Rethinking evaluation of science-for-policy ecosystems

Three years ago, the EU Joint Research Centre launched a series of thematic workshops focused on mapping and strengthening national ecosystems of science-for-policy. A national ecosystem of science-for-policy consists of an interlinked set of institutions, structures, mechanisms, and functions that interact at different levels to provide scientific evidence for policy. The workshops were meant to showcase the national composition as well as cross-national similarities of the advisory ecosystems connecting science with policy. The dialogue demonstrated how EU Member States use a wide range of structures and instruments to provide evidence and advice to policymakers, often connected through a complex set of institutions. In this blogpost for the European Commission, Prof. David Budtz Pedersen looks back at the lessons learnt and ahead towards a new framework for evaluation of science-for-policy ecosystems.