The Impact of Evidence-Based Policymaking and Digital Transformation on Planning Administration

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present a perspective on what impact digital transformation (DX) will have on evidence-based policymaking (EBPM) and how it will change planning administration. The term “evidence” is interpreted broadly here to include data that do not directly contribute to identifying causal relationships between policy and outcome. We will describe in turn how DX affects evidence in the broad sense. In situations where public policy decisions are made, the characteristics of society and the opinions and the values of people will have a greater influence on the final decision than objective or scientific evidence. If we think of planning administration as a kind of political process, we need to consider the role that DX plays in the stage of gathering opinions from people. This article discusses the possibility that DX will significantly change the way people's opinions are gathered and consequently influence policy decisions.