An Empirical Analysis to Integrate Public Value and Child Labour Policy through an Evidence-based Approach for Sustainable Development.

Governments are currently prioritized to establish robust legal and policy adaption mechanisms to specify policy actions in order to address the public value and wide-ranging effects of child labor. However, one crucial question is the extent to which this policy is backed by evidence. The effective way to create a responsive and flexible policymaking process is to critically assess the state of evidence-based policymaking (EBP) and determine the circumstances that allow it to be used effectively throughout the policy cycle. This study examines the state of EBP within Bangladesh's public policy sphere, using the National Child Labor Elimination Policy 2010 (NCLEP) as a case study. Applying Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, findings reveal that the Policy Implement Process has a positive impact on EBP in the setting of NCLEP, whereas the Public Policy Process and Institutional Framework have a negative impact. The findings are further supported by insights from focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). Effective policymaking is greatly influenced by strong governance structures and rigorously developed evidence. In this regard, prioritizing stakeholders’ involvement, evidence-based decisions for policy making are key to achieve the objective of the policy and SDG targets. Evidence-based policymaking (EBP) demands not only sound reasoning but also the integration of governance principles with empirical data, along with the capacity to translate complex findings into accessible narratives.