Knowledge to policy: making the most of development research

Knowledge to policy: making the most of development research

Published Jan 2009

Author

Carden Fred

Publisher

Focus themes

Open full report
How does IRDC research influence public policy and decision-making?

This book investigates the effects of research in the field of international development. It starts from a sophisticated understanding about how research influences public policy and decision-making. It 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
  • by enlarging the array of policy options and solutions available to the policy process.

It examines the consequences of 23 IDRC research projects. Key findings and case studies are reported on regionally and by subject, covering:

  • poverty monitoring
  • trade and finance
  • resource management
  • water management
  • health and education reform
  • networks and innovation
  • information and communication technologies for development

  1. How good is this research?

    Assessing the quality of research can be a tricky business. This blog from our editor offers some tools and tips.

    Read now

Related website content

Related content

  • Document

    Policy pollination: A brief history of social protection’s brief history in Africa

    S. Devereux / Institute of Development Studies UK, 2020
    The relatively recent emergence and sustained rise of social protection as a policy agenda in Africa can be understood as either a nationally owned or ‘donor-driven’ process.
  • Document

    Contribution analysis for adaptive management

    M. Apgar, K. Hernandez, G. Ton / Overseas Development Institute, 2020
    This briefing note shares practical learning on the use of contribution analysis for adaptive management (CA4AM). It examines how the approach enables programmes to work with theories of change in a practical, reflexive way, and how, combined with assessing evidence of a programme’s contribution to change, its findings can inform programme adaptation.
  • Document

    Integrating humanitarian response with social protection systems: Limits and opportunities

    R. Sabates-Wheeler, D. Longhurst / Institute of Development Studies UK, 2020
    The separation between provision of short-term humanitarian assistance and long-term development programmes – such as social protection – often creates inefficiencies, wastes resources and means support fails to reach those who urgently need it.
  • Document

    The RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen in the Western Indian Ocean: voyages of marine research and capacity development

    J.C. Groeneveld (ed), K.A. Koranteng (ed) / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017
    The marine research vessel (RV) Dr Fridtjof Nansen is a familiar visitor to the coastal waters of developing countries around the world. Since its first expedition in 1975, to survey fish abundance in an upwelling region of the Western Indian Ocean, the Nansen has returned to this “least known” of the world’s oceans numerous times.
  • Document

    Pathways to global impact: Tracing the impacts of development research funded by the Research Council of Norway

    E. Solberg / Research Council of Norway / Norges forskningsråd, 2017
    Norwegian development research is widely used and applied in various settings, both in national contexts and not least internationally. However, many users seem unable to absorb and exploit the variety of research performed in the area.Better mechanisms for interaction between users and researchers are needed, both outside and within the funding arenas.
More like this