Knowledge and Effectiveness: Myths and Models for Research

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Knowledge and Effectiveness Myths and Models
for Research

• HSE Conference on Development Effectiveness
• Nick Perkins
• Head of Research Communication

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Environmental trends...

• Concerns with impact
• Media convergence audience distraction
• Democracy in communication
• Green movement the development industry

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The tree in the forest

• Launch conference in 1966
• Pearson Report Williamsburg Declaration 1969
• Ode to the seasons conference 1978
• Think long game Think value for money

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Objectives of comms at IDS

• Build an enabling environment for effective
  research communication knowledge mobilisation
• Aggregate research knowledge from across the
  institute
• Infrastructure
• Competencies
• Incentives

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1st Reflection

• There is more than one model for understanding
  the relationship between policy research

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Dominant Models of influencing policy

• Implications for sector

• Information
• Evidence based
• Value led
• Dialogical

• Diffusion model (need broader repositories)
• Policy entrepreneurship (need systematic reviews)
  
• Discourse analysis (need epistemic communities )
• Relational view of aid (need participatory
  communication approaches)

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2nd Reflection

• Be clear what you stand for

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The Story of Study Seminar 15
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3rd Reflection

• Mediation is a crucial part of research uptake
  - Think of your policy spheres

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Dominant Models of influencing policy

• Implications for mediation

• Information
• Evidence based
• Value led
• Dialogical

• Information capability (demand stimulation)
• Policy framing (scoping and matching to venues)
  
• Elements of advocacy (consensus-building)
• Reflexivity (self-mediation)

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Competencies

• Planning
• Interrogating
• Assessing
• Innovating

• Capacity building
• Action research
• Peer collaboration
• Constructing public goods (briefs, blogs...)

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Incentives

• Moral exemplars
• Intellectual rigour value
• Value for money
• Reputational enhancement