RAPID

Political Science? Strengthening science–policy dialogue in developing countries

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:45:54 GMT

Nicola Jones, Harry Jones and Cora Walsh , August 2008
This study provides a multi-layered analysis of the science–policy interface in developing countries. The findings confirm the need to tackle systemic barriers to institutionalising evidence-informed policy processes in the field of science, technology and innovation for development. They also shed light on ways in which the quality of policy dialogues on science and technology could be strengthened in order to enhance their value for pro-poor sustainable development policy and practice.

RAPID Event: Exploring the Science of Complexity

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:44:54 GMT

ODI, London, UK, 9 July 2008
The aim of this first seminar was to bring together practitioners and researchers to discuss the key ideas of complexity thinking and the relevance they have for those working in the international aid sector. It was also hoped that concrete and practical ways to take this area of work forward, both collectively and within individual organisations, would be identified

RAPID Publications: Supporting networks: Ten principles

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:43:25 GMT

Enrique Mendizabal, July 2008
Networks are not magic bullets. They can do what they have been designed or developed to do, but to adopt new functions they need long-term investments. This opinion first addresses the value of networks: why should donors support networks and why should the various actors of the development world join them? Then, it asks: what should we look for when developing mechanisms or programmes to support networks?

RAPID Publication: Policy briefs as a communication tool for development research

Mon, 19 May 2008 18:36:27 GMT

Nicola Jones and Cora Walsh, May 2008
Policy briefs are often recommended as a key tool for communicating research findings to policy actors. However, there has been little systematic research in the development field about the communication needs of developing country policy-makers and how such research can be used to inform policy brief content and design. This background note draws on recent research by RAPID and SciDev.Net on the research communication environment involving researchers, policy-makers and development practitioners from the North and South in science, technology and innovation. It begins with an overview of the theoretical literature on bridging research and policy, with a focus on insights from scholars interested in the science–policy interface. We then highlight the barriers to, and opportunities for, strengthening communication between researchers, knowledge brokers and policy-makers working in international development, and the key requisites of policy briefs to meet the challenges of this landscape.

RAPID Publication: Strengthening humanitarian networks: Applying the network functions approach

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:23:25 GMT

Ben Ramalingam, Enrique Mendizabal and Ed Schenkenberg van Mierop, April 2008
This note offers a simple, flexible and powerful methodology — the network functions approach (NFA) — that can be applied to analyse and strengthen humanitarian and development networks. Based on research undertaken at ODI and elsewhere, the NFA suggests there are six overlapping functions that different networks perform in varying combinations. Through reflection on a network’s current activities and how they relate to each of these functions, the NFA helps those facilitating, acting within or supporting networks to work towards an ‘ideal’ functional mix. The aim is for network strategies to be honed, thinking clarified, activities sharpened and ultimately, humanitarian performance improved.

RAPID Publication: Strategies for impact and policy relevance

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:44:09 GMT

John Young, February 2008
Over the last five years, ODI’s Research and Policy in Development programme (RAPID) has been involved in research and advisory and capacity development work with a wide range of organisations throughout the developing world keen to improve the impact of their research on policy and practice, and has produced a wide range of practical guidelines and toolkits. Here’s what we’ve learned, summarised in six simple lessons.

RAPID Publication: Who is working to influence policies on trade and poverty in Latin America?

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:45:11 GMT

Tom Pengelly, February 2008
This background note aims to identify organisations that are working to influence policy and build capacity around pro-poor trade in Latin America. This mapping provides an important baseline for the work of Comercio y Pobreza en Latinoamérica (COPLA, www.cop-la.net), a DFID-funded project on trade, poverty and social exclusion in Latin America, and may also be useful for others concerned with the pro-poor dimensions of Latin American trade and trade-related policies. It focuses on organisations working on at least one of the following issues: spatial poverty (lagging regions); gender; indigenous peoples; and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

RAPID Publications: Exploring the science of complexity: Ideas and implications for development and humanitarian efforts

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:09:39 GMT

Ben Ramalingam and Harry Jones with Toussaint Reba and John Young, February 2008
Despite the complexity and interconnectedness of problems faced in humanitarian and development work, they are often approached in an overly simplistic manner, informed by linear ways of thinking. This paper draws on the science of complexity to outline an alternative approach to analysing and understanding these problems. It explores and explains ten key concepts of complexity science and considers their implications for development and humanitarian work. It concludes that complexity science can enable those thinking about and working on these problems to better understand and adapt to the complexities of the real world. Its findings will be of particular interest to those working on processes of change - be they researchers, policy analysts and advisors, evaluators or managers who are working on change and reform initiatives.

