​Over the past ten years the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has adopted a systematic approach to improving how it sources and uses evidence to inform policymaking. In doing so, it has implemented strategic processes that have resulted in the so called Evidence Investment Strategy papers. These papers aim at strengthening the relationships among the ‘demand’, ‘intermediation’ and ‘supply’ of evidence for policy making in and by Defra. This working paper describes how these Evidence Investment Strategies have been planned, implemented and adapted based on lessons learned.

Louise Shaxon