Capacity Building for Relevant Research

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Capacity Building for Relevant Research
Knowledge on the MoveResearch Communications
Workshop27h February 2008

• John Young, Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
• Vivian Kazi, Economic and Social Research
  Foundation (ESRF)

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Research-Policy Links
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Capacity Building What Works

• Individual
• Institutional
• System-level
• Power and relationships
• Very little empirical evidence, but
• benefits include
• Networks
• N-S Partnerships
• Better dissemination
• Better research management
• Problems
• Short-termism
• Supply-driven
• Very weak ME

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Capacity-Development

• Partnerships and collaboration
• Learning-based approaches
• Mixed methods
• Practical training courses
• Collaborative action-research
• Network facilitation
• Institutional development
• Influencing the context

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Examples

• Policy workshop for CIDA One-off workshops can
  be effective in the right context.
• Zambia Land Alliance Land Policy Project
  Demand-driven, builds on local skills, local
  ownership.
• Evidence-based policy in development network
  Building coalitions, south-south learning,
  localising solutions.

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ESRF Case Study Slide 1

• ESRF is a partner Institution for CSPP by ODI
  since 2005.
• It started its operations in 1994 and currently
  implementing its fourth Strategic Plan
  (