Linking research, policy and practice : All Articles

Brazil launches online multistakeholder dialogues for Rio+20

25 April 2012

The Government of Brazil, as host of the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), has opened nine online thematic "Sustainable Development Dialogues" to generate ideas and set the stage for the civil society discussions to be held in Rio de Janeiro from 16-19 June 2012, immediately preceding UNCSD. The Dialogues are grouped under the following themes: oceans; food and nutritional security; sustainable development for fighting poverty; sustainable development as an answer to the economic and financial crises; sustainable energy for all; water; the economics of sustainable development; sustainable cities and innovation; and unemployment, decent work and migration.

Women Leading Change: Experiences promoting women's empowerment, leadership, and gender justice

13 April 2012

Published in March 2012, this publication features, four case studies describing experiences from Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia in promoting women's political and economic empowerment and leadership. The case studies describe the context in which women live, what leadership means and how to achieve it. Attention is given to working within existing institutions and cultural norms, and also to creating new institutions. The final section summarizes common lessons and considerations for future policy and practice aiming to promote women's empowerment and leadership.

Moving beyond strategy to implementation: Africa Capacity Indicators Report (ACIR) 2012

13 April 2012

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) launched the second of its flagship annual reviews on the state of capacity development in Africa on 3rd April. This year's report is devoted to the theme of capacity development in agricultural transformation and food security. One of the highlights is Ghana's upgrading to the 'High' category of the ACI composite index. The composite index measures the policy environment, processes for implementation, development results at country level and capacity development outcomes. In 2011 there were no countries classified under the 'High' category.

Evaluation for equitable development results

01 April 2012

This wide-ranging publication aims to contribute to the international debate on how to achieve equitable development results by conceptualizing, designing, implementing and using evaluations focused on human rights and equity. It does so by offering a number of strong contributions from 27 world-level experts and senior officers in institutions and governments dealing with development and evaluation. The authors also presented their contribution in a series of webinars that are available for download on the My M&E web portal. The book complements an earlier manual “ How to design and implement equity-focused evaluations,” published in 2011.

Empowering women pays

26 March 2012

The importance of women in Ghanaian cocoa

As support for agriculture climbs up the policy agenda, the spotlight is increasingly focused on smallholder farmers. But one dimension of this is still being regularly overlooked – the role of women on smallholder farms. Markets for agricultural commodities are increasingly linked to the value chains of large food manufacturers and retailers.

LenCD case stories database

24 March 2012

Case stories are an important and accessible way of sharing experiences and learning lessons. Many organisations publish case stories on their websites, but finding these stories has always required a good deal of research.

LenCD (Learning Network on Capacity Development), has been building up an index of case stories including material from the United Nations Development Programme, the Task Team on South–South Cooperation, SNV, the World Bank Institute, ECDPM, and other sources.

More than 500 case stories have now been catalogued and are searchable by country and by keyword on www.lencd.org/case-stories.

Policy: The price of empowerment

24 March 2012

Fair trade competes with other certification brands

Over the last couple of years, certification brands of coffee have steadily increased their volume of sales in Northern consumer markets, with an ever broader portfolio of products. On the face of it, this appears to be good news for groups of small producers who sell their coffee through these certification schemes. However, the growth figures are significantly lower for the brand that is most committed to working with farmers organisations, the Fair Trade Labelling Organizations (FLO), also known as Fairtrade International, which brings together 25 fair trade initiatives from around the world.

The challenge of political empowerment

24 March 2012

Economic empowerment must be complemented by political empowerment

In the struggle over ideas in the development arena, terms that are associated with more radical perspectives are often picked up by mainstream actors and organisations. And this has been the case with ‘empowerment’. But such mainstreaming can cause original meanings to be modified or become obscure. From the perspective of strategies that aim to improve the well-being of small-scale farmers, there are various risks inherent in the way the term ‘empowerment’ has been taken up by international and bilateral development agencies.

