Use of Evidence

 

All environmental protection organisations must ensure that their strategies, programmes priorities and targets are effective, efficient, stand up to scrutiny, deal with problems, and are forward-looking and shaped by evidence - rather than responding to short-term pressures. This requires them to:

  • Use evidence and knowledge to guide and inspire their own actions and the actions of others
  • Recognise that data, information and knowledge are assets, and to manage them accordingly
  • Use environmental data to create compelling evidence that supports and informs their decisions, and those of others

The role of the SKEP Network is to facilitate the discussion and exchange of knowledge, facts, data and science to support environmental regulation. It aims to improve access to the evidence required to inform decision makers, and to ensure that Network members can substantiate their decisions and drive better environmental outcomes.

It’s not just about what we do, but how we do it. The strength of the SKEP Network comes through working together and building relationships between policy makers and technical staff. SKEP Network aims to harness available expertise to collaboratively produce:

  • short responses to evidence queries
  • briefing summaries
  • short reports
  • work to address evidence gaps
  • funding of research to develop knowledge on a given topic

In doing so, it will:

  • inform current thinking and provide an understanding of the most effective interventions and where to make them
  • challenge where ‘inconvenient truths’ show that decisions or actions are not evidence-based
  • enable decision-making that ensures Network organisations deliver the optimum outcome for the environment and society
  • shape new, and review existing programmes and strategies to ensure they are effective and that there is a clear line of sight from the evidence through to actions on the ground
  • enable the development of better tools and techniques and improve organisational effectiveness and efficiency
  • lead a change in behaviour toward delivering environmental outcomes