1. Maximising the impact of research: experience from ODI’s RAPID Programme
John Young
Overseas Development Institute

2. RAPID programme in ODI
Promoting evidence-based development policy & practice
Through
Research
Advice
Public Affairs
Capacity-building
Working with:
researchers
policymakers
parliamentarians
southern think tanks
for further information see:

3. Policy processes are not...
Identify the problem
Commission research
Analyse the results
Choose the best option
Establish the policy
Implement the policy
Evaluation

4. Policy processes are... Cabinet Donors Parliament Civil Society
Monitoring and Evaluation
Agenda
Setting
Decision
Making
Policy Implementation
Policy Formulation
Parliament
Civil Society
Ministries
Private Sector

5. Policy is chaos
“The whole life of policy is a chaos of purposes and accidents. It is not at all a matter of the rational implementation of the so-called decisions through selected strategies”
Clay & Schaffer (1984), Room for Manoeuvre: An Exploration of Public Policy in Agricultural and Rural Development, Heineman Educational Books, London

6. Policy is complex Interconnected Feedback Emergence Nonlinearity
Sensitivity
Changing
Edge of chaos
Adaptive agents
Self-organising
Co-evolution

7. Research plays a minor role
Kate Bird et al, Fracture Points in Social Policies for Chronic Poverty Reduction, ODI WP242, 2004 (

8. Policy makers are…
…practically incapable of using research-based evidence because of the 5 Ss…
Speed
Superficiality
Spin
Secrecy
Scientific Ignorance
Vincent Cable – Lib. Democrat MP & Shadow Minister of Finance
More at:

9. There are many other factors
Experience & Expertise
Pragmatics & Contingencies
Judgement
Evidence
Lobbyists & Pressure Groups
Resources
Habits & Tradition
Values and Policy Context
Source: Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting, ODI, 2005

10. Different notions of evidence
‘Scientific’ (Context free)
Proven empirically
Theoretically driven
As long as it takes
Caveats and qualifications
Researchers’ Evidence
Colloquial (Contextual)
Anything that seems reasonable
Policy relevant
Timely
Clear Message
Policy Makers’ Evidence
Source: Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting, ODI, 2005

11. Research can transform lives
“The results of household disease surveys informed processes of health service reform which contributed to a 43 and 46 per cent reduction in infant mortality between 2000 and 2003 in two districts in rural Tanzania.”
TEHIP Project, Tanzania:

12. The Cynefn Framework

13. An iterative flexible approach

14. Different policy objectives
Discursive: Client- focused services
Attitudinal: Farmers have good ideas
Procedural: Participatory approaches to service development
Content: UU20, UU25. New guidelines
Behavioural: Approach being applied in practice
Discursive: Client- focused services
Attitudinal: Farmers have good ideas
Procedural: Participatory approaches to service development
Content: UU20, UU25. New guidelines
Behavioural:: Approach adopted for other sectors

15. Political economy analysis
External Influences
Socio-economic and cultural influences,
donor policies etc
The political context – political and economic structures and processes, culture, institutional pressures, incremental vs radical change etc.
The links between policy
and research communities – networks, relationships, power, competing discourses, trust, knowledge etc.
The evidence – credibility, the degree it challenges received wisdom, research approaches and methodology, simplicity of the message, how it is packaged etc

16. Identifying the key actors
Use the Alignment Interest Influence Matrix (AIIM) to identify the critical stakeholders
Map actors on the matrix
Identify which are the most influential
Who do you work with directly?
High
Develop enthusiasm to address topic
Learn in partnership
General level of alignment
Develop awareness and enthusiasm
Challenge existing beliefs
Low
Low
Interest in specific topic
High

17. Developing an Action Plan
OUTCOME MAPPING: Building Learning and Reflection into Development Programs Sarah Earl, Fred Carden, and Terry Smutylo

18. Practical Tools Overarching Tools Context Assessment Tools
- The RAPID Framework
- Using the Framework
- The Entrepreneurship Questionnaire
Context Assessment Tools
- Stakeholder Analysis
- Forcefield Analysis
- Writeshops
- Policy Mapping
- Political Context Mapping
Communication Tools
- Communications Strategy
- SWOT analysis
- Message Design
- Making use of the media
Research Tools
- Case Studies
- Episode Studies
- Surveys
- Bibliometric Analysis
- Focus Group Discussion
Policy Influence Tools
- Influence Mapping & Power Mapping
- Lobbying and Advocacy
- Campaigning: A Simple Guide
- Competency self-assessment

19. Being a policy entrepreneur
Storyteller
Networker
Engineer
Fixer
Researcher

20. Further information ODI – www.odi.org.uk RAPID - www.odi.org.uk/rapid
Me: