big thank you to our great panelists and to everyone who attended in person or online.

Stay tuned for more SCEA events! We will be hosting another event in the fall. If you are not currently an SCEA member, become a member here.