The need for and role of good indicators and valorisation, Strategic briefing on linking with policy innovation (Deliverable 7.8)

Strategic futuring and advancement of the research infrastructure within the frame of the InGRID-2 project has been investigated and debated in WP7 of the project. In order to facilitate this strategic briefing note, reports of gaps in the research infrastructures in CEE and Southeast Europe were prepared and accompanying roadmaps of improvement were composed. Starting from a users’ needs survey (reported in D7.5. of the project), three strategic briefing notes are drafted on data challenges (D7.6), on methodological challenges (D7.7), and on policy challenges and indicator-building (D7.8). The current report provides a summary on linking with policy innovation. In what follows, the need for good Indicators to inform policymaking is highlighted in Section 1. Then, in Section 2 we explain how the InGRID-2 project has tried to develop key indicators in the areas of work and social policy. Within this, we highlight two cases that were key elements of indicator development throughout the INGRID project: the work on the Integrated Poverty and Living Conditions Indicator System (IPOLIS) and the work on the institutional characteristics of trade unions, wage setting, state intervention and social pacts (ICTWSS) database. Section 3 finally presents some overall reflections.