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Summary
The Partnership for Evidence and Equity in Responsive Social Systems (PEERSS) facilitates the use of evidence by policymakers and stakeholders to clarify priority development problems and causes, frame options to address them, and identify implementation considerations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has partnered with IDRC to jointly support PEERSS teams in low- and middle-income countries.

Evidence-informed policymaking

Despite the acknowledged importance of using evidence for decision-making, timely and responsive mechanisms for evidence-informed policymaking require empowered support to improve evidence production, use, and uptake.

Engaging policymakers effectively can result in influence and impact on policymaking, both for individual organizations and for national ecosystems of policy-supporting organizations. Research in the practice of evidence-informed policymaking builds the evidence base that contributes to improved social policymaking and social program implementation.  

Aims of the partnership approach

Driven by the values of co-creation, equity, and commitment, PEERSS teams work to fulfill their mission of collaborating for better evidence, better decisions, better lives. 

PEERSS aims to promote, amplify, facilitate, and strengthen the use of evidence to inform decision-making in health and social policies. PEERSS teams all have longstanding ties to national ministries and key policy informants within government, academia, and research institutions.

About the partnership

Since its inception in 2018, PEERSS has established communication mechanisms, supported country teams, carried out country ecosystem assessments, and further developed a community of practice. PEERSS teams have noted an increase in both the awareness and demand for rapid and responsive evidence mechanisms and have demonstrated an early ability to support evidence-based decision-making on social policies, more recently with the urgent demand of evidence created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PEERSS teams provide policymakers with information on their decision-making timeline, drawing on systematic reviews and rapid syntheses of evidence, as well as practical knowledge from key stakeholders gathered through dialogues and citizens’ panels. 

Visit the PEERSS website to access resources, updates, opportunities, and learn more about this partnership.  Follow PEERSS on Twitter @PEERSS_Global.

Learn more

Watch our series of policy videos on Building effective partnerships and learning collaboratively to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking in the social sectors

Partners

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