‘Research for Poverty Reduction: DFID Research Policy Paper’, The UK Department for International Development (DFID), London

[From the executive summary:]
This paper proposes policies and principles to guide DFID’s research work over the longer term. The critical issue for the future is how to improve researchers’ effectiveness in producing outputs that directly and indirectly change both policy and practice, are truly relevant to poor people’s needs, and are effectively taken up. The report argues that to be effective, ‘research’ must be located more securely in the context of wider ‘knowledge’ or ‘Innovation systems’. This implies that:

• The effectiveness and impact of research will be a function of a large number of other elements of the system being in place.
• Success is driven by continuous interactions between “supply drivers” and “demand drivers”.
• “User engagement” is likely to be a key success factor and ultimately lead to improved dissemination and uptake and research outputs.
• Networks and trust-relationships between the various players are central to knowledge systems, primarily because they lower transaction costs and form the key communication channels between suppliers and users.

A framework for future support to research is outlined. As part of this process consideration is given to the roles that the Millennium Development Goals – MDGs – and users of research contribute to the framework. The report notes:

• The very weak capacities in some countries to articulate needs for research and to utilise what is already known.
• The necessity to disaggregate research needs and to invest more effort in understanding the diversity of needs (particularly to include the needs of many types of user) and the extent to which research can meet them.
• That DFID may assume too easily that its staff know the needs of poor people.
• The necessity to consider the quality and appropriateness of research output in relation to the needs of its intended users, rather than necessarily by peer reviewed journal articles in English.
• The MDGs provide a certain degree of focus, but set a domain of research problems far larger than DFID can address alone.
• The MDGs provide a single orthodoxy for the developmental process, but the risks of this strategy can be reduced by independent research that challenges the current paradigm, tests its effectiveness, and searches out new and emerging issues.

A number of key issues are identified which would have to be addressed in any future research strategy for DFID. These include the following issues:

• Research-related capacities in developing countries need to be strengthened in order to access, produce and utilise research. The evidence suggests that the capacity of developing countries to generate, acquire, assimilate and utilise knowledge will form a crucial part of their strategies to reduce poverty.
• DFID has made insufficient headway so far in meeting the demand for locally relevant poverty reduction information.
• ‘User engagement’ must be increased both to determine research needs, but also to facilitate uptake.
• ‘Uptake mechanisms’ need to be developed within developing countries, within the international development community and within DFID.
• Networks need to be supported as key elements in promoting the take up of research results.