Evidence- and data-informed policy design and implementation can improve the cost-effectiveness, reach, and impact of government programs, yet many investments in building this capacity do not outlast external support. Governments need institutional arrangements that make the generation and use of evidence a routine part of policy design and implementation at scale.

Drawing on more than a decade of IPA’s cross-country experience, this framework presents an approach to establishing, strengthening, and institutionalizing Embedded Evidence Labs: permanent, in-house teams within government agencies that support evidence- and data-informed policy design, scaling, and implementation. It identifies four interdependent components needed to sustain these functions within government: Process, Structure and Governance, Capacity, and Resources.

The framework outlines a phased, non-linear approach to institutionalization, guided by principles that emphasize institutional fit, learning by doing, government ownership, and the integration of evidence functions into government systems and routines. Drawing on experiences across countries and sectors, it illustrates how these components come together in different institutional contexts and provides a practical lens for diagnosing institutional gaps, guiding investments and technical assistance, and assessing progress toward sustainable government ownership. While grounded in the Embedded Evidence Labs model, its components and principles can also inform similar evidence functions within government.