The Research and Policy in Development Programme produces several types of publication, both within ODI and externally. Use the links below for further information and to view or download the full paper in Acrobat pdf format. To download the files just right click on the link, choose "Save Target As..." and decide where you want to save it on your computer. Click on the links below to access:

• ODI publications: Briefing papers, Opinions, Reports, Toolkits and Working papers
• External publications: Articles, Books, Consultancy reports and Journals
• Annotated Bibliographies
• Printable publications list (adobe pdf 56kb)

Political Science? Strengthening science–policy dialogue in developing countries 
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. More...
View publication online (pdf 1.66mb)

Supporting networks: Ten principles
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?
View publication online (pdf 118kb)

Policy briefs as a communication tool for development research
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.
View publication online (pdf 230kb)

Strengthening humanitarian networks: Applying the network functions approach
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.
View publication online (pdf 189kb)

Who is working to influence policies on trade and poverty in Latin America?
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).
View publication online (pdf 252kb)

Strategies for impact and policy relevance
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.
View article at Glocal Times

Exploring the science of complexity: Ideas and implications for development and humanitarian efforts
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. More...
View publication online (pdf 1.77mb)

Research capacity strengthening in Africa: Trends, gaps and opportunities
Nicola Jones , Mark Bailey and Minna Lyytikäinen, December 2007
This report aims to provide an overview of donor support for research capacity building in Africa so as to inform the International Forum of Research Donors for Development (IFORD) and especially the Department for International Development (DFID)’s thinking about the value-added role they can respectively have in this environment, either as individual institutions or in partnership with other donors. In the case of DFID, the report is also designed to inform the Central Research Department’s thinking around the role of capacity building in its next five-year research strategy and 20-year Vision of development for poverty reduction.
View publication online (pdf 1mb)

Does mixed method research matter to understanding childhood wellbeing?
Nicola Jones and Andy Sumner, December 2007
There has been a rich debate in development studies on combining research methods in recent years. We explore the particular challenges and opportunities surrounding mixed methods approaches to childhood wellbeing. We argue that there are additional layers of complexity due to the distinctiveness of children’s experiences of deprivation or ill-being. This paper is structured as follows. Sections 2 and 3 discuss the nature of mixed methods approaches and tensions. Sections 4 and 5 apply these debates to researching childhood well-being in particular, in both Northern and Southern contexts. Section 6 concludes and discusses future work.
View publication at Wellbeing for Develpment (pdf 151kb)

Trade Liberalisation and Intra-household Poverty in Vietnam: a Q2 Social Impact Analysis
Nicola Jones, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thu Hang, November 2007
While it is expected that greater liberalisation will boost economic growth and contribute to the country’s market economy transition, there are concerns about potentially negative impacts on vulnerable groups, including remote rural populations, women and children. To explore the possible impacts of Vietnam’s trade liberalisation on children in poor communities, this paper examines key mediating factors that impact child well-being and the ways trade liberalisation could affect these variables. It employs a sequential mixed methods approach: econometrics analysis of household survey data followed by complementary in-depth qualitative analysis of two key agricultural commodity sectors, aquaculture and sugarcane, expected to be significantly impacted by Vietnam’s integration into the world economy.
View publication at Q² (pdf 220kb)

Setting The Scene: Situating DFID’s Research Funding Policy and Practice in an International Comparative Perspective
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. More...
View publication online (pdf 460kb)

From Multi-donor support to civil society and engaging with ‘non-traditional’ civil society: A light-touch review of DFID’s portfolio
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. More...
View publication online (pdf 416kb)

Making a difference: M&E of policy research
Ingie Hovland, ODI Working Paper 281, July 2007
This paper aims to advance understanding on how to monitor and evaluate policy research, i.e. research that is undertaken in order to inform and influence public policy. The paper is written with research programmes and institutions in mind, rather than individual researchers. It presents examples and approaches on how to do M&E of policy research from the current experience of a range of research institutes, think tanks and funding bodies. The approaches have been divided into the following five key performance areas: (i) Strategy and direction; (ii) Management; (iii) Outputs; (iv) Uptake; and (v) Outcomes and impacts. Research programmes or institutes may wish to focus on only one of these areas, or may combine approaches across the areas to form a more comprehensive M&E plan. More...
View publication online (pdf 900kb) or order printed copy

Policy Engagement: How civil society can be more effective
Julius Court, Enrique Mendizabal, David Osborne and John Young
Civil society organisations (CSOs) could have a greater impact on policy processes in developing countries. This report shows why and how better use of evidence by CSOs is part of the solution to increasing the policy influence and pro-poor impact of their work. The report includes strategic guidance and practical approaches regarding how CSOs can ensure their policy engagement is more effective, influential and sustained. More...
View publication online (1mb) or order printed copy