What works? Utilising Place and Practice-Based Evidence
April 2025
The Lab
On 3 April 2025, we talked Evidence, Place and Outcomes with 60 public servants from 18 different agencies across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Masterclass "What Works" Utilising Place and Practice-Based Evidence was a collaboration with The Policy Project ANZSOG - The Australia and New Zealand School of Government Social Investment Agency and The Good Shift, promoting approaches that bring policy closer to the context of people’s lives.
We looked at how worldviews and values are the precursor to how we see evidence, data and methods and shape what makes different approaches meaningful, relevant and/or rigorous.
We looked at the kinds of evidence and data needed for addressing complex social policy challenges and the importance of drawing on and generating place and practice-based evidence with communities.
We looked at some of the policy and resource implications of different place-based approaches, and some of the shifts involved in moving towards an ecosystem approach.
And we reflected on how evaluative thinking starts to become a more global public sector skill set as early signals and feedback loops become embedded in policy and implementation practice from the outset.
A goal of the Masterclass was to support a critical lens on these key areas of Evidence, Place and Outcomes particularly as the public service makes the shifts towards a Social Investment approach that invests early for the long term. We are grateful to Zach Penman of Social Investment Agency for kicking off the day, and sharing how the emerging Social Investment approach directly engages with these factors.
Our plan is to continue to these conversations in the coming months. You can find and download the slides, and other materials from the masterclass, here.
Thanks again to Aimee Hadrup, Angie Tangaere, Ingrid Burkett, Penny Hagen, Zach Penman, Jayne Foster Sarah Pinto, Sally Washington & Craig Salmon for making the day a great opportunity to connect and kōrero around these critical topics. Thanks also to Holly Davies for our awesome workshop materials!
