Maximising Policy Impact

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• Maximising Policy Impact
• Some initial results from the GDN Bridging
  Research and Policy Project

John Young, Overseas Development Institute, London
ERF 10th International Conference, Marrakesh,
Morocco December 2003
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Introduction

• Project
• Progress
• Preliminary Findings
• Pointers for Researchers
• Plans

• Definitions
• Research any systematic learning process
• Policy A course of action
• Focus Policy relevant research

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The BRP Project

• Purpose
• Improved links between research and policy.
• Outputs
• An international coalition working together.
• A learning platform.
• Better understanding of how to improve
  research-policy links.
• Lessons, recommendations and practical tools.
• Increased awareness of the value of research.

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The BRP Project

• Phase I (January December 2002)
• Surveys.
• Literature Review.
• Preliminary Case Studies ? Framework
• Phase II (January 2003 December 2004)
• Detailed research.
• Synthesis.
• Development of approaches and tools.
• Phase III (January December 2005)
• Promotion

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Organisation Operation

• International Steering Committee Chaired by
  Montek Ahluwalia.
• Operational Management by EERC advice from ODI.
• Research, synthesis and dissemination by Southern
  policy researchers through
• Case Studies.
• Background Papers.
• Commissioned research
• Research competition.
• Workshops and writeshops.

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Work so far

• Establishment.
• Literature Review.
• Surveys of researchers and policy makers.
• 50 preliminary case studies.
• Development of research framework.
• Phase II studies commissioned.
• Publications
• Web site.
• Training Workshops

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Existing theory a short list

• Policy narratives, Roe
• Systems of Innovation Model, (NSI)
• Room for manoeuvre, Clay Schaffer
• Street level bureaucrats, Lipsky
• Policy as social experiments, Rondene
• Policy streams and policy windows, Kingdon
• Disjointed Incrementalism, Lindquist
• Social Epidemics, Gladwell

ODI working paper 174, 2002, Hovland, de Vibe and
Young Bridging Research and Policy An Annotated
Bibliography.
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Reality

• Linear logical ? dynamic, complex, two-way.
• The whole life of policy is a chaos of purposes
  and accidents. It is not at all a matter of the
  rational implementation of the so-called
  decisions through selected strategies 1
• Most policy research on African agriculture is
  irrelevant to agricultural and overall economic
  policy in Africa2

1 - Clay Schaffer (1984), Room for Manoeuvre
An Exploration of Public Policy in
Agricultural and Rural Development, Heineman
Educational Books, London 2 Omamo (2003),
Policy Research on African Agriculture Trends,
Gaps, and Challenges, International Service
for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR)
Research Report No 21
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The Analytical Framework
External Influences Socio-economic and cultural
influences, donor policies etc
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Lessons from.

• Literature
• Other work IDRC, IFPRI, ODI
• Surveys
• 50 cases gt 25 countries all GDN regions.
• Self-selected.
• Mainly from researchers.
• Most policy-driven.
• 31 national, 12 local, 5 regional, 2 global.

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Political Context Key Lessons

• The macro political context (democracy,
  governance, media freedom academic freedom)
• The sector / issue process (Policy uptake
  demand contestation) NB Demand political and
  societal
• Policy implementation the power of street level
  bureaucrats.
• Decisive moments in the policy process (policy
  processes, votes, policy windows and crises)
• Context is crucial, but you can maximize your
  chances

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Evidence Relevance and credibility

• Key factor did it provide a solution to a
  problem?
• Relevance
• Topical relevance What to do?
• Operational usefulness How to do it?
• Credibility
• Research approach
• Of researcher gt of evidence itself
• Strenuous advocacy efforts are often needed
• Communication

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Links Feedback and Networks

• Feedback processes often prominent in successful
  cases.
• Trust legitimacy
• Networks
• Epistemic communities
• Policy networks
• Advocacy coalitions
• The role of individuals connectors, mavens and
  salesmen

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External Influence

• Big incentives can spur evidence-based policy
  e.g. EU accession, PRSP processes.
• And some interesting examples of donors trying
  new things re. supporting research
• But, we really dont know whether and how donors
  can best promote use of evidence in policymaking
  (credibility vs backlash)

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The Analytical Framework
External Influences Socio-economic and cultural
influences, donor policies etc
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A Practical Framework
political context
Politics and Policymaking
Campaigning, Lobbying
Policy analysis, research
Media, Advertising, Networking
Research, learning thinking
Scientific information exchange validation
evidence
links
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Using the framework

• The external environment Who are the key actors?
  What is their agenda? How do they influence?
• The political context Is there interest in
  change? Is there room for manoeuvre? How do they
  perceive the problem?
• The evidence Is it there? Is it relevant? Is it
  practically useful? Are the concepts familiar or
  new?
• Links Who are the key individuals? Are there
  existing networks? How best to transfer the
  information? The media? Campaigns?

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Putting it into practice

• 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

• Build partnerships.
• Identify key networkers, mavens and salesmen.
• Use informal contacts

• Get to know the others
• Work through existing networks.
• Build coalitions.
• Build new policy networks.

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Pre-Conference Workshop

• 12 researchers from the MENA region.
• Framework helped
• MENA is not unique similar issues relevant here
• Challenges with Demand and Supply as well as
  Bridging.
• Strategic approach useful
• Need to be better communicators engage more
  with policy makers.
• High demand for training on communication /
  policy writing.

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Whats next?

• Detailed research on key issues.
• Challenge of coherence
• Collaborative approach
• triangulation
• political context map
• Collaborative synthesis of lessons.
• Practical tools and approaches.
• Engagement and communication.