How evidence can be used to inform policy: A case study of early childhood evidence-based policy development

Albeit science is clear in its support for early childhood, the developmental outcomes for young children, globally, are poor. It is hypothesized that evidence-based policies may be a potential mediator of the application of science to improve the lives and well-being of young children. However, the question arises — at what stage of policy formulation can evidence be infused into the process? The aim of the present study was to test the applicability of the infusion of evidence into the very initial stages of policy development by using a systematic analytical approach. A policy analysis and review protocol, generated from the early childhood and social policy science literatures, was applied to the early childhood (ECD) policy formulation for Lao PDR. The results of the analysis indicated, that while several certain aspects of ECD are addressed in the country, notable gaps need to be addressed. The analysis resulted in a set of recommendations to inform the subsequent stage of policy development. The application of this analytical methodology to use evidence to inform policy, the advantages, challenges and issues for further consideration are discussed in this paper.