In the Eyes on Evidence research series, we used an established framework to explore the transparency of evidence usage in policy-making across both federal and provincial levels of government. Simply put, the framework asks: can the evidence behind policy decisions be found by the public? The assessment found that policies across the Canadian federation fare poorly when it comes to the transparency of evidence usage, meaning that it is difficult for someone outside government to find the evidence informing federal and provincial policies.

However, it is recognised that the transparency framework is not a perfect measure and that transparency of evidence use in policy-making may fall short for reasons we can’t see from the sidelines. As such, researchers met with public servants, elected representatives, and political staffers to discuss our findings and to better understand the internal challenges or barriers that impede transparency in policy-making.

In this report, the authors share key insights gleaned from federal and provincial discussions and reflect on whether government systems, structures, and resources are equipped to deliver on commitments to evidence-informed decision-making in a manner that is accessible to the general public.