Policy Research and Practice

Ratna M. Sudarshan

ISST, New Delhi

March 5-6 2009

The Scope of ‘Policy Research’

Evidence based analysis on questions of policy relevance

Includes evaluations of programme outcomes

Various forms of communicating findings other than academic publications – policy briefs, presentations, etc

(wider scope than just ‘research’)

The environment of policy research

Policy research organisations/ ‘think tanks’University academics (some?)

Private consulting firms/ Market research organisations

Action based development research NGOs

Research influence

Research can influence government policy

Can also influence action

‘academic research speaks to a body of

knowledge; activist research speaks to a

structure of power’ (NJ) – how should

‘policy research’ be located?

Action based research

Qualitative methods, capturing texture of local situation

Emphasis on diversity and difference and hence need for locale specific interventions

Is quality assured (short vs long cycle research; peer review and in the public domain; bias vs holding a position)

Questions looking forward

Can action based research organisations

make effective contributions to knowledge

as well as to policy?

Role of funding

Research protocols

Research and policy networks