Evidence Matters is a collaborative learning series hosted by the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at Notre Dame, J-PAL North America, and Carrie S. Cihak. It brings together government leaders, researchers, and community stakeholders to strengthen evidence-informed approaches that promote economic mobility and equity. In March 2026, the series hosted a session titled “Ten Lessons for Building Government & Research Partnerships That Matter,” where experts discussed practical insights, challenges, and long-term benefits of sustaining cross-sector collaborations.
The discussion highlighted the importance of rigorous evidence in shaping effective public policy. Impact evaluations help identify which programs work best, how resources should be allocated, and how policies can improve lives. Governments, researchers, and communities all play essential roles in this process—governments by responding to public needs and managing resources, researchers by generating new knowledge through structured studies, and communities by offering ground-level insights into real challenges and solutions.
Speakers emphasized that the most effective outcomes emerge when these groups work together rather than independently. While collaboration can be complex due to administrative, logistical, and partnership challenges, strong coordination leads to more meaningful and actionable evidence. A key takeaway from the discussion was that successful partnerships rely on recognizing and valuing the expertise each stakeholder brings at every stage of the policy cycle.
During the early stages of problem-solving, understanding community needs is essential. Government actors provide context, access to local networks, and knowledge of implementation environments, while researchers contribute insights from existing studies. However, effective solutions must always begin with government priorities and community realities to ensure relevance and feasibility.
In the implementation phase, government systems and service providers play a central role due to their understanding of funding structures, operational constraints, and public engagement processes. Researchers can support with data collection and monitoring, while all partners learn from one another to ensure programs are delivered as intended and can be properly assessed.
Evaluation is where academic expertise becomes particularly important, as researchers apply rigorous methods to measure impact. However, government partners also contribute by ensuring that study designs are practical, ethical, and aligned with real-world conditions. Their understanding of service delivery and participant experiences helps shape how evaluations are conducted, including how data is gathered and how communities are engaged.
The discussion also stressed the importance of open communication between partners during evaluation. Governments are encouraged to actively engage with researchers, ask questions, and participate in shaping study design rather than deferring entirely to academic experts. This shared dialogue ensures that research is both methodologically sound and practically relevant.
Finally, the partnership does not end with evaluation results. Instead, findings are used collaboratively to refine, scale, or redesign programs, while also generating new questions for future research. This continuous cycle of learning ensures that evidence is not only produced but actively applied, reinforcing the value of long-term, trust-based government-research partnerships in creating more effective and equitable policies.
