Reducing poverty and meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will require improved policies around the world. Research is one way for policymakers and other stakeholders to identify which policies are most effective and how they can best be implemented in different contexts yet there remains no systematic understanding of what, when, why and how research feeds into development policy. While there is an extensive literature on the research-policy links in OECD countries, there has been much less emphasis on research-policy links in developing countries where the massive diversity of cultural, economic, and political contexts makes it especially difficult to draw valid generalizations and lessons from existing experience and theory. In addition, international actors have an exaggerated impact on research and policy processes. A better understanding of how research can contribute to pro-poor policies, and systems to put it into practice, could help improve development outcomes.

As part of the first phase of the 3-year Global Development Network (GDN) Bridging Research and Policy project, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) was responsible for the collection and analysis of 50 summary case studies on research-policy linkages. This paper reports on the process, findings and implications of the case studies work. The process of case-study collection was transparent and bottom-up; local insights have helped inform a global project. The case studies were designed to capture existing experiences, and relate them to streams in the literature and to identify specific hypotheses for further investigation in the second phase of the project. More...

The 50 cases individually represent an interesting range of evidence and experience about research policy links from around the world. They include examples of a wide range of types of research undertaken by a variety of organisations. A few cases describe situations where research had an immediate and direct impact on policy, though in most cases, the impact was less direct and took some time, and required strenuous advocacy efforts. The cases also illustrate different types of policy impact. Some resulted in clear changes in public policy, others in changes in policy implementation, and a few describe how action-research caused substantial change on the ground with little change in public policy. More...

In terms of cross-cutting analysis, the cases have been examined to address the question: Why are some ideas that circulate in the research/policy arenas picked up and acted on, while others are ignored and disappear? We structure the discussion around four interlinked spheres:

Context: This emerged as the most important sphere in affecting the degree to which research will impact on policy. Key issues concern prevailing narratives and discourse among policymakers, the extent of demand for new ideas (by policymakers and society more generally) and the degree of political contestation. Political resistance often hindered change, despite the existence of clear evidence, and bureaucratic factors often distorted public policies during implementation. At its broadest level, it seems that the degree of policy change is a function of political demand and contestation’. The nature of political culture and degree of openness also seem important in enabling the use of research in development policymaking to occur. The cases supported much of the existing theory on policy processes (e.g. Kingdon 1984), and the percolation of ideas (Weiss 1977), though identified major gaps in the theory, which fails to address the political complexity of developing countries. There are three main remaining challenges here. How can contexts be categorized and how best can stakeholders operate to influence policy in these different contexts? How do research-policy processes work in situations with democratic deficits? What can realistically be done to improve the context for the use of research in policymaking and practice? More...

Evidence: The findings from the case studies were clear. The key issue affecting uptake was whether research provided a solution to a problem. Policy influence was also affected by research relevance (in terms of topic and, as important, operational usefulness) and credibility (in terms of research approach and method of communication). In particular, the cases highlighted the impact of participatory approaches and the value of pilot scheme which clearly demonstrate the value of new policy options. Policy uptake was greatest if the research programme had a clear communications and influencing strategy from the start, and if the results are packaged in familiar concepts. Strenuous advocacy efforts are often required to convince policy makers of the value of more theoretical research. In this domain, there is still need for work on two main sets of issues. First, regarding the role of research units – either independent or inside government – what institutional characteristics and activities help foster research impact on policy? Second, what practical advice can be provided on what might work most effectively in different contexts? More...

Links: The extent of links and feedback processes between researchers and policymakers are clearly important. Issues of trust, legitimacy, openness and formalization of networks emerged from the cases. The cases supported existing theory about the role of translators and communicators (Gladwell 2000), and the value of informal networks but there were no clear conclusions about the nature of the links – this arena in particular needs further investigation. How do different types of network and policy research communities influence policymaking in developing countries? Do different sorts of policy networks, work better in different environments? Do legitimacy and trust make a difference, and how can they be strengthened? Answers to some of these questions would provide practical advice to researchers and research institutes on what might work in different contexts. More...

External influences: The impact of external forces and donor funding certainly affects the way research impacts on policy. Broad incentives, such as EU access or the PRSP process, can have a substantial impact. The cases also highlight a number of innovative ways to ensure research has a greater policy impact. But much more systematic evidence is needed. As policy processes become increasingly global this arena will increase in importance. Future research might address the impact that international politics and processes as well as the impact of general donor policies and specific research funding instruments. More...

The cases provide a fascinating insight into research-policy linkages around the developing world. Although too early to make extensive recommendations, the analysis of the theory and preliminary case studies undertaken so far already provide some useful lessons, recommendations and practical tools for policymakers, researchers and donors. More...

While the literature review, framework and cases discussed here are useful, it is also clear that current understanding in this area remains thin. There is need for more systemic research to advance knowledge on research-policy dynamics. First, there is a need for comparative analyses of factors in each the four domains in the research-policy framework. Second, there is need for analyses of specific examples where research has influenced policy to assess the relative impact of factors from all four domains. The next phase of the GDN Bridging Research and Policy Project will undertake more thorough systematic research on the issues identified in this paper. Synthesizing across these different perspectives, would enable the project to draw robust and consistent conclusions and make practical recommendations.

Links to Definitions, Case Study Process and Descriptive Statistics and background to the study.