AERC POLICY BRIEF WORKSHOPResearch and Policy Processes

2015

TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDINGof research to policy processes, and the role of Policy Briefs in this process

TO PRODUCE an outline policy brief for each research project, to be finalised after the workshop

TO BUILD CAPACITY AND SKILLS in communicating research to maximise uptake and impact

Day 1

• Research communications & policy process

• Understanding audiences

Day 2

• Crafting effective messages

• Policy briefs structure and form

Day 3• Social media for research

• See on the wiki

Housekeeping rules

“Success depends on knowing what works”

Bill Gates, (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($33.5bn 2009)

“In development research, to get a new discovery into policy and practice is just as important as the discovery itself.”

Maureen O’Neil, President and CEO International Development Research Centre

Donor countries spend over US$2bn annually on development research and are increasingly asking the question: “Is this value for money?”

RAPID Programme, 2003

WHY COMMUNICATING RESEARCH MATTERS?

RESEARCH COMMUNICATION EXPLAINED

THE ONGOING MYSTERY OF GETTING RESEARCH INTO USE

THE LINEAR MODEL

Research report on results of research

conducted

Summary research report disseminated at

conferences

Relevant policy changed to reflect research

results

Implementation/Practice changed

Health CSO

Local government

Agriculture CSO

Local traditional authorities

International agricultural

NGO

National think tank

International think tank

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Women’s

Affairs

Ministry of Environment

and Water

WHO

National Agricultural

Research System

International health NGO

Fig 3: a systems model of evidence and policy

A SYSTEMS MODEL

Monitoring and Evaluation

Agenda Setting Decision

Making

Policy Implementation

Policy Formulation

POLICY PROCESSES ARE...

Civil Society

DonorsCabinet

Parliament

Ministries

Private Sector

Source: ODI

Source: Cartright and Hardie; ‘Evidence-Based Policy: a

Guide to doing it better’, 2012

Political Expediency

Effectiveness

Resources

Values and Policy Context

Choice of Goals

Side effects

Costs & Benefits

EVIDENCE

Known - simpleCause and effect is known: best practice guidance can be issued.

Domain of yes / no answers to questions

Do you think the policy outcome is...

...d

o y

ou

th

ink

the

kno

wle

dg

e is

... contested established

con

test

edes

tab

lish

ed

Issues are ‘knowable’ and can be researched: cause and effect can be established. Domain of expert knowledge, questions can be answered with the right information.

Knowable - researchable

ChaoticIssues are chaotic – new evidence causes confusion rather than clarifies. No cause and effect can be seen.

Cause and effect can only be seen in retrospect and do not repeat. Nobody is ‘the expert’: we’re not even sure we have the right question, never mind the answer.

Complex, emergent

STRUCTURING POLICY ISSUES

Multiple interpretations

Adapted from the Cynefinknowledge management framework. See Shaxson, L (2009) Structuring policy problems for plastics, the environment and human health: reflections from the UK. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 2141-2151. doi: 10.1098/rstb. 2008.0283

Discursive changes

Procedural changes

Content changes

Attitudinal changes

Behavioural changes

1. Discursive changes: These refer to changes in the labels or narratives of policy actors. They reflect a new or improved understanding of a subject --even if it does not imply an effective change of policy or practice.

2. Procedural changes: changes in the way certain processes are undertaken e.g. the incorporation of consultations to closed processes, or small changes in the way that national policies are implemented in the field.

3. Content changes: changes in the content of policies including strategy papers, legislation and budgets. These are formal changes in the policy framework.

4. Attitudinal changes: changes in the way policy actors think about a given issue. This is important where key stakeholders have high influence but lack interest in a policy area or are not necessarily aligned with the policy objectives of the programme.

5. Behavioural changes: These refer to more durable changes in the way that policy actors behave (act or relate to others) as a consequence of formal and informal changes in discourse, process and content.

MANAGING THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

Systematic mapping of the political context is

necessary to improve the success of knowledge-

policy interactions.

Understanding the role and behaviour of actors

is important (i.e. interplay of actor

interests, values and credibility and the power relations that underpin

these.)

Research needs to be complemented by other

forms of knowledge, based on local conditions and practical experience.

‘Knowledge intermediary’s’ needs to think through a range of possible approaches to

ensure their role is effective (i.e. theory of

action)

THE ODI RAPID FRAMEWORK

ENCOURAGES structured questions about the

context, actors, prevailing narratives and extent of evidence use.

EMPHASISES importance of ‘policy windows’

and building up influence within the policy process .

HIGHLIGHTS all the other factors besides

quality of research.

Source: http://www.odi.org.uk/rapid/tools/Toolkits/Policy_Impact/Framework_qus.html

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

What researchers need to know

What researchers need to do

How to do it

Political Context

Evidence

Links

• Who are the policymakers?

• Is there demand for ideas?

• What is the policy process?

• What is the current theory?

• What are the narratives?

• How divergent is it?

• Who are the stakeholders?

• What networks exist?

• Who are the connectors,

mavens and salesmen?

• Get to know the policymakers.

• Identify friends and foes.

• Prepare for policy

opportunities.

• Look out for policy windows.

• Work with them – seek

commissions

• Strategic opportunism –

prepare for known events

+ resources for others

• Establish credibility

• Provide practical solutions

• Establish legitimacy.

• Present clear options

• Use familiar narratives.

• Build a reputation

• Action-research

• Pilot projects to generate

legitimacy

• Good communication

• Get to know the others

• Work through existing

networks.

• Build coalitions.

• Build new policy networks.

• Build partnerships.

• Identify key networkers,

mavens and salesmen.

• Use informal contacts

Practitioners are aware of findings from

research

Practitioners accept the research findings

Practitioners view the research

findings as locally

applicable

Practitioners view the research

findings as doable within

the local context

Practitioners act on the research findings

Practitioners adopt the research findings

Practitioners adhere to the

research findings

BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO INFLENCE/INFORM

“But this is the simplified version for the general public…”

START WITH WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE NEEDS TO KNOW….NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL

THEM…

Source: IFPRI food policy guide 2005

RECEPTION

• reception means that research has been received by an individual lands on the desk, but the findings might never be read.

COGNITION• The next stage occurs when research is read and understood

REFERENCE• When research changes way of thinking – provokes a shift in an individual’s“frame of reference”, for example in terms of defining key problems and priorities

EFFORT

• Research has shaped action: some effort has been made to get the findings adopted, even if this is ultimately unsuccessful.

ADOPTION

• Adoption means that research has had a direct influence on the actual policy

IMPLEMENTATION

• While research may have been used to develop policy, at this stage it has also been translated into practice on the ground

IMPACT

• Utilisation of research when the implemented policy is successful in producing tangible benefits to the citizens.

.

.

BE PRACTICAL ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE..

Source: Adapted from Knott and Widavsky 1980 and Glasziou and Haynes 2005 adapted in Nutley, Walter and Davies 2007,