Available courses

Systematic Approaches to Policy Decisions

The overall goal of this unit is to provide a brief overview of three commonly-used approaches for analytical decision-making. We expect that you have encountered each of these before, and that you may have used one or more of them in your own decision-making, perhaps often. 

Here, our focus will be on the trade-offs inherent in each of these different strategies. Some types of decisions lend themselves to one approach or the other. Others benefit from some combination of multiple approaches. 

You will investigate these questions in the unit: 

  • What are three commonly used systematic approaches to decision-making? 
  • What are the pros and cons of these different approaches? 
  • How do evidence and data inform each of these systematic approaches? 

This unit will highlight the ways in which evidence and data play a crucial role, no matter which strategy you decide to use. 

Using Data Systems

Welcome to this unit on using data systems. The key goal of this unit is to help you become a better user of, and contributor to, data systems by:

  • Developing a shared understanding of what makes a good data system, and how data systems can facilitate timely evidence-informed decision making.
  • Equipping you with key principles to help you contribute to effective data systems in your organizations.

The central message of this unit is that data are everywhere, and strong data systems have the power to inform decision making for better policies.

Commissioning Evidence

The overall goal of this unit is to promote critical thinking about when and why to commission and use evidence to guide your decisions and your work more generally.

We will introduce a 5-step process to help structure your thinking about evidence and how to effectively use it in your work: 

  • Step 1: Define your key questions
  • Step 2: State your priors
  • Step 3: Find or commission the evidence
  • Step 4: Aggregate and synthesize the evidence
  • Step 5: Update your priors

The unit will focus on Step 1 and Step 3.

In Step 1, you will learn the importance of defining the key questions you are trying to answer, so that you can determine what evidence is relevant and useful. You will analyze a few examples of real-world policy questions and consider what the ideal evidence to inform these questions might look like.

In Step 3, you will explore the process of finding or commissioning the relevant evidence to inform your work. You will learn to consider these questions:

  • What evidence exists that could help answer these key questions?
  • If your ideal evidence doesn’t already exist in some form, how might you go about facilitating the creation of that evidence?

Aggregating Evidence

The goal of this unit is to help you think systematically about selecting and weighting evidence, so you can aggregate existing evidence to make better and more informed decisions.

Aggregating evidence can occur in different steps of the policymaking process, such as when identifying problems, diagnosing underlying causes, designing policy solutions, and testing and refining the solutions. For the purposes of this unit, we will focus on this third use: aggregating evidence for the purpose of designing policy solutions. 

Cost Benefit Analysis

The goal of this unit is to explore the appropriate use of cost-benefit analysis within the policy decision-making process.

The unit begins with a general overview of the primary components of a cost-benefit analysis, or CBA. What is a CBA? What is it used for? 

After covering the basics, we will explore the key features of a real CBA, playing the role of a decision-maker reading and interpreting the analysis. How does the analysis inform relevant decision-making? What assumptions does the analysis make?

You will consider the most important questions one should ask when critically consuming a CBA. These questions will provide an important starting point for interpreting and using CBAs in your own work.

Descriptive Evidence December 2025

Welcome to this unit on descriptive evidence.  The key goal of this unit is to help you become a better consumer of descriptive evidence by further developing your ability to use and interpret data. The central message is that, when used appropriately, data can be incredibly powerful to make better decisions and implement better policies.

We will draw on examples of use of data in a wide range of fields including  education, health, the environment, transportation, and crime. The examples also cover a range of countries to illustrate how data can be used effectively to inform decisions and policies everywhere in the world.  

Descriptive Evidence

Welcome to this unit on descriptive evidence.  The key goal of this unit is to help you become a better consumer of descriptive evidence by further developing your ability to use and interpret data. The central message is that, when used appropriately, data can be incredibly powerful to make better decisions and implement better policies.

We will draw on examples of use of data in a wide range of fields including  education, health, the environment, transportation, and crime. The examples also cover a range of countries to illustrate how data can be used effectively to inform decisions and policies everywhere in the world.  

Impact Evaluation

Welcome to this unit on impact evaluations. The goal is to help you become an effective consumer of impact evaluations and be able to discern the quality of evaluations that you are presented with. Here are the questions that this unit will address: 

FOUNDATION OF IMPACT EVALUATIONS

  • Why are impact evaluations done? 
  • How can you estimate the impact of a program? 

DISCERN THE QUALITY OF IMPACT EVALUATIONS

  • How can you assess the credibility of impact evaluations? 

Descriptive-Evidence

Welcome to this unit on descriptive evidence.  The key goal of this unit is to help you become a better consumer of descriptive evidence by further developing your ability to use and interpret data. The central message is that, when used appropriately, data can be incredibly powerful to make better decisions and implement better policies.

We will draw on examples of use of data in a wide range of fields including  education, health, the environment, transportation, and crime. The examples also cover a range of countries to illustrate how data can be used effectively to inform decisions and policies everywhere in the world.