We are taking a systematic approach to transforming how the VPS generates, uses and shares evidence. 

Successive inquiries have found that the Victorian public service can improve its use of evidence. Governments worldwide are trying to find the best evidence to support their decisions. Policy problems are complex; if we can coordinate evidence better, we can find better answers to these problems.

Evidence is at the core of every decision that government makes. Better supply, demand and use of evidence can improve our decisions and deliver better outcomes for Victorians.

Evidence Reform: Victoria's Approach outlines the focus areas for reform:  the supply, demand and productive use of evidence. 

The evidence reform architecture provides a roadmap for how we will improve our supply, demand and use of evidence. 

The evidence reform architecture has three components: 

• enduring questions – how we shape evidence around big-picture questions that governments face now and into the future
• shared understanding - how we translate evidence so we can use it to inform our decisions
• alignment with government systems and operations - how we make evidence part of our day to day work

To learn more about our evidence reform approach, download Evidence Reform: Victoria's Approach.

Outcomes Reform

Improving the way we generate, use and share evidence is only one side of the story. A focus on outcomes sets high expectations for what the public sector can achieve. It helps identify what we need to measure to know if we are having an impact for Victorians. This is why we're also leading an outcomes reform.

Our focus on outcomes communicates Victoria’s key priorities, why they matter and what success looks like.

Good public policy and service delivery must demonstrate its value to the community. In the past, government has measured what it does, and not necessarily what it achieves.

Often government focuses on outputs (what activities, products or services it is providing) and how much it costs to provide them. Just monitoring and reporting on outputs doesn't provide evidence of the impact of our work. 

Focusing on outcomes instead of outputs allows us to better identify what we want to achieve for Victoria. It connects our work with communities, experts and service delivery sectors. It also provides flexibility and enables us to communicate what we want to achieve in a way that is meaningful for Victorians.

To read more, download Outcomes reform in Victoria or visit the Outcomes Community of Practice Innovation Network page.