Policy Entrepreneurship for Poverty Reduction

The focus of this book is the union of theory and practice in development. Its two key questions are:

1. What factors affect the influence research has on policy and practice in international development?
2. How can research and policy be bridged more effectively for poverty reduction?

Policy makers give strategies for researchers and analysts who want their research converted into changes. From the reverse perspective, researchers give strategies for policymakers and practitioners who want their policies to be more evidence based. This book illustrates the value of existing frameworks and also adds new lessons on:

• the need for donors and research foundations to foster research capacity and to protect it from political interference;
• the need for researchers to use detailed case materials in order to inform high-level policy debates within and across national boundaries, often by working in transnational teams;
• the importance of presenting research results in such a way that they cannot be misinterpreted by over-simplification; and
• the value of creating alliances between researchers and civil society advocacy groups.