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Making the Policy-Research Connection for
Development: Using Research-Based Evidence to Improve Policy,
Programs and Practice
This workshop on the policy-research nexus for Canadian International
Development Agency policy analysts was attended by over 40
researchers and policy advisers from CIDA, the International
Development Research Centre, Environment Canada and The North-South
Institute. The workshop was designed to provide some underpinning
theory, and practical tools on how to use research more effectively
for policy and practice. The programme included an overview
of the latest research on the research-policy interface, introduction
to some analytical and practical tools, and opportunities
for participants to apply them to their own work.
Participants chose to look at four high-level current policy
issues: Assisting African countries to adapt to climate change;
Pro-poor private sector development; Mainstreaming gender
into governance programming; and Integrating development into
3D policy on peace and security. Applying the RAPID Context-Evidence-Links
analytical framework to these issues highlighted a number
of important contextual factors influencing how policy could
be made more evidence-based.
Mainstreaming gender, which has been on the agenda for a
long time and has still not been achieved, was found to be
an extremely complex cross-cutting issue, with many policy
actors. Political issues were found to be especially important
for climate change policies (including a change in government
policy) and private sector development (noting that the President
of CIDA is a strong supporter). For some, eg climate change,
there is already much evidence, but it has not been examined
wholistically. For private sector development, on the other
hand, there is an absolute shortage of evidence about the
informal sector, a large area for workers in the developing
world. Many new actors are emerging, for example diaspora
groups, and some important actors seem to be missing in current
debates (for example, the voice of the poor in developing
countries in discussions "3D" approach to peace
and security). The recent change in government and changes
in government procedures demand a great deal of adjustment,
making it particularly challenging for CIDA to develop a systematic
approach to more evidence-based policy just now. At the same
time, there are supporters of a strengthened approach at the
most senior levels.
A presentation by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
provided a living example of promoting more evidence-informed
policy and practice in Canada. The foundation works with researchers,
policy makers, and health service professionals, using a range
of innovative approaches including: research competitions
(jointly presented by researchers and policy makers); programmes
to teach researchers how to write for non-academic audiences;
and an executive training programme for health service managers
to make them more intelligent users of research.
Participants practised using some more sophisticated tools
to develop lines of argument for policy change in each of
the four policy areas identified at the start of the workshop,
and to map specific evidence needs in each of these areas.
This process worked better for very specific policy objectives,
less well for very broad objectives; a lesson that can be
applied to future steps at the Agency.
Based on the feedback at the end of the course and the workshop
evaluation, there is much interest in CIDA (and the other
agencies) to explore a more systematic approach to applying
experience and research to policies and programmes. A number
of small-scale initiatives to build evidence-based policy
are already underway, and new activities suggested included:
establishing an internal community of practice to look at
these issues in CIDA; capitalising on internal success stories;
initiating pilot projects (applying some of these approaches
to new policy issues); learning more from other organisations'
experience as well as better harnessing CIDA's own experience,
and more specific training on a wider range of tools.
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