Knowledge to policy: Making the most of development research

Donors spend over $3bn each year on development research, but does it do any good, and how do we know? This meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss two important recent contributions to this debate.

Fred Carden’s new book, Knowledge to policy: Making the Most of Development Research,focuses specifically on the impact of development research on public policy and decision-making. Based on a review of the literature and an evaluation of 23 research projects funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), he shows how research can contribute to better governance in at least three ways: by encouraging open inquiry and debate, by empowering people with the knowledge to hold governments accountable, and by enlarging the array of policy options and solutions available to the policy process.

Annette Boaz’s, who is a joint Managing Editor of the journal Evidence & Policy, will also present her report, ‘Assessing the impact of research on policy: A review of the literature for a project on bridging research and policy through outcome evaluation‘. The report, commissioned by the UK Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), looks more broadly at methods for evaluating the impact of research on policy outcomes. Her systematic review identified 156 UK and international papers and finds a very wide range of formal and informal, qualitative and quantitative approaches being used, but very little analysis of their effectiveness at capturing impact or costs.

Developing better methods to evaluate the impact of development research on policy and practice, and using the results to develop better approaches to maximise the value of future research is vital to improving development outcomes. Key questions for this meeting include:

The a discount voucher to purchase the book will be available at the event.