Start to finish: 2015- 2016

UJ lead: Laurenz Langer with Ruth Stewart

Partners: This work has been in close partnership with Harsha Dayal from the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in South Africa, who has led the work. Further key partners from DPME included: Ahmed Vawda, Matodzi Amisi, Nollen Mdhlovu, Siphesihle Dumisa, Thando Mhlanga, Matthew Hughsam; as well as support from the Department of Human Settlements itself.

Funder: Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), South Africa

Region of focus: South Africa

ACE themes: Producing useful research evidence; Supporting others to produce useful research evidence; Supporting the use of research evidence in decision-making; Being responsive to contexts and needs in Africa

Description: Evidence maps are an evidence synthesis tool that allows decision-makers to rapidly access a body of evidence relevant to their policy questions. This evidence is then mapped against a policy framework and visualised on an interactive evidence interface to allow public servants to interrogate and engage with the evidence. In this evidence map, we followed a demand-led approach to adapt evidence mapping methodology to public service sector decision-makers’needs. As a result, the available research evidence was mapped against two South African policy-frameworks: the Human Settlements Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) as an outcome framework and the Human Settlements White paper as a policy/intervention framework.

For more information, please visit DPME’s website: http://www.dpme.gov.za/ or this short reflection blog.