Better utilisation of research and evidence in development policy and practice can help save lives, reduce poverty and improve the quality of life. For example, the results of household disease surveys in rural Tanzania informed a process of health service reforms which contributed to over 40% reductions in infant mortality between 2000 and 2003 in two districts. On the other hand the HIV/AIDS crisis has deepened in some countries because of the reluctance of governments to implement effective control programmes, despite clear evidence of what causes the disease and how to prevent it spreading. Donors spend around US$3 billion on development research annually, but there has been very limited systematic understanding of when, how and why evidence informs policy. A better understanding of how research can contribute to pro-poor policies is urgently needed. In particular we need to know more about:

• how policy-makers can best use research, for evidence-based policy-making;
  
• how researchers can best use their findings in order to influence policy;
  
• how to improve the interaction between researchers and policy-makers.

ODI's Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme is working on these issues and aims to improve the use of research and evidence in development policy and practice through research, advice and debate. The programme works on four main themes:

• The role of evidence in policy processes;
  
• Improved communication and information systems for policy and practice;
  
• Better knowledge management and learning for development agencies;
  
• Approaches to institutional development for evidence-based policy.

RAPID team members have extensive development experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe; working at community, national and international level, with national and international NGOs, Northern and Southern Governments and Intergovernmental Agencies. The team has practical experience in rural development, rural services and governance, as well as research-policy linkages. Located within ODI, the RAPID Programme can access expertise across the whole spectrum of development issues. RAPID staff can help with:

• Research - on policy, the role of research, knowledge management and communications;
  
• Advice - on maximising policy impact;
  
• Programme design - for research, action-research and operations for policy impact;
  
• Training - in policy processes, research communications and organisational development;
  
• Communications - internal and external using traditional, electronic and mass media;
  
• Knowledge Management - within projects, programmes and organisations;
  
• Evaluations - of practical and research projects, and policy processes within organisations;
  
• Promotion - through public policy debate with policy-makers and civil society.

RAPID's donors and clients include: the UK Department for International Development; the Global Development Network; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; the Food and Agriculture Agency of the UN; the World Bank; Intermediate Technology Development Group; the Open Society Institute; the Daiwa Foundation; the Merck Foundation; and the Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

Click on the following links for more information on lessons so far; programme background; current, and past projects; bibliographies; and links to related work.

For more information contact the RAPID programme on rapid@odi.org.uk or click here to sign up for the RAPID electronic newsletter.