CD Monitor: A sea change in agri-food

24 March 2012

Expanding development in the inclusive agri-food market

Over the next few decades, there will be extensive and unprecedented change in global agri-food systems. When taken together, the growing demand for food, the effects of climate change, the need to respond to poverty and hunger and the rapid decline of natural resources mean that ‘business as usual’ is no longer an option. A new perspective is needed if the agri-food sector is to be able to maintain secure supplies and guarantee food security. Innovation and growth in the sector must focus on how to expand, secure and distribute supplies in an inclusive and sustainable way – and that point needs to be reached fast.

Eldis governance assessments CDROM now available: Request your free copy!

23 March 2012

Since 2008 the Eldis project at IDS Knowledge Services has hosted an online resource library, The Eldis Governance Assessments dossier as part of a long-term partnership with the UNDP Global Programme on Democratic Governance Assessments. To mark the end of this collaboration Eldis collated a selection of documents from the library on to a CDROM. The disc contains over 200 resources from a range of different experts, institutions and organisations that work in the field of governance assessments. It is designed to provide detailed, practical information drawing upon evidence about what works, and identifying innovations in approaches, policy and practice. Eldis is trying to identify potential users for the CDROMs by means of a short survey (click here to download). If you would like to receive a copy, or to nominate possible beneficiaries, please fill in the questionnaire and send it by email to Jason Collodi, Eldis Governance Editor (j.collodi@ids.ac.uk).

Capacity, complexity and consulting: lessons from managing capacity development projects

20 March 2012

In recent years, the Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme of the UK-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has increasingly focused on managing large, multiyear processes, aimed at building the capacity of local institutions in developing countries to change the way they engage with policy. This paper draws  on the observations of RAPID staff involved in various projects as well as on primary documentation such as trip reports, after action reviews and project reports. It also includes a ‘ light-touch’ review of some of the grey and academic literature available on capacity development, complexity, managing social change and aid agency behaviour.

Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Food Security Research, Capacity-Building and Outreach

15 March 2012

This document from Michigan State University contains an overview of the past 25 years of research, capacity-building, and outreach by the university's Food Security Group (FSG). The paper describes key elements of the FSG approach and examines the insights gained from research and outreach, primarily in Africa, and their value to the U.S. Feed the Future Initiative in addressing the major current challenges facing food and agricultural systems.

New APPP Policy Brief: Support to local problem-solving - Lessons from peri-urban Malawi

29 February 2012

Malawi currently faces severe economic and political constraints, placing additional pressure on town and city governments which, even in normal times, are incapable of providing public goods such as health and public security well or consistently. To obtain them at all, people rely on a variety of non-state actors, including ‘town chiefs’ (informal leaders), NGOs, churches and political parties as well as, to some extent, themselves. This policy brief from the UK-based Africa Power and Politics Programme, published in February 2012, explores the major bottlenecks that undermine the provision of public goods to people living in Malawi’s townships.

Call for submission of countries' experiences with planning for and reporting on capacity development results (LenCD)

28 February 2012

Political processes and cultural and societal changes produce long-lasting transformation, but they are long-term and very complex in nature.The Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) has launched a call for submission of experiences on how countries plan for, manage and report on results from investments in capacity development. LenCD is interested in understanding which approaches and methodologies country governments adopt, which innovations are out there, where the good practices are, and what other countries can learn from them. Ultimately, this collection of country driven approaches and methodologies could shed light into alternatives for donor-driven reporting requirements.

This call is restricted to government-funded projects for which national (as opposed to donors’) monitoring and evaluation approaches and methodologies are applied.The deadline for applications is 13 April 2012. 

Empowerment: A journey not a destination

19 January 2012

The DFID-funded Pathways of Women’s Empowerment Programme launched a synthesis report based on the findings and recommendations from five years of research in London on 13th January. The report, entitled 'Empowerment: A Journey not a Destination' draws on the collective works of 60 academic-activists in 12 countries on four continents. With six companion policy papers and case studies, the publication shares the latest learning and analysis on what works to enhance women’s empowerment in different parts of the world.

