Evidence-Based Policies in Higher Education: Data Analytics, Impact Assessment and Reporting [Overview Paper]

Abstract

Higher education is at the heart of the national public agenda in a growing number of countries. Decision-makers need to consider more systematically the role of universities as instruments of economic development and social mobility, making it imperative important to ground higher education policies carefully on evidence about what works. Similarly, at the institutional level, universities must learn to guide their transformative efforts with a more thorough analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and a deeper understanding of the factors behind the results of successful universities. This introductory article shows how the lessons of experience can help understand what works and what does not work in higher education policy under various conditions and circumstances, in order to increase the probability of success and avoid repeating the mistakes of others.