121 | NORC and Mathematica CEOs on the Future of Data and Evidence

Within the past few years, organizations that help improve public well-being by providing data-driven insights have witnessed significant changes. From a digital transformation hastened by big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to the globalization of evidence-based solutions for problems that transcend borders, changes in technology, society, and culture are challenging leaders to rethink how their organizations operate. On the latest episode of Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast, NORC at the University of Chicago President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Gaylin joined Mathematica President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Decker for a wide-ranging discussion about leadership, AI, globalization, the COVID-19 pandemic, and advocating for the use of high-quality evidence without straying into activism.

Find a full transcript of the episode at https://mathematica.org/blogs/norc-an...

Read an article by Dan Gaylin on LinkedIn where he explains his philosophy around the importance of sharing research findings: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-s...

Learn more about NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel: https://amerispeak.norc.org/

Learn more about NORC’s 2020 Election Research Project for Facebook: https://www.norc.org/research/project...

Learn more about NORC’s Advanced Data Solutions Center: https://www.norc.org/about/department...

Watch Decker’s interview with Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, which includes a discussion about the declining response rates in federal surveys and what they might mean for informing policy decisions: https://www.mathematica.org/blogs/mar...

Watch Decker’s interview with Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service: https://www.mathematica.org/blogs/the...

00:00 - Introduction
2:23 - Dan Gaylin's and Paul Decker's professional paths to policy research
6:40 - Transitioning from researcher to CEO
9:32 - Experiences and skills that have been helpful in being a leader
12:58 - How Dan Gaylin's experience in the federal government informs his perspective leading NORC at the University of Chicago
16:16 - Leadership principles
21:22 - Challenges to leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and now
26:00 - Disruption caused by digital technology
32:10 - Implications of AI for the evidence community
42:21 - Maintaining a connected workplace as hybrid work and remote work become more common
54:55 - Why NORC at the University of Chicago and Mathematica are expanding their work in countries outside of the United States
58:51 - The challenges of working on issues outside the United States
1:03:56 - Conducting research for private-sector clients that benefits public interests
1:06:42 - Making sure that research is understood and informs decisions
1:25:18 - Concerns about declining response rates on surveys