Linking agricultural research and practice: Climate analogues tool helps farmers anticipate their future climate

09 January 2012

"Climate Analogues" is a new open access tool launched at the UN Climate Change conference in Durban in December 2011 that aims to help farmers to assess the impacts of progressive climate change on agricultural production. The tool locates sites where the climate today is similar to that predicted for another location in the future, enabling farmers and policymakers to determine how to adapt to anticipated changes.

Learning to evaluate capacity development: The making of 'Facilitating resourcefulness'

30 November 2011

This article is a supplement to Issue 43 of Capacity.org. It takes a look behind the scenes of an extensive evaluation of 26 case studies covering the support to capacity development of seven Dutch Development Partners under the coordination and partial responsibility of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign affairs. The evaluation aimed to draw lessons on how to improve the effectiveness of future capacity development interventions.

Capacity development for education for all (CapEFA): Translating theory into practice

24 November 2011

UNESCO's Education for All Global Monitoring Report (2011) suggests that national barriers to Education for All (EFA) have been largely under-estimated and that, over the past decade, insufficient attention has been paid to strategies for overcoming them. The recently launched publication “Capacity Development for Education for All: Translating Theory into Practice” offers an opportunity for UNESCO to reflect upon its capacity development approach while bringing together some of the crucial achievements and lessons learned through the CapEFA programme.

E-learning tool to build adaptive capacity for rural livelihoods

22 November 2011

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed a modular e-learning tool to enhance awareness and technical capacities for promoting community-based adaptation in agriculture. It consists of four interactive learning modules, structured in 24 sessions, that link research-based knowledge on climate change impacts with examples and experiences on community-based adaptation drawn from various FAO field projects, and a range of other country-specific case studies. It is available in English, French and Spanish.

3ie launches online database on systematic reviews

16 November 2011

The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) has launched an online database of systematic reviews. This database provides policymakers and practitioners with easy access to systematic reviews that examine evidence on the effects of social and economic development interventions in low- and middle-income countries. It currently has over 100 reviews for many sectors, including agriculture, education, nutrition and health.

Humanitarian action in drought-related emergencies

11 November 2011

The Action Learning Network on Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) has published a Lessons Paper that identifies seventeen key lessons for humanitarian agencies responding to droughts, on topics such as: early warning, targeting, working with government, food aid, water interventions and nutrition. It builds on the 2007 ALNAP/ProVention paper Slow-onset Disasters: Drought and food and livelihoods insecurity and a review of over 100 evaluative documents produced by humanitarian agencies in the period 2007-2011.

World Development Report 2012: Gender equality and development

03 October 2011

Policymakers and practitioners still face gaps in knowledge both in how gender equality matters for development and how best to incorporate these links in policy design. The World Development Report 2012 aims to bridge these gaps by building upon the growing body of multidisciplinary theory, evidence, and data on these links while highlighting the knowledge gaps that remain across the world in the context of the development process. The Report argues that closing gender gaps is not only a core development objective in its own right, it is also smart economics.

Local governance and ICTs in Africa: Case Studies and guidelines for implementation and evaluation

12 August 2011

E-governance has the potential to enable local governments to engage citizens in greater participation, leading to socioeconomic developments at local and national levels. But this potential remains largely unexploited. This book offers studies from nine African countries that explore how ICTs can transform service delivery, tax, financial management, land management, education, local economic development, citizen registration, and political inclusion.

VACANCY: Policy Advisor, Capacity Development

10 August 2011

The UNDP Capacity Development Group (CDG) in New York is looking for a policy advisor to work on the national implementation capacities portfolio. CDG is UNDP’s source of in-house expertise for optimizing the impact of development interventions through capacity development. The incumbent will be responsible for the following functions: policy development and advisory services; project team management and results management; practice advocacy; and knowledge management.

