INASP ODI Research Policy Symposium

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INASP- ODI Research Policy Symposium

• A practitioners understanding of the key
  factors in play to promote evidence based policy
  processes

Nicolas Ducote, CIPPEC Oxford, November 16th,
2006
Av. Callao 25, 1 C1022AAA Buenos Aires,
Argentina - Tel [phone] Fax (54 11)
4371-1221 info_at_cippec.org www.cippec.org
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Index

• The Basics of Policy Process
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------------------------------------------
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• WHY use evidence?
• WHO is involved in the policy process?
• WHEN can evidence be used in the policy process?
• WHAT (is evidence used) FOR?
• HOW is evidence put to use to influence policy
  processes?
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------------------------------------------
  ----------
• What are the main challenges faced by external
  actors to use evidence in policy processes?
• What approaches are being used to face these
  challenges?
• Conclusions and Recommendations

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Generic Policy Processes
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WHY use evidence in the policy process?

• Some reasons for using evidence
• Using evidence can improve policy, which in turn
  can produce better social outcomes
• Higher level / more quality of public debate
• Allows for more rigorous testing of social
  hypothesis

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WHO might use evidence?

• Political actors (government and opposition) and
  bureaucrats
• CSOs (think tanks and grassroots organizations)
• Media
• Universities, Scientists and Research Centers
• International Organizations and Donors
• Private Sector

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WHEN is evidence best put to use?

• Agenda setting
• Policy design and formulation
• Implementation (practical knowledge)
• Monitoring and evaluation

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Private Sector
Universities, Scientists and Research Centers
CSOs (think tanks CSOs)
Agenda setting
Problem definition options
Policy choice selection
Policy design
Implementation
Policy evaluation
Politicians Bureaucrats
Media
Intl. Org. Donors
Source adapted from Yael Parag
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WHAT (is evidence used) FOR?

• Gain access to policy process
• Provide legitimacy
• Gain or sustain credibility / reputation
• Integrate different parts of the policy process
• Increase effectiveness of policy
• Translate policy into peoples everyday concern
• Communicate in accessible and meaningful way

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HOW is evidence put to use?

• Networking and building coalitions
• Provide training
• Suggest policy alternatives / comment on draft
  legislation
• Organize public seminars
• Publications / web / articles in the media
• Lobbying
• Work on projects
• Involved in providing direct services

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Main challenges

• Staff lack capacity (to produce, process or
  communicate)
• Lack of time / funds
• Lack of knowledge
• Policy process is inaccesible
• Lack of credibility
• Lack of usefulness
• Corruption
• Other

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What approaches are being used?

• Campaigning
• Boomerang
• Pilot projects
• Increase capacity to map understand politics
  and policy
• Build trust and relationships with decisions
  makers
• Gather relevant evidence (practical, credible,
  generalisable)
• Communicate effectively
• Evaluate, learn, build more capacity

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What researchers need to do

• 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

• Who are the policymakers?
• Is there demand for ideas?
• What is the policy process?

• 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

• What is the current theory?
• What are the narratives?
• How divergent is it?

• 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

• Who are the stakeholders?
• What networks exist?
• Who are the connectors, mavens and salesmen?

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Conclusions

• Research is essential but
• Other work is needed to ensure it contributes to
  the development and implementation.
• Clear lessons about how are emerging
• Political context is crucial understand it to
  maximize your chances
• Figure out what evidence is needed and how to
  package it for policy makers
• Collaborate with other actors

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Recommendations

• There is a set of key institutional and
  contextual elements that organizations should
  analyze and work on to enhance their policy
  impact
• Legitimacy and reputation (Whose needs wants is
  the organization responding to? Civil society,
  government, business, rent-seeking groups?)
• There is a variety of sources differing from type
  of org context
• Understanding of key stakeholders expectations
• Independence diversified funding and quality of
  research/ professionalism
• Public purpose open communications, free
  publications, public interest goods and service
• Alliances and partnerships analyze adv disadv
  of each partner

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Recommendations

• 2. Sustainability of efforts
• Put your wallet where your mouth is
• Funding diversify sources (self generated
  revenues, consultancies, donations, grants,
  trainings, etc.). Each source has an impact on
  reputation
• Institutional vs project-based programs
  advantages disadvantages
• Long term planning continuity of certain
  research and policy lines, agenda setting power,
  influence of donors, policy needs, and individual
  researchers interests
• Balance between structural and conjunctural
  approaches

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Recommendations

• 3. Strategic use of policymaking entry points
• Clear and detailed context analysis
  (institutional and project-based)
• Continous monitoring of policy agendas
• Timing (change in government, crisis, growth,
  etc.) and phases of public policies
• Build solid relationships at the personal and
  institutional levels of State agencies
• Use connectors and bridgers board or staff with
  government experience, international
  organisations, CSOs, etc.

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Recommendations

• 4. Effective research management
• Mechanisms to ensure policy relevance
  (consultations, monitoring of governments
  agenda, media coverage, etc.)
• Methods to ensure quality control (peer reviews,
  external reviews, seminars and debates, etc.)
• Deploy participatory processes engage those
  affected in the begining, discuss results, joint
  dissemination, etc.
• 5. Management
• Executive management plays a leading role in
  defining agenda, relationship with key
  policymakers, and communications

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Recommendations

• 6. Strategic and permanent communications
• Involvement of executive management is crucial
• Strategy can be stakeholder-driven (know their
  resources and interests), thematic-driven,
  tool-oriented (consistency and synergy), or
  project-focused
• Ensure two-way communications (face to face and
  interactive)
• Balance between structural and ad hoc approaches
• Implement serialized or periodic communications
  tools
• Align personal, organisational and public
  discourses