Policies, programs and other interventions fail to achieve results for two reasons:
an approach to
Virtually all intervention systems are governed by complex cause and effect relationships. Detailed knowledge of these relationships is a critical prerequisite for understanding and predicting how systems will behave. PolicySpark’s platform tames complexity and provides the critical strategic information required to design and implement effective and efficient interventions.
Policies and Programs Informed by Evidence:
Three Steps to Better Results
STEP 1
Experiential evidence derived from deliberative stakeholder narrative
Evidence derived from subject matter experts
Evidence derived from existing research literature
Evidence derived from available big and/or open data sets
STEP 2
Sources of evidence are transformed into models that reflect the many causal factors that play a part in driving outcomes. Data are combined and analyzed using PolicySpark’s algorithmic platform resulting in a model that reveals the factors that exert the highest levels of influence on desired outcomes. With these “leverage points” in hand, it becomes possible to describe detailed results pathways, providing the basis for measurable and testable theories of change.
STEP 3
By systematically gathering and processing the available evidence, decision-makers and managers are in a better position to make more informed choices. Our products can be used to:
Founder, CEO
A native Montréaler, Chris studied math, chemistry and physics at Dawson College in the mid-80’s, and went on to earn earned a B.Sc. from McGill in natural history and wildlife science, and an M.Sc. from the University of Ottawa, with a focus on how human activities affect natural ecosystems. Chris then entered the Canadian federal public service, where he took on various positions related to environmental toxicology, ecosystem management, sustainable development and environmental auditing. It was during his time with the Auditor General of Canada that Chris became interested in the policies and frameworks associated with measuring organizational performance and accountability. In 2006, Chris opened his own consulting firm specializing in program evaluation. As he gained insight into some of the challenges associated with program evaluation theory and practice, he observed what he sees as serious gaps in how interventions are designed and measured. Chris is now concerned with developing better means to understand how interventions work, how to improve design processes, and how to support evidence-informed decision-making. His vision is a world in which decision-making is systematically supported with evidence, including research, expert knowledge, stakeholder narrative, and open/big data. To realize this vision, he is centering his focus on the use of cutting-edge concepts and technologies, including those associated with data science and machine learning, to gather, analyze and test the evidence needed to bring policy-making into the modern, data-driven era.
principal scientist
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Matt is PolicySpark’s Principal Scientist. Matt is an applied scientist with expertise in enterprise-scale machine learning, software development, data science, and computational biology. He is the engine behind PolicySpark’s innovative technological solutions. He obtained a BASc. in computer engineering from the University of Ottawa and went on to earn a Ph.D. in cybernetics from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. The focus of his thesis was complex network models of brain connectivity. Matt is an effective international and inter-disciplinary collaborator. He has over 10 years of experience working with teams around the world and communicating complex ideas to a wide range of audiences. He has 5 years of experience leading machine learning projects at Amazon. His technical expertise includes machine learning research and development employing a wide variety of technologies, including TensorFlow, Sklearn, Spark, Python and AWS. Other strengths include natural language processing, biosignal/time-series analysis, complex network analysis (Graph Theory), predictive stochastic models, reinforcement learning, programming (Python, Java, C#, C/C++, MATLAB), and enterprise software architecture.
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