Evans Policy Innovation Collaborative

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

Sparking change, at scale

The Evans Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) is a policy lab at the University of Washington that brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the public to co-design actionable solutions to complex societal problems so that our public systems serve all individuals equitably and justly.

We partner with organizations to help them shift from talking about racial and social justice to taking and sustaining action, building institutional capacity to support systems change over time. We apply insights from science and human-centered design methodology to policy and management challenges, helping organizations adapt to the needs of the communities they serve and embrace change.

EPIC demonstrates the Evans School’s purpose – to inspire public policy and democratize public service. By centering the expertise of those impacted by proposed programs and policy ideas, we can translate the momentum of innovation into a democratic system worthy of trust.

Let's Collaborate

What We Offer

EPIC collaborates with partners who are advancing social equity and are intent on delivering better outcomes for communities. Depending on your organization’s needs, we can work together in several ways:

Our Approach

The EPIC approach recognizes that policy implementation happens within complex systems. Dialogue and human-centered design help to reduce the complexity and enable changes that keep the needs and perspectives of people at the forefront.

We work with a three-phase iterative approach to human-centered design processes that focuses on action and inquiry. Intentional engagement of key stakeholders through dialogue and design helps to reduce complexity and allows for collective sense-making which enables a change process that keeps the needs and perspectives of stakeholders centered.