Open the black box

Citizens must be able to interrogate data-driven policy decisions, say Munkhbayar Elkins and Leonor Sierra

In the past few years, data science techniques such as simulation models have become an integral part of policymaking, used to inform critical decisions on difficult societal issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, energy security following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact of climate change. 

Jolita Butkeviciene, director of innovation in science and policymaking at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, has estimated that one in three of the EU’s decisions are now based on some form of modelling.