This report covers year two of DFID's seven year PPA with ODI. DFID's investment so far amounts to £1.9m, with a further £5.35m foreseen to 2011.

The PPA is intended to strengthen the contribution of developing country CSOs to poverty reduction policy and to support ODI's engagement with them. Significant achievements have been recorded against all the major objectives:

• ODI has become a centre of excellence and resource centre on how to bridge research and policy. There have been more than 20 publications, including a synthesis report, 'Policy Engagement: How civil society can be more effective'. Over 1000 participants, mainly from Southern CSOs, have attended workshops and seminars.
  
• A network of developing country think-tanks and policy-oriented NGOs has been established, with over 20 members. Regional focal points have been identified in Latin America and Africa. CSPP members in Latin America have developed a regional network with over 100 members. There is also much demand from international NGOs and their local partners including Trochaire, Commonwealth Education Foundation and Concern for training and other forms of support.
  
• ODI itself has greatly strengthened its communication programme. There were 57 public meetings in 2005-6, 1.6 million visitors to the website and over 15,000 subscribers to ODI's monthly newsletter.
  
• ODI and its partners in developing countries have demonstrated the value of working together internationally - for example through the Forum on the Future of Aid and the Forum on Food Security.

A major review of future plans was carried out in 2005-6, involving developing country partners. As a result, new activities are planned. These are consistent with the original purpose of the PPA and have already been discussed with DFID. Highlights include:

• Establishing a network which acts as a platform to generate and share knowledge about Bridging Research and Policy, and support CSOs in their efforts to use research-based evidence to influence pro-poor policy. Members will choose a name for the network and launch a new network website at a partners' meeting in the UK in November 2006.
  
• A wide range of capacity building activities for network members including training courses, workshops and seminars, staff exchanges and secondments and institutional development support with e.g. the search for funding.
  
• New research on networks, CSO-parliament interactions and think tank organisation and management, the continued synthesis of lessons learned through other programme activities, and publication of CSO-oriented outputs including how to do it guidelines and toolkits.
  
• A range of collaborative action-research projects with network members exploring how CSOs can more effectively engage with policy processes at national regional and global level. Possible topics identified during the partners' workshop in 2005 included: Debt, Trade, Internal Migration, Reform of Aid system, and the Economics of Emergencies.
  
• The continued development of ODI's own communication activities through meetings, workshops and seminars with a specific emphasis on providing useful information for CSOs. A new website will be developed and networking opportunities strengthened.
  
• The programme's lessons on partnership, capacity building and policy engagement will be mainstreamed into all ODI's research through internal planning systems and staff training.
  

View full Annual Report 2006 (pdf 139kb)