How research brokers and intermediaries support evidence-based pro-poor policy and practice

The 'Locating the Power of In-between conference' in Pretoria, South Africa in July 2008 shone a spotlight on the role research brokers and intermediaries play in evidence-based pro-poor policy and practice.

This report of that conference identifies and analyses some of the key realities of evidence-based policy processes and highlights where the role of intermediaries fits into that context. The authors point to future action, in particular the need for collaboration between intermediary actors to step up to the challenges identified. The organisers hope that by starting a debate, illustrating a range of intermediary activities, forming connections between people and providing the basis for future analysis, the conference, and the report, will inspire action that will enable intermediaries to reach their full potential as development actors in their own right.