Research agenda
The capabilities European policymaking needs next
CMI's founding agenda focuses on decisions under deep uncertainty, evaluation that changes decisions, and durable institutional memory.
This is a founding research agenda, not a claim of completed research. It identifies three capabilities that Civic Method Institute intends to examine and develop through future public work.
Designing policy under deep uncertainty
How can institutions make robust decisions when evidence is incomplete, causal relationships are contested, and conditions change faster than conventional policy cycles?
The programme will examine practical ways to expose assumptions, compare options and define adaptation points before a decision becomes costly to reverse.
Evaluation that changes decisions
How can evaluation move from retrospective reporting to timely policy adaptation?
The programme will study how evaluation questions, decision thresholds and feedback mechanisms can be built into implementation from the beginning—without compromising independent judgment.
Institutional memory
How can public organizations preserve policy learning across electoral, administrative and organizational transitions?
The programme will explore durable policy records that connect objectives, evidence, assumptions, decisions, observed outcomes and later adaptations.
Publication standard
Future outputs will distinguish observed findings, interpretations, assumptions and normative choices. Authors, dates, methods, funding and relevant conflicts of interest will be disclosed with each publication.