Strategy

Evidence Investment Strategy

Defra are actively developing a new Evidence Investment Strategy (EIS), which we aim to deliver in the autumn. This will build on the Evidence and Innovation Strategy 2005-2008 and the Chief Scientific Adviser’s September 2008 strategy workshop to ensure that the evidence we invest in the department has maximum impact.

Evidence is at the heart of good policy-making at Defra.  It provides information for decision-making, helps us find new policy solutions, and supports us in identifying and tackling emerging issues. The way that we approach and manage our investment in evidence is a vital part of managing our business.

The EIS will drive best practice in identifying gaps, acquiring evidence, and the translation and application of  evidence, and ensure that Defra is the first with the best evidence for cost-effective and high-quality policy formulation. The principles underlying the strategy are that our investments:

  1. Support the delivery of Defra’s departmental priorities and reflect the strategic needs of the whole of the Defra network.
  2. Encourage innovative approaches to evidence gathering and use as well as the development of innovation in the wider economy that is focused on our issues;
  3. Reflect our view of future opportunities and threats;
  4. Reflect the priorities and spend of other UK and international funders;
  5. Support and delivers the required internal skills needs of Defra; and
  6. Take account of our key external capability needs.

To deliver this, the EIS will provide a comprehensive, assessment of our current investments  in evidence across the department and how these address the big evidence challenges facing us now and in the future.  It will also provide a framework to drive culture change to focus on how best to engage with evidence providers , in the UK and abroad, through our investments and by leveraging others.

For further information, or if you have any comments, please contact the Evidence Strategy Project Team at EIS@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

For more information about our departmental objectives: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/what-do-we-do/objectives08.htm.

Defra’s Evidence Investment Strategy Workshop – 22 September 2009

As part of the development of Defra’s new evidence investment strategy we held a workshop to gather views from our key stakeholders. This was attended by academia, research councils, non-government organisations, think-tanks, delivery agencies and other government departments. The workshop consisted of presentations and discussions around Defra’s emerging three big evidence challenges and key messages from the strategy development process.

Evidence Investment Strategy workshop

The day was an opportunity for our key stakeholders to find out about our strategy, to provide feedback on the big challenges, and for us to gain insight and ideas about how to work better with others.

For more information about the workshop

Capability Study

Defra published a report on 12 May from a project to survey the external capabilities the Department is likely to need to deliver evidence to meet its strategic requirements. The report is a contractor’s independent assessment of strategically important capabilities. It is not a statement of Defra policy or intent. However, we expect it to influence future planning and strategic evidence management, including informing drafting of the forthcoming Evidence Investment Strategy.

The report identifies some areas of the UK research base as providing capabilities of particular strategic importance to Defra. “Capability” refers to parts of the knowledge and research base - facilities, expertise, networks, and long-term datasets. The report highlights capabilities that are:

  • important to Defra’s mission,
  • would be difficult to replace if allowed to lapse, and
  • dependent on Defra investment or another single main funder.

It suggests Defra might monitor these capabilities and consider some strategic management to ensure their continued availability to meet Defra’s needs. It does not address whether capabilities are vulnerable to funding changes.

Defra's Response to the OSI Review of Defra Science

In 2006 the Office for Science and Innovation (OSI) carried out a review of Defra science. It explored ways in which Defra can maintain and improve the quality and use of its science and made a number of recommendations as to how this could be done. Defra's positive response to the review, published in early 2007, set out how we would seek to meet the recommendations and continue to improve our use and management of science.

Page last modified: 11 November 2009
Page published: 12 February 2007