RAPID Events: Second Meeting, Impact and Insight Workshop Series

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:20:08 GMT

King's College, London, UK, 25 October 2007
At the first meeting in the Impact and Insight Workshop Series, participants suggested that a focus on more practical examples and tools of evidence-based policy making would be helpful. Therefore, the aim of this second meeting, held on 25 October 2007 at King's College, London, UK, was to present on and gain experience using two specific tools: lines of argument and outcome mapping. Louise Shaxson (Delta/DEFRA) introduced lines of argument while Enrique Mendizabal (ODI) led a discussion on outcome mapping.

RAPID Events: Third Annual CSPP Partners Meeting

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:58:52 GMT

Colombo, Sri Lanka, 29-30 November 2007
ODI's Third Annual CSPP Partners Meeting will be held from 26-28 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and will be held in conjunction with CEPA's 8th Annual Symposium on Poverty Research in Sri Lanka (29-30 November 2007). The event will provide the opportunity for dialogue and networking between partners in which progress of the programme so far and its future direction will be discussed. The participants are expected to share experience of communicating for influencing policy processes in general but especially on projects supported by the programme.

RAPID Projects: Meeting Science/Technology Information Needs in the Policy Community of Developing Countries

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:12:18 GMT

This study aims to explore how developing country policymakers access information on science and technology. The objectives of the study are: to review and summarise the most recent research findings on the way that scientific knowledge and technical information is incorporated into policy-making; to explore the implications for the science/technology information needs of the policy community in developing countries; and to identify specific ways in which SciDev.Net can work in order to better respond to these needs.

RAPID Projects: Japan G8 Global Project

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:20:22 GMT

This Southern-led project aims at advancement of research-evidence on effectiveness of Japanese aid on Global South, engaging Southern CSO actors on the desirable future structure, instruments and major processes of her aid system, as it fits the 2008 international agenda window, in which the Japan will have a high profile as sponsor of G8.

RAPID Project: CSO-Parliamentarian Engagement in East Africa Project

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:19:26 GMT

In the context of growing interest in promoting evidence-informed policy processes in developing countries, this research project investigates an under-studied dimension of the research-policy-practice interface: the links between civil society organisations and parliamentarians.

RAPID Events: South Asia Training of Trainers Workshop

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:23:48 GMT

Shimla, India, 17-21 September 2007
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and CUTS International jointly organised a Training of Trainers Workshop on “Bridging Research and Policy” between 17th to 21st September 2007 in Shimla, India. This training workshop was targeted at senior/middle level representatives from select Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of South Asia.

RAPID Events: Civil Society Organisations and Policy Entrepreneurship Workshops, Viet Nam

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:27:10 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 9-10 July 2007; Hue, Vietnam 12-13 July 2007
This workshop series is being held as part of the Civil Society Partnerships Programme funded project 'Understanding the Role of Civil Society and Evidence-based Policymaking in Vietnam', which aims to provide an understanding of the role of research institutes and think-tanks in policymaking in Vietna

RAPID Publications: Setting the Scene

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:02:52 GMT

Nicola Jones and John Young, June 2007
This report aims to situate the Department for International Development (DFID)’s role as a donor of international research in a comparative international perspective in order to inform the development of the Central Research Department’s next 5-year research strategy and 20-year Vision of development for poverty reduction. The study included a desktop/web review of published information and key informant interviews with development researchers and practitioners. The objectives of the study were to i) identify the top 10-15 research donors, ii) identify areas of duplication, and omission, iii) suggest where DFID can add value, iv) identify regional research processes, and vi) new partnerships with which DFID can engage, and vii) identify key northern research organisations of value for developing countries. Outputs include answers to these questions in this report, and a series of databases containing detailed information about research donor spending, their programmes (themes, geographical focus, and approaches to capacity development), and regional research networks.

Setting the Scene: Situating DFID’s Research Funding Policy and Practice in an International Comparative Perspective (pdf 480kb)

RAPID Publications: From Multi-donor support to civil society and engaging with ‘non-traditional’ civil society

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:47:11 GMT

Fletcher Tembo and Adrian Wells, June 2007
The DFID Effective States Team (EST) commissioned ODI to conduct a ‘light touch’ review of: (i) multi-donor models for supporting civil society; and (ii) efforts to reach out to ‘non-traditional’ civil society. The study tests the assumption that multi-donor support mechanisms scale up and enhance the effectiveness of civil society engagement with the state for improved governance and poverty reduction. The study identifies and analyses: (a) Existing multi-donor programmes for support to civil society as well as on-going transitions to harmonised ways of working; (b) How particular multi-donor funds are positioned within the broader aid architecture in any one country. (c) Experience of engaging with different non-traditional civil society organisations, and related challenges, strengths and weaknesses. This document presents: (i) a summary of key findings; (ii) issues for further study; (iii) lessons on multi-donor instruments for civil society support; and (iv) lessons on working with ‘non-traditional’ civil society.

Multi-donor support to civil society and engaging with ‘non-traditional’ civil society (pdf 416kb)