Communicating Research: Policymakers' Perspective

"This policy brief summarizes policymakers’ perspectives on what constitutes barriers to evidence-informed policymaking. It also presents strategies for making research results more accessible to high-level policymakers at the country level, based on what they say they want as well as evidence about what information policymakers can and do use in policymaking. Finally, the brief includes examples of how PopPov-supported researchers addressed policy-relevant questions and applied some of the outreach strategies that policymakers suggest."

This briefing analyses how to make research accessible to policy makers in light of a  William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Population and Poverty (PopPov) Research Initiative, in which researchers sought to "contribute policy-relevant information about the links between population dynamics and poverty at the national and household level." It asks "who makes policy?", focusing on  the highest level of government (advisors to the head of state or head of government, such as  cabinet ministers or a group of presidential advisors engaging in policy analysis or seeking out evidence,  with a secretariat overseeing implementation). Influences include the media and the public, as well as regional and global multilateral organisations, which "may raise the profile of issues and provide a framework for addressing specific areas of common concern."

In answer to the questions: "What is evidence?", the brief lists anecdotal evidence or testimony and opinion research, and qualitative and quantitative evaluations, including project and policy evaluations. "[S]cientific research results such as double-blind randomized controlled trials and other rigorous methods are invaluable for certain types of decisions - for example, the assessment of the efficacy of medical interventions. Modeling of financial costs and associated outcomes can also provide critical information at this level." Stories are another tool for communicating evidence: "Stories capture the human imagination, and as such are crucial in communicating government achievements. Simple stories, such as before-and-after stories, preferably with pictures, are an effective communication tool with which politicians have familiarity."

Evidence can be used to design programmes through showing how and why an intervention works and for whom and under what circumstances. The briefing provides a table on page 3 that shows policy questions and what answers the PopPov research an provide. For example, on spending, ministries may "emphasize the outcomes for which they are responsible or attributes such as social justice that might be important to the public." Challenges to evidence- informed policy include: 

•  "Biased presentation of evidence from stakeholders, both inside and outside government, to support their agenda.
• Lack of research.
•  Lack of clarity in research findings.
• Lack of policymakers’ staff skills to interpret research, and lack of researchers’ skills to communicate in nontechnical language.
• Limited relationships between policymakers or their staff and researchers.
• Shortage of home-grown evidence."

Facilitation of research for policy includes timely "well-prepared memoranda that include information on whether proposed interventions will work and assessment of the interventions’ likely impact, including the impact on sectors other than the one with which the ministry is charged and the impact on different population groups." 

Following several case studies, the briefing concludes that the capacity for researchers to produce evidence that informs policy and practice will improve research uptake and can increase the cost effectiveness of development assistance by increasing effectiveness of government programmes, reduce waste of resources, and improve accountability. The final page of the briefing includes a tables of PopPov project strategies to encourage consideration of evidence, including: providing home-grown evidence, including partnerships with implementing ministries; membership of representation on standing national committees, and expert briefings to relevant ministries.