This seminar will focus on how countries can establish a policy framework to enable effective local action using an evidence-based approach, choosing between different measures when resources are scarce. The latest evidence from OECD countries on ‘what works’ and ‘what doesn’t’ will be considered, with participants sharing their own experiences from their perspectives as policy makers, researchers, practitioners and social entrepreneurs.

1. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
Evidence Strategy
The Danish approach
Ministry of Employment
By Simon Lamech
20. oktober 2014

2. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
The Danish TEAM
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014

3. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
Why evidence strategy
• Danish politicians are increasingly
interested in the effects of active labour
market policies.
• The Danish evidence strategy is a
framework for us to work systematically to
build up evidence about effects of ALMP.
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014

4. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
Ministry of Employment
Focus-points
In general we have focus on:
• Causal correlations between active measure and outcome.
Outcome goals are job and education. Average effects.
For vulnerable groups of public benefit recipients we also focus
on:
• Statistical correlation between progression-factor and outcome.
For example better self reported health and getting a job is
correlated.
• Causal correlation between active measure and progression factor.
For example: mentoring leads to better self reported health.
20. oktober 2014

5. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
Our Evidence Hieracy
Systematical use of terms regarding evidence, indication ,
no knowledge.
Level of evidence Detailed level of evidence Criteria
Evidence Strong evidence An overweight of three or more studies with
Weighed by quality, type of analysis, geography distance from DK,
production year, published or not. The weighting is done by researchers. Then aggregate
to find overweight
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014
high quality and / or a research-based review
shows results that go in the same direction
Moderate evidence An overweight of two studies of high quality
shows results that go in the same direction
Indication Indication An overweight of one study of high quality or
more studies with limited quality show results
in the same direction
No Knowledge Conflicting knowledge Studies show results that go in different
directions. No overweight.
Uncertain knowledge No or few studies with limited quality show
results. No overweight.

6. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
The Danish evidence strategy
Based on 3 pillars:
1. Collect existing evidence
2. Innovate new evidence
3. Communicate/disseminate the results
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014

7. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
1. Collecting existing evidence
• We finance researchers to collect existing effect studies
Ministry of Employment
(Danish and international studies).
• A literature review sums up the effects studies found for
a specific program/active measure and conclude the
overall effect.
• Each of the effect studies are entered into our
knowledge bank.
20. oktober 2014

8. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
2. Innovate new evidence
• We innovate to learn about effects of existing and new
programs/active measures in a Danish context.
• Pilot projects. We define the overall framework of the
treatment and municipalities specify the detailed content
of the treatment and the organization. We learn from the
various ways of doing the treatment and try to estimate
the effects.
• Randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Golden standard
in measuring effects.The treatment is described in more
detail. Municipalities have to follow the protocol.
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014

9. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
3. Communication/dissemination
– Conferences on what works
– Monthly news letter (www.samspil.org).
– Homepage (www.star.dk/da/tal-og-analyser)
– Knowledge bank (www.jobeffekter.dk)
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014

10. Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment
Knowledge Bank: Jobeffekter.dk
• The database shows the effects of active
measures for different target groups.
• Open for all since June 2013, contains approx.
150 studies for unemployment benefit recipients.
• Will be opened for vulnerable groups later.
Ministry of Employment
20. oktober 2014