Post on 03-Jan-2016
description
SRA course: Research into policy & practice
Research utilisation & impact: some theory & insights
The research and policy/practice relationship
• Research impact a key concern of funders• Many current attempts to evaluate impact• Need to demonstrate ‘user engagement’• Impact doesn’t just happen• Need to understand perspectives of users
Context• Users have their own agendas• Often very busy• Don’t understand the research process
&...• usually, not very interested in it• Research competes with many other
influences
Research is just one factor in policy & practice.....
Lots of other things are happening
Eg in government, it’s a bit like an iceberg - much of the activity goes on ‘below the
waterline’........
The Policy Iceberg
Implementation
Legislation
Policy Announcement
Policy Idea Sea level Party Politics Manifesto commitments Elections No 10 priorities Cabinet/Ministerial Public Opinion Political careers
Public
Political
Budgets/Resources Priorities Legal powers Operational issues Parliamentary timetables Human nature
Practical
Costing options
Reviews of evidence
Analysis of admin data
Political research
(opinion polling etc)
Commissioned research and evaluation
There’s no time to worry about the nuts and bolts of research
Research activity is a ‘black box’
Policy QuestionResearch Activity ?
Long, boring reportInconclusive resultsIrrelevant resultsResults too lateResearch expensivePolitical embarrassment‘Wrong answer’
OR
Regular feedback of resultsPolicy question answeredResearch on timeNo last minute surprisesResearch useful and used
Research findings
Clarify research questionCheck existing knowledge/re-analyse dataCheck budget/procurement rulesDesign researchCommission research Field workData processingData analysisReport writing Research-based advicePublication
What goes on inside is largely irrelevant
Research Q. Research Findings
The Policy/Practice Research Relationship
Last minute research involvementUnclear information requirementsChanging needsPoor communication (mistrust)Junior level discussionInflexible researchNo ownershipToo busy
Early research involvement
Ongoing dialogue
Senior level discussion
Research flexibility
Policy ownership
BAD RESULT
UNSATISFIED USER
GOOD RESULT
SATISFIED USER
How does the relationship work?
Many models of the relationship
Important thing is the relationship is complicated and impact is rarely instant or straightforward
Nutley et al 2002
InstrumentalLeads directly to decision
making for policy & practice
MobilisationUsed as an instrument of
persuasion to legitimise action/inaction
ConceptualLeads to changes in
knowledge, attitude or understanding
Wider InfluenceLeads to larger scale shifts
in thinking
Weiss (1979)• Knowledge –driven• Problem-solving• Interactive• Political• Tactical• Enlightenment• Research as part of the intellectual enterprise
of society
So why does research get ignored??
Barriers: structural• Timing (too late/takes too long)• Inconclusive/conflicting findings• Nature of social science knowledge• Irrelevant (asks wrong questions)
Barriers: human• Suspicion/hostility• ‘No time’• Scepticism of value (we know best)• Fear of bad news• Loss of control• No research culture
Barriers: communication
• Users not kept involved (no ownership)
• Report jargon-laden & inaccessible• Policy/practice implications not clear
What can researchers do?
Embedded processes• Embed research planning in
organisational planning• User ‘ownership’• Sticks & carrots• Organisational structures• Culture of partnership
Responsive research• Anticipating future needs• Summarising evidence• Identifying gaps• Tailoring research findings to user
needs• Bespoke advice
Centres of good practice• Evidence for Policy & Practice Information &
Co-ordinating Centre, (IOE)• Social Care Institute for Excellence• National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence• Research Unit for Research Utilisation (St
Andrews)• Campbell Collaboration • Cochrane• Research in Practice, Dartington
Web addresses• http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk • www.scie.org.uk• www.st-and.ac.uk/-ruru • www.nice.org.uk• www.campbellcollaboration.org • www.cochrane.org • www.rip.org.uk• www.ripfa.org.uk