Sarah GIEST (Leiden University, The Netherlands)

Sarah Giest is Professor of Public Policy with a focus on Innovation and Sustainability at the Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, where she leads the Public Policy and Innovation section. Her research and current projects focus on how policy enables technical, environmental, and social solutions for sustainable societies. She is one of the editors of the International Handbook of Public Administration and Digital Governance, teaches the Master’s-level course Data-Driven Policymaking, and supervises PhD candidates working on digital governance and sustainability. Sarah also serves on several editorial boards, chairs the Data-Driven Transformations in Policy and Governance Committee of the Data & Policy journal, and is a board member of the Dutch Network of Women Professors and the LDE BOLD Cities Centre.

Course: Data-driven policymaking in a time of societal transitions

How can governments turn the flood of data into smarter decisions, better services, and stronger citizen engagement? This course explores the fast-evolving field of data-driven policymaking by unpacking concepts such as Data Readiness, Digital Cage and Digital-era Governance and connecting them to long-standing ideas of evidence-based policymaking, e-government, and new public management.

Participants will dive into three pressing themes: building the skills and cultures needed for effective data use by government, understanding how data functions as a policy instrument, and examining how digital tools reshape service delivery and citizen engagement.

Through real-world examples from infrastructure, climate change, and healthcare, the course will confront the gap between the promises of data-driven governance and the realities of implementation. By combining theory with hands-on discussion, participants will gain sharper insights into both the opportunities and the pitfalls of governing through data.