  NB: The application deadline has been extended to 24 October

Bare Foot Guide 2 now available

20 June 2011

Following the success of the original Barefoot Guide to Working with Organisations and Social Change, a brand new Barefoot Guide to Learning Practices in Organisations and Social Change (BFG 2) has been launched. Like the first volume, it is meant to be a resource for leaders, facilitators and practitioners wanting to improve and enrich their learning processes inside their organizations and in the field. It is freely downloadable and includes a practical Companion Booklet for facilitators.

Theories of change: A resource list

24 May 2011

Research to Action has developed a list of resources for researchers and organizations looking to develop a ‘theory of change’ for their work. The page is worth visiting for capacity development practitioners as many of the resources provide practical guidance on how to fit the different theoretical frameworks to a variety of practice contexts.

Free e-learning package on knowledge sharing for development

20 May 2011

IMARK [an e-learning initiative in agricultural information management developed by FAO and partner organizations] has developed a new module on "Knowledge Sharing for Development". The resource kit comprises 36 lessons designed to equip organizations and communities with the necessary tools and methodologies required to develop their knowledge capacities, and enable them to work more effectively. 

Ethics and integrity in developmental leadership

14 April 2011

Many developmental problems are attributed to the failure of leadership, and in particular to the absence of either ' ethical leadership'  or 'integrity. But what is ‘ethical leadership’? What is ‘developmental integrity’? How is it achieved? And what are the conditions for sustaining it? This is the focus of a new study by  the Development Leadership Programme, published in March 2011.

Making evaluations matter

01 April 2011

“ Too often evaluations are shelved, with very little being done to bring about change within organizations that requested the evaluation in the first place." This new guide published by the Wageningen University Research Centre for Development Innovation explains how to maximize the usefulness of evaluations. It explains some of the conceptual issues involved and discusses how the evaluation process can help contribute to changing mindsets and empowering stakeholders.

How to survive and thrive in the knowledge pond

29 January 2011

"Knowledge sharing and communication professionals now inhabit a much more crowded workspace than 15 years ago. There is more noise, more competition and more strategic thinking needed to make your knowledge stand out and be heard. However, this community is far better networked than ever before. There are opportunities to build knowledge-brokering relationships across the globe."

These are among the highlights of discussions at a recent workshop on ‘Improving the impact of development research through better communication and uptake’, as reported in a  blog post by Andrew Clappison from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). The workshop was co‐hosted by AusAID, DFID and UKCDS on November 29th and 30th in London and involved 80 participants from around the world. 

Call for applications: Establishing multi-stakeholder partnerships to promote demand-driven agricultural innovation and research

17 January 2011

The second phase of the Platform for African-European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD) is a European Commission-funded (FP7) programme to support partnerships for agricultural innovation. PAEPARD II nurtures partnerships to increase the quantity and quality of joint proposals (leading to more funded initiatives). 

The programme has issued a call for applications from innovative partnerships interested in seeking funding under this window. The deadline for applications is 28 January 2010.

People-centred M&E: Aligning Incentives So Agriculture Does More to Reduce Hunger (Special Issue, November 2010)

14 December 2010

After more than two decades of hiatus agriculture is back on the agenda of donors and governments. Issues of harmonisation, results orientation, mutual accountability and payments for performance have become mantras in development assistance. Placing intended beneficiaries at the centre stage is the new motto. But the articles in this seminal IDS Bulletin provide systematic evidence to lay open the widely shared secret among development practitioners that the cupboard of agricultural monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is bare. Agricultural M&E has been weak at best. Where it exists it has concentrated on tools and methods, a narrow focus on project performance ratings and 'rates of return' with accountability upwards to donors rather than downwards to the intended beneficiaries of programmes.

The Change Alliance

10 December 2010

The Change Alliance is an emerging global network that aspires to increase the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder processes (MSPs) working for transformational social change, particularly in complex settings.

