The Evidence to Action (E2A) Project is a Fondation Botnar initiative that facilitates meta-learning across its Cities Portfolio projects focused on young people’s wellbeing in intermediary cities worldwide. It reimagines evidence building practices fostering participatory approach to action research and learning that centres youth voices and perspectives on sustainable urban development. The Evidence to Action Project offers a comprehensive strategy to systematically produce knowledge about what counts as meaningful change for young people in diverse urban contexts.
The Evidence 2 Action Framework
The E2A Framework provides a comprehensive strategy for embedding learning and reflexivity throughout Fondation Botnar programs. It aims to overlay a meta-learning tool using evidence to action cycle in parallel with the project cycle to map and document systems change across the Fondation Botnar cities portfolio.
The core pillars of the E2A Framework are five principles, six strategic actions and five domains of change. The five principles serve as cross-cutting values for all local projects toconsider as these align with Fondation Botnar’s principles and approaches and enableaction. The six strategic actions provide avenues for the principles to be operationalised.The five domains of change are informed by the strategic priorities of Fondation Botnar andprovide boundaries within which Fondation Botnar’s resources will be directed to enablechange to achieve desired outcomes.
The uniqueness of the E2A Framework lies in its focus on bridging the often-seen knowledge disconnect between research and practice by institutionalising a process of collaborative data collection, learning, and evidence building that informs Fondation Botnar’s interventions across diverse cities. Stepping away from traditional approaches of viewing development interventions and knowledge generation as separate processes, the framework integrates learning with doing in a way that ensures not only that programs are informed by evidence but also that programs generate credible evidence for shaping local and global development agendas.
News and Events
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E2A Global Evidence Building and Learning Workshop
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World Cities Day 2023: Evidence to Action Webinar
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Colourful Cities of Colombia: Cats, Carnival, and Curuba
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Implementing Fondation Botnar’s Evidence to Action in India
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Session 4: Fostering Transformative Innovations
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Session 3: Strengthening City Systems
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Session 2: Building Equitable Partnerships
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Session 1: Empowered Youth and Communities
Outputs
Das, J., et al. (2023). Evidence to action framework: A participatory approach to action research and learning. (2nd Ed.) Melbourne Centre for Cities, University of Melbourne: Melbourne
Das, J., et al. (2023). Implementing evidence to action framework: A practitioner’s guide. Melbourne Centre for Cities, University of Melbourne: Melbourne
Fattah, K., Marathe, R., Butcher, S., Das, J. (2021), Evidence to Action Dialogue Series: Young Peoples’ Wellbeing in Southern Cities. University of Melbourne.
The E2A Global Team
Fondation Botnar is a Swiss philanthropic foundation working to improve the health and wellbeing of young people living in cities around the world. Advocating for the inclusion of youth voices and the equitable use of AI and digital technology, the foundation invests in and supports innovative programs and research, and brings together actors from across sectors to create dialogue and partnerships: www.fondationbotnar.org