An article by Professor Karol Olejniczak, a researcher from SWPS University’s Institute of Social Sciences, has been included in the Highly Cited Article Collection published by Bristol University Press.
The article, “Policy labs: the next frontier of policy design and evaluation?”, first appeared in the Policy & Politics journal in January 2020 (Volume 48, No. 1).
“Policy labs: the next frontier of policy design and evaluation?”
The article explores the potential benefits to public policy of combining traditional evaluative inquiry with insights developed dynamically in policy labs. Researchers critically analyzed twenty leading labs from five continents through a literature review as well as policy and program evaluation practices. They assessed the extent to which the purpose, structures and processes used in policy labs address three challenges: (1) establishing the causality and value of public interventions, (2) explaining mechanisms of change, and (3) utilizing research findings in public policy. The article concludes that creating synergies between evaluation inquiry and policy labs can improve the design and implementation of public policy and programs.
The key finding from the research project - the REACT framework for running lab's operation - has helped implement the series of gov_LAB projects with Polish local governments and the Polish Agency of Enterprise Development.
Free access to the article until August 31, 2021 »
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Policy & Politics Journal
Policy & Politics is a world-leading journal that is committed to advancing our understanding of the dynamics of policy-making and implementation. By exploring the interplay between political actors, governing institutions and policy issues, the journal contributes to theories of the policy process. By reflecting on the evolving context in which these interactions occur, it provides critical insights that are timely and fresh.
Karol Olejniczak – is an Associate Professor of public policy and a co-founder of policy research company Evaluation for Government Organizations (EGO s.c.). His work focuses on the intersection of policy design and evaluation, and the use of evidence in decision-making. In his research and teaching, he utilizes games, experiments, and behavioral design. He has twenty years of experience in applied research and training for numerous institutions around the world such as the European Commission, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and various public agencies in Poland, including The Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Polish Agency of Enterprise Development, National Science Center, The National Centre for Research and Development. He is currently running a policy lab on innovative public services with Polish local municipalities and consulting with U.S. Federal agencies to develop learning agendas. Full bio »