Navigating labour market change with Evidence-based services

The PES Network has just released a new Paper, "Evidence-based services: latest trends", spotlighting the latest strategies, practices, tools and techniques in data-driven service design in European Public Employment Services.

The paper is the output from the Working Group on ‘Evidence-based services’, hosted by the Danish PES (STAR) with 16 other PES participating. The group met between 2023 and 2024 to provide insights on the most recent results of projects on the effectiveness of PES services and programmes.

Evidence-based service design (EBSD) focuses on rigorous research, evaluation and analysis in the development of interventions and support. The aim is to refine and improve services continuously, ultimately leading to better outcomes and informed decision making. The Output Paper presents recent trends in evidence-based services alongside chosen good practices from PES Network members, supporting the further advancement of PES evidence-based policy in the PES Network.

The paper outlines how PES across Europe are adapting their services to meet evolving labour market challenges via econometric analysis and other methods such as artificial intelligence, big data and behavioural science. It also includes examples of how PES collect evidence to support jobseekers’ online job-search behaviour, practices on cost effectiveness, strategies to integrate evidence in policy making and performance management. Furthermore, it reviews tools and strategies for communicating results to policymakers and frontline staff within PES.

Key insights

The paper outlines key findings that emerged from the Working Group. Several key challenges were identified in the adoption of an evidence-based approach in PES:

• Resource challenges including staff capacities, IT access and budget constraints 
• Process challenges ensuring evidence is integrated throughout the development cycle 
• Cultural challenges including management support, incentivisation for using new methodologies, and ensuring use of evidence in service provision 
• Data quality and analysis 
• Data protection limitations on cross-use of data complicates exchange and hinders process automation 
• Maintaining a user centred approach when balancing concerns and expectations of users’ whilst ensuring involvement of all stakeholders

The paper also highlights key success factors that contribute to the effective implementation of an evidence-based approach in PES, including:

• Understanding clients’ requirements via maintaining complete data on citizens’ characteristics to ensure services are tailored effectively to meet clients’ needs 
• Investing in capabilities in staff skills, training and guidance and adequate resources for developing analytical tools 
• Accessibility and on-time feedback from internal data users 
• Establishing a culture of using evidence to foster a culture of change geared towards evidence-based results 
• Cooperation, collaboration and capacity building to implement evidence-based approaches

Read the paper

Read the full paper here to find out more about new initiatives and promising practices in PES. 

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