From Data to Action: An Evidence-Based Approach to Anti-Poverty Policies in the EU

Our new policy brief is out! This work, in collaboration with IEP, Institute of European Policymaking at Bocconi University, follows on LEAP efforts to promote a proper "evaluation culture" to the formulation of anti-poverty policies - through data-driven approaches and impact evaluations.

In this policy brief, we focus on the European context, discussing how institutions have tackled poverty and inequalities in such unprecedented times. After reviewing some of the ways in which the previous European Commission has shaped anti-poverty policies, we emphasize the need for a rigorous approach rooted in data, impact evaluations and evidence-based policymaking. Although such principles are neither innovative nor unprecedented in the EU’s fight against poverty, we show that for most policies thus far, they have either not been correctly implemented or attempted at all. 

We explore the trasformative role of evidence-based policymaking against poverty looking at two case studies: homelessness and education. The former, illustrating how data can reveal hidden social phenomena that would otherwise remain invisible; the latter showing how data can measure the impact of policies, identify the most effective and efficient solutions, and establish a replicable policy framework for various key dimensions.

Authored by Luca Privinzano, Associate Director of Research at LEAP Bocconi and Pietro Galeone, Research Fellow at IEP Bocconi