Policy
Experiments and
Innovation
Lab
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY · CUHK-SHENZHEN
PEI LAB AT A GLANCE
Methods
RCT
Quasi-experiment
Natural experiment
Meta-analysis
-
Health in all policies approach
-
Cross-sectoral collaboration for urban resilience
-
Comprehensive support systems
Focus areas
Innovate. Test. Scale.
The Policy Experiments and Innovation Lab (PEI Lab) designs creative policy solutions to complex problems, tests these solutions with scientific rigor, and scales only those interventions that demonstrate clear effectiveness to maximize public benefit. Interventions that prove ineffective are discontinued, and lessons from failure are systematically incorporated into future policy design and research.
01
Innovate
Design creative policy solutions to complex social challenges.
02
Test
Rigorously evaluate interventions using experimental methods.
03
Scale
Scale only interventions that demonstrate clear effectiveness to maximize public benefit.
Why are policy experiments important?
In an era of constrained public budgets and complex social challenges, policymakers cannot afford to implement untested interventions at scale. Policy experiments — particularly randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs — provide rigorous causal evidence on what works, what does not, and what can be scaled.
• Policy experiments establish causality, not just correlation.
• They allow learning from failure without widespread harm.
• They generate transparent, replicable evidence for decision-makers.
• They enable efficient resource allocation by identifying what works.
• They prevent costly policy failures by testing before scaling.
Current studies
RCT
A workplace-based intervention designed to enhance stress resilience among employees
Integrating nature-based programs into workplace mental health policies.
QUASI-Experiment
Mobile-based intervention for social development in adolescents
Fostering connectedness to nature has the potential to improve social well-being among adolescents.
RCT
Dementia care in the digital age: A VR intervention for care home residents
The optimal applications of nature-based virtual reality (VR) to maximize therapeutic benefits for older adults residing in care homes.