Facts Inform Power: Why Don't We Experiment More in the Public Sector?
The public sector makes significant decisions that impact society as a whole – but how often do we actually test what works when implementing new measures? While social science has developed effective methods for measuring impact, these are seldom used in the public sector. Why is that the case? And what could we achieve if we experimented more?
DFØ and Norad invite you to a seminar where two of the world’s leading experts on experimentation, Professors Mari Rege and Dean Karlan, will share their insights on how experiments have transformed international development assistance and how these methods can be applied more effectively in Norwegian public administration. Following their presentations, there will be a discussion led by Cathrine Holst, Professor of Science Theory and Democracy.
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Agenda
- 09:00–09:10 | Welcome by Elise Rasmussen (DFØ) and Håvard Mokleiv Nygård (Norad)
- 09:10–09:30 | How experiments revolutionized development aid – lessons learned and USAID’s approach – Dean Karlan
- 09:30–09:50 | Experimentation in the Norwegian public sector – Mari Rege
- 09:50–10:30 | Panel discussion – moderated by Cathrine Holst
The event will be conducted in English.
About the Speakers
Dean Karlan, until recently Chief Economist at USAID, is one of the world’s foremost development economists. He has taught at Princeton and Yale and now holds a prestigious position at Northwestern University.
Mari Rege is a Professor of Economics at the University of Stavanger. She has served on several government committees and is a strong advocate for increased experimentation in the Norwegian public sector.
Cathrine Holst is a Professor of Science Theory and Democracy at the University of Oslo. Her research focuses on the relationship between expertise and politics, and she has led several projects on the role of expert knowledge in policymaking and democracy.
Coffee will be served!
Welcome