Don’t let data get lost in translation
Implementing and improving evidence-based approaches takes time, talent, and infrastructure. But too often, these vital steps are treated as a mere afterthought. FrameWorks has identified metaphors that help non-specialists grasp the nuances of evidence and how data can drive decisions.
What the Research Tells Us
The public lacks ways to think about policy implementation.
Americans tend to assume that once a clear vision has been established and there is “buy in” from staff, the task of carrying out a plan is a simple matter and bureaucrats should “just do it.”
Leveraging thinking about “the human element” can help.
Leaders can build public understanding and address practitioner concerns by explaining implementation and improvement science as ways to acknowledge the reality that organizations are not machines, but collaborative efforts that involve real people and substantial complexity.
Metaphors can help bring these concepts to life.
To show that improvement science is a continuous process, communicators can compare it to a navigation app that constantly refreshes data to provide directions.
Resources / Evidence-Based Policymaking
Framing Strategies to Build Understanding of Improvement Science
This brief lays out an evidence-based approach to communicating about the science of improvement in the education sector.
January 3, 2017