Empower Outcomes with Data-Driven Decisions

The world looks to public leaders to make critical decisions. From child welfare to climate-friendly energy to citizen health and wellbeing, global communities and organizations are waiting—watching—for their response. So, how do leaders prepare to solve complex challenges with certainty?

In the Evidence for Decisions courses, led by Teddy Svoronos, a senior lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School, learners will explore how to leverage data to make optimized decisions and verify that programs are leaving an impact. Part of the Public Leadership Credential, these asynchronous A and B courses are designed to help leaders develop the skills needed to describe, identify, and evaluate the factors that lead to effective decision-making to change the world for the better.

“This course is ideal for anyone seeking a graduate-level understanding of decision-making and evidence procedures for application in the public sphere.”
– John Strickland, PLC Learner

Upcoming PLC Dates

January 2025 Capstone

Course Dates: Jan 7–21
Registration Deadline: Jan 2
Course Fee: $1,095

Register for the Jan. Capstone

Spring 1 Session (A and B Courses)

Course Dates: Jan 28–Mar 11
Registration Deadline: Jan 9
Course Fee: $1,095
 

Register for the Spring 1 Session

Spring 2 Session (A and B Courses)

Course Dates: April 1–May 13
Registration Deadline: Mar 13
Course Fee: $1,095
 

Register for the Spring 2 Session
Register for an exclusive information session or “Ask Me Anything” session to learn more about the PLC experience.
Register for a session

Faculty Lead

Teddy Svoronos Photo

Teddy Svoronos

Senior Lecturer in Public Policy

Evidence for Decisions

Faculty Spotlight

First, we describe the world. Then, we act on it.

– Teddy Svoronos

Key Learning Points

Develop essential tools and strategies in each Evidence for Decisions course. After completing an A course, build upon your learning with a B course.

Course A

Course B

  • Learn how to leverage economic models to simplify and understand the world while making decisions under scarcity.
  • Discover the basics of descriptive evidence and basic descriptive statistics.
  • Learn how to decipher behavioral uncertainties and weigh the costs and benefits of policy-based decisions. 
  • Learn how to utilize an evidence-based policy that considers what has worked and not worked in the past and can be evaluated for its impact.
  • Draw out existing beliefs about the world (priors) and determine what would have happened if a policy never existed (counterfactuals) by leveraging the theory of change.
  • Learn how to mix qualitative and quantitative methods for a more rigorous program or policy understanding. 

 

Change begins with a choice.
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