Working with power and love

09 December 2010

Solving our toughest problems - uncoventionally

Conventional approaches to solving problems cannot deal effectively with increasingly complex social crises. Our efforts to address ‘tough’ issues in this way often cause us to become ever more confused, polarised and stuck.

The partnership brokering project

29 November 2010

Established in 2000, the Partnership Brokering Project builds capacity for cross-sector partnerships across a broad range of development sectors. The project aims to change the partnering landscape for the better by promoting good practice and influencing leaders, planners, donors, policy makers and practitioners.

Knowledge to policy: Making the most of development research

28 November 2010

Does research influence public policy and decision-making and, if so, how? Published in 2009, this book analyses the outcomes of 23 research projects funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre in Asia, Africa and Latin America to understand the effects of research in the field of international development. Written in a reader-friendly, journalistic style, the analysis gives the reader a deeper grasp and understanding of approaches, contexts, relationships, and events.

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The interactive Organizational Assessment (OA) website

19 November 2010

The Organizational Assessment (OA) website offers guidance for organizations to help them choose appropriate frameworks and models for self-evaluation and self-reflection.

Combining local knowledge and global science: A practical guide

11 November 2010

This practical guide developed by DFID’s Research Into Use programme draws on practical experience in Nepal to show how the combination of external and local knowledge helps improve the lives of small-scale farmers by producing practical solutions suited to their needs.

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

08 November 2010

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), South Africa, and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), UK, have co-published a conference report analysing discussions and presentations at the 'Locating the Power of In-between conference' in Pretoria, South Africa in July 2008.

New guide on linking research and policy

08 November 2010

UK's National Environmental Research Council has published a new guide for researchers to help them engage more effectively with policymaking processes.

Bridging the “know-do” gap from research to action

08 November 2010

The IDRC 'Research Matters Knowledge translation toolkit' explores the interface between two fundamentally different processes: those of research and those of action.

Putting Policy into Practice: Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in Ethiopia

08 November 2010

Published in 2004 by INTRAC, this book focuses on eight UK-based international NGOs (INGOs) engaged in rural development interventions in Ethiopia.

Linking research and public policies in Latin America

08 November 2010

Regional conference discusses linkages between knowledge-based policymaking, democracy and development

Improving the evidence base for health policy

08 November 2010

Delhi Impact Evaluation Seminar discusses strategies to enhance impact evaluation of women’s reproductive health interventions in India.

Knowledge to policy: Making the most of development research

08 November 2010

New IDRC publication explores how research influences public policy and decision-making

The wisdom of crowds? Innovative development experiment called to account

08 November 2010

Can the internet phenomenon of “crowdsourcing,” or collective intelligence, which has been successfully applied in such areas as open source software development and medical solutions, also be chanelled to promoting rural development?

Evidence-Based Policy in Development Network (EBPDN)

08 November 2010

The Evidence-Based Policy in Development Network website, established in the framework of ODI’s Civil Society Partnership Programme, has been designed as a community website that provides: knowledge on bridging research and policy, details of members of the network, a directory of training and advisory expertise, discussion forums, and a partnership brokering area.

Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA)

08 November 2010

REPOA is a Tanzanian NGO that recognises that research is central to economic growth and the eradication of poverty, and a basis for making decisions and designing interventions. REPOA seeks to build the capacity of, and mobilise stakeholders to understand the importance of research, and to facilitate the use of information for policy dialogue and development. REPOA specialises in economic and social research and has a core staff of 13 researchers.

Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) Toolkit

08 November 2010

The increasing prominence of evidence-based principles has ledto a need for government departments and agencies to have ways of accessing, harnessing and using the best available research evidence for effective policy making – and the first step in this is to review what is already known. While existing evidence is clearly not the only source of information available topolicy makers, it is an obvious and vitally important strategy to determine what is already known about the issue in question.

Research4Development (R4D), UK

08 November 2010

R4D is the portal to the UK Department for International Development (DFID) centrally funded research. It provides up-to-date information on DFID's current research portfolio.

Healthlink Worldwide

08 November 2010

Healthlink Worldwide provides expertise in communication, knowledge management and learning. It works with organisations and institutions at all levels, from local and national NGOs to national and international decision making bodies.

Research and Policy in Development (RAPID)

08 November 2010

RAPID is a programme of the UK-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI) that aims to improve the use of research and evidence in development policy and practice through research, advice and debate. The RAPID programme has been researching the interface between research and policy for several years, and running workshops, seminars and coursesfor a diverse range of stakeholders.

IDRC in the Public Policy Process

08 November 2010

This study aims to clarify and document what the Centre (IDRC) means by ‘policy influence’; to examine more systematically the extent to which and the ways in which the research it supports influences policy; and to examine the factors which affect the extent of policy influence resulting from its projects.

Practitioner led research in Africa

08 November 2010

This book introduces a series of research studies carried out by SNV advisors on a range of topics relevant to their capacity development practice.

Key Lessons for Up-scaling and Out-scaling of DFID Research

08 November 2010

This DFID “Research into Use” Practice Note consists of a series of short syntheses that bring together key lessons for up-scaling and outscaling research, based on 19 key reviews, summaries and reports detailing DFID natural resources research. Each synthesis provides important background information and valuable key points, while the lessons learned are illustrated using examples and case studies.

Strategies for Impact and Policy Relevance

08 November 2010

Over the last five years ODI’s Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme has been involved in research and advisory and capacity development work with a wide range of organisations throughout the developing world keen to improve the impact of their research on policy and practice, and has produced a wide range of practical guidelines and toolkits. This publication documents the lessons learned, summarised in six simple lessons.

Evidence & Policy

08 November 2010

Evidence & Policy is a peer reviewed journal that focuses on the relationship between research evidence and the concerns of policymakers and practitioners, as well as researchers. International in scope and interdisciplinary in focus, it addresses the needs of those who provide public services, and those who provide the research base for evaluation and development across a wide range of social and public policy issues – from social care to education, from public health to criminal justice.

CIPPEC, Argentina

08 November 2010

The Center for the Implementation of Public Policies Promoting Equity and Growth (CIPPEC) links research and policy to improve the livelihoods of people in Latin America and the Caribbean. CIPPEC advocates for greater use of research by civil society organisations (CSOs) and think tanks that are trying to influence decision-making processes in Argentina and Latin America. In 2005 CIPPEC consulted with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in the UK to coordinate the Civil Society Partnerships Programme (CSPP) in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. Since then, the organisation has developed methods of strengthening capacities for using research evidence when promoting pro-poor policies.

Global Development Network

08 November 2010

This GDN toolkit provides broad tips and practical suggestions for communicating academic research using the internet. It draws on best practice for web strategies from the information and commercial worlds, especially selected to help the successful electronic dissemination of your research.

DFID database on practical development research outputs

08 November 2010

This series of pages summarises a collection of key outputs from projects run by DFID's recently completed 10-year Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy (RNRRS).

Toolkits on linking research and policy

08 November 2010

The website of the Danish Research Network for International Health provides useful information on linking research to policy as well as a number of links to overviews, publication and guidelines on research communication and promotion of research in development activities and policies. The materials contain useful references and/or links to further reading.

Research and trust-building in international negotiations

08 November 2010

The African Union Ambassador to the EU describes the role of researchers in backstopping African, Caribbean and Pacific negotiators engaged in complex trade negotiations with the EU.

Policy engagement in East and Southern Africa

08 November 2010

In promoting evidence-based policy in developing countries, the links between civil society organisations and legislators in the research-policy-practice interface have been insufficiently studied.

Political Science? Strengthening science-policy dialogue in developing countries

08 November 2010

Public-interest issues such as climate change have strengthened international debate about sustainable development and poverty reduction, creating an opportunity for evidence-informed policy dialogue to improve development policy and practice.

