Zambia Evidence Lab

Programme Active since 19 Nov 2024 Political Economy

The Zambia Evidence Lab is a Ministry of Finance and National Planning initiative, supported by the International Growth Centre (IGC). Embedded inside government, the Lab helps shift Zambia’s public sector towards sustained, data-informed decision-making.

Why the Evidence Lab?

Zambia’s public institutions already collect a wide range of administrative data - on tax, trade, education, health, employment, and more. But despite this abundance, much of the data remains underused. Fragmented systems, siloed storage, and limited capacity to extract insights mean that data plays a limited role in shaping policy.

The Zambia Evidence Lab responds to this challenge by embedding analytical and technical expertise directly within the government. It helps ministries use the data they already collect to set clearer policy priorities, monitor progress, and identify new opportunities for reform.

A long-term goal of the Lab is to lower the “fixed costs” of using data, by developing shared formats, building metadata, and improving interoperability across systems. These investments help transform data into a public good: easily reusable across departments and policy domains.

The Lab also seeks to link administrative data with survey data and non-traditional sources—such as geospatial imagery or telecom records - opening up new applications for data-driven insights and enabling a more holistic view of policy challenges.

Led by government, focused on results

The Lab is driven by government priorities and managed by a Steering Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary at the Finance Ministry. This ensures full alignment with national policy agendas, including the 8th National Development Plan. The Lab works closely with designated “champions” in each ministry and department to co-develop policy questions, outputs, and follow-through action.

All analytical work is co-produced with civil servants and tailored to the government's real-time needs. The Lab operates as a trusted in-house team, building relationships and generating insights that are both technically rigorous and practically usable.

What the Lab does

The Zambia Evidence Lab supports government ministries with the tools, capacity, and systems to make better use of the data they already collect. All outputs are demand-led, co-produced with policymakers, and designed to address pressing policy questions.

Key areas of work include:

Improving data quality: Cleaning, standardising, and documenting government data to make it more usable across departments and over time.
Descriptive statistics: Producing clear, accessible summaries to benchmark performance and track trends—using tables, charts, and maps that make data easy to interpret.
Applied AI and automation: Using tools such as natural language processing, predictive analytics, and machine learning to accelerate analysis.
Interactive dashboards: Creating custom visual platforms that allow policymakers to monitor key economic and sectoral indicators in real time, supporting day-to-day decision-making and long-term planning.
Econometric analysis: Assessing the causal impact of programmes or reforms using rigorous statistical techniques.
Training and capacity building: Equipping civil servants with practical skills to use, interpret, and apply data - through tailored workshops, peer learning, and hands-on support.

See how the Zambia Statistics Agency and the Zambia Evidence Lab developed an AI-assisted tool to classify labour force survey data more quickly and accurately, supporting better official statistics and policymaking: