Article type
Abstract
Background: The National School of Public Administration (ENAP) is a central organisation of the Brazilian Federal Government, accountable for conducting policy-oriented research and developing professional training for the civil service staff. ENAP plays a very important role in the government knowledge production system, both as assisting civil service capacity building and as a centre of knowledge diffusion for the whole ecosystem of public organisations in Brazil. The "Evidencia Express" (EvEx) rapid response evidence service was created at ENAP in 2020 to connect research and policymaking, facilitating knowledge translation and promoting a better understanding of research implications for social and political issues. EvEx receives policymakers requests, rapidly develops tailored research plans to address specific policy problems, and delivers insights to inform decision-making.
Objectives: This work describes how the Brazilian Federal Government's rapid response evidence service addresses policymakers' research demands by providing timely, tailored research that directly translates policy challenges into actionable insights.
Methods: This cross-sectional study uses administrative data from the rapid response evidence service to present a report of practical experiences. Data are originated by the service managing instruments and statistics of report completion.
Results: In three years, EvEx has produced over 90 evidence reports across diverse policy areas, serving 22 public organizations including ministries, regulatory agencies, and the Presidency of the Republic. Benchmarking studies and exploratory data analysis are the most demanded report types. The Ministry of Planning is the most frequent user of the service. EvEx has addressed critical policy areas such as public administration, education, equity, and human rights. The reports are developed by experienced researchers in a 5 to 7 week timeframe and are commonly used to inform evaluation processes, support program changes, and guide regulatory instruments.
Conclusions: Close collaboration between researchers and policymakers is crucial throughout the research process, from initial contact to final presentation. This continuous dialogue allows researchers to effectively translate policy problems into actionable research questions and tailor the language for better understanding. Further studies are planned to gain a deeper understanding of how these products are used and how they influence policy decisions.
Objectives: This work describes how the Brazilian Federal Government's rapid response evidence service addresses policymakers' research demands by providing timely, tailored research that directly translates policy challenges into actionable insights.
Methods: This cross-sectional study uses administrative data from the rapid response evidence service to present a report of practical experiences. Data are originated by the service managing instruments and statistics of report completion.
Results: In three years, EvEx has produced over 90 evidence reports across diverse policy areas, serving 22 public organizations including ministries, regulatory agencies, and the Presidency of the Republic. Benchmarking studies and exploratory data analysis are the most demanded report types. The Ministry of Planning is the most frequent user of the service. EvEx has addressed critical policy areas such as public administration, education, equity, and human rights. The reports are developed by experienced researchers in a 5 to 7 week timeframe and are commonly used to inform evaluation processes, support program changes, and guide regulatory instruments.
Conclusions: Close collaboration between researchers and policymakers is crucial throughout the research process, from initial contact to final presentation. This continuous dialogue allows researchers to effectively translate policy problems into actionable research questions and tailor the language for better understanding. Further studies are planned to gain a deeper understanding of how these products are used and how they influence policy decisions.