| Impact and Insight:
The Policy, Research and Practice Interface
Evidence-based Policy is the new buzzword in policy making. Emerging
from the Health Sector in the early 80s, adopted, promoted and institutionalised
by New Labour as the basis for UK government policy, how to improve
the contribution of research to policy and practice is an increasingly
important concern for research funders and policymakers in developed
and developing countries. The ESRC-funded Evidence
Network and other organisations have been studying evidence-based
policy in the UK, while the Overseas
Development Institute, has been exploring the same issues in
developing countries. Common themes are emerging, and there are
useful lessons to learn in both directions.
This workshop series brings together researchers, practitioners
and policy makers who have been studying these issues in both developed
and developing countries to explore the interactions between research
and policy across a range of fields and policy issues. The meetings
are "generalist", i.e. covering a number of different
fields, aim to identify common lessons and approaches to strengthen
evidence-based policy, and will build a community of practice in
this area, centred upon, but not limited to the UK. The meetings
are being held quarterly in London, hosted alternately by CEPR and
ODI.
Meetings start at 3.00 pm, include at least two presentations,
one based on work in a developed country, the other from a developing
country, and discussion, and are followed by drinks and snacks and/or
a meal to allow more informal discussions.
First Meeting: Monday 17th October at 3.00 pm
at the Overseas Development Institute
The first meeting in the series aimed to:
- to explore what we already know about the research/policy/practice
interface and identify the important gaps in our knowledge
- to identify themes and approaches for subsequent workshops
The speakers at this meeting were: (click on the links below each
speaker for background materials)
- Phil Davies, Deputy Director, Government
Social Research Unit, Cabinet Office. Phil talked about lessons
the Cabinet Office has learned about the research-policy interface,
and initiatives to improve evidence-based policymaking including
the Coordination of Research and Analysis Group.
- Fred Carden, Director of the Evaluation Unit, International
Development Research Centre, Canada. Fred talked about the
lessons they learned from their recent Strategic
Evaluation of the Influence of Research on Public Policy,
and implications for how IDRC does its work.
- Matthew Quinn, Head of the Strategic
Policy Unit, The National Assembly for Wales. Matthew talked
about his experience of evidence-based policy making in Wales,
and the validity of models developed in the medical field in other
policy domains.
Summary reports of the meetings and further information will be
posted here.
  For
further information please contact:
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