Policy Matters

08 November 2010

Global Development Network initiatives to shape global policy debates and bridge research and policy consultations.

GDN Global Research Project Bridging Research and Policy

08 November 2010

The Global Development Network (GDN) is working in collaboration with 11 regional partners on the Global Research Project Bridging Research and Policy. The aim is to improve understanding of the links between research and policy, and to bridge the gap between researchers, policy makers and intermediary organisations such as media and professional associations in order to promote evidence-based policy making in low- and middle-income countries.

Communicating health research

08 November 2010

Stronger links between researchers, policy makers and practitioners and increased Southern research capacity are the keys to relevant evidence being taken up…

Introduction

08 November 2010

In this Capacity.Org feature article, John Young explains why it is difficult to feed research-based evidence into policy and practice and which capacities need to be strengthened. He presents a six-step approach developed by a team at the Overseas Development Institute that can help research organisations to maximise their impact on policy and practice.

Digital Research Tools (DiRT)

08 November 2010

DiRT is a wiki for information about tools and resources that can help scholars (particularly in the humanities and social sciences) conduct research. It is intended to help them do so more efficiently and/or creatively.

Research4life: Free access to environment research for developing countries

08 November 2010

The On-line Access to Research on the Environment initiative provides access to the latest research at low or no cost to developing countries.

Practice, evidence and policy

08 November 2010

The Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) is an informal network of analysts and practitioners aimed at creating a global community of practice around capacity development. The network was established in 2004 and has grown steadily since. At a strategy meeting in Washington DC in December 2008 a steering group was put in place and a three-year strategy was determined. The strategy consists of two main initiatives. The first is to support the aid effectiveness agenda, and the implementation of the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA), which will remain a major anchor for network activity. Second, LenCD will maintain a more conducive platform for CD learning. The CD Learning Initiative is focused on ‘closing the learning loops’, which means to ‘bring back’ lessons from diverse practices on the ground, to distil, broaden and disseminate evidence, and to inform policy in concrete terms. In the months ahead, LenCD will put in place the instruments and operational underpinnings to make it happen. Regional and thematic working groups will convene around common agendas. By its very nature LenCD is a partnership effort, and your ideas and engagement are welcome.

New research project to promote evidence-based policymaking in agriculture and trade

08 November 2010

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Sharing agricultural innovations

08 November 2010

IFAD’s Western and Central Africa Division has launched a programme to scout and share innovations that can help address the problems faced by producers and the rural poor in the region.

"Tourist guide" to Rural Innovation Studies published

08 November 2010

The debates about science, technology and innovation (ST&I) in rural development have seen something of a renaissance in recent years, with a number of new and existing organisations in the field of agriculture looking at the adoption of innovation as an organising principle for both policy and action. However, due to the ever-changing nature of the field, the process of navigating through the various emergent and existing schools of thought that produce its vast and complex literature can be a bit of a challenge. The Learning INNovation Knowledge (LINK) Network, a joint initiative of United Nations University (UNU-MERIT), The Netherlands, and UN FAO, has just released the first in a series of policy resources on rural innovation to guide researchers, policymakers and practitioners through this maze. The "Tourist Guide" charts the emerging landscape of systems studies on rural innovation and is available for download on the LINK website. Readers' feedback is invited, through email messages or by posting a comment.

Case Study: Participatory Video in the Policy Making Process

08 November 2010

This case study explores the role of participatory video for policy making and its implications for evidence based learning in the context of an information and communication technology ICT program evaluation in a group of Canada’s remote aboriginal communities.

Pelican Summary 10: Participatory Video in the Policy Making Process

08 November 2010

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Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society

08 November 2010

This handbook Presents tools for development actors to facilitate communication.

Listening to the people in poverty - a manual for life history collection

08 November 2010

This manual is designed to provide a foundational framework for volunteers listening to the experiences, perceptions and aspirations of the poor and marginalised people.

IDRC

08 November 2010

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, supports developing countries to use science and technology to find practical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental problems they face.

A Networked Research Approach - A guide to conducting research in a network setting

08 November 2010

This guide to the Networked Research Approach was developed by the International Forum for Rural Transportation and Development (IFRTD)

Evidence-based policies

29 October 2010

It is common to think that academic researchers and aid practitioners cannot communicate because they live in different worlds. The former are said to be concerned with formulating theories regardless of the complexities and contradictions of the evidence, while the latter are mandated to implement internationally sanctioned practical policies that are intended to improve lives. Each asks why the other doesn’t understand how difficult their job is.

NGOs provoke trade policy change

29 October 2010

Since the mid-1990s, when trade policy was understood by only a few experts, NGO campaigns have done a lot to increase the public exposure and awareness of trade issues.

The importance of building trust

29 October 2010

The European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are currently negotiating new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). AU Ambassador Mahamet Saleh Annadif believes that researchers can provide effective support for ACP negotiators in this complex process.

Impact of research on policy and practice

29 October 2010

It is difficult to feed research-based evidence into policy and practice. This article discusses which capacities need to be strengthened to increase the impact of research on policy.

Collective learning for advocacy

29 October 2010

In 2006, following the elections in Mexico, 14 sexual and reproductive rights organisations met to develop strategies for an advocacy campaign. Julián Portilla and Sylvia Aguilera describe the collective learning process.

Civil society organisations and legislators

29 October 2010

In promoting evidence-based policy in developing countries, the links between civil society organisations and legislators in the research-policy-practice interface have been insufficiently studied.

Embedding ICT in development

29 October 2010

How can Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support development efforts? ICT cuts across sectors and affects all layers of society; it is used by both micro-projects and large institutions. This issue of Capacity.org explores some of the practical approaches taken by a range of support organizations working to build ICT capacities.

Helping policy research organizations become more accountable

05 October 2010

A significant proportion of funds aimed at development is allocated to research. This investment is done on the basis that rational policy processes rely on good evidence. Research organizations generating this evidence can have great impact on the citizens of a country. As such, it is important that they remain accountable.

Tracking progress in advocacy

05 October 2010

This INTRAC paper, published in December 2009, introduces the scope of, and rational for, engaging in advocacy work as part of development interventions

The wisdom of crowds? An innovative development experiment called to account

04 October 2010

Can the internet phenomenon of “crowdsourcing,” or collective intelligence, which has been successfully applied in such areas as open source software development and medical solutions, also be chanelled to promoting rural development?

The knowledge translation toolkit: Bridging the Know-Do Gap

20 May 2010

Published in May 2011 by Sage India and IDRC, this resource provides a thorough overview of what knowledge translation (KT) is and how to use it most effectively to bridge the “know–do” gap between research, policy, practice, and people. It presents the theories, tools, and strategies required to encourage and enable evidence-informed decision-making.

“On Being a Scientist”: Third Edition

08 November 2009

This book describes the ethical foundations of scientific practices and some of the personal and professional issues that researchers encounter in their work. It applies to all forms of research--whether in academic, industrial, or governmental settings-and to all scientific disciplines.

Rethinking capacity building

29 October 2009

Capacity building projects are often seen as a means of providing NGOs with the tools they need to effectively deliver programmes or services, and of ensuring the ability of recipients to demonstrate accountability for the financial aid received. However, insights from over fifty years of experience suggest that conventional types of capacity building have often failed to bring about improvements in organisational effectiveness, performance, and accountability.

Improved access for Southern researchers on GDNet

04 February 2009

Launched in January 2009, the revamped Global Development Network (GDN) website aims to enhance research, social networking and knowledge sharing, especially among Southern researchers. The website provides access to, among other online services: free access journals, thousands of recently published studies focusing on research carried out in developing countries, details of funding opportunities, and the World Development Indicators database, one of the most extensive data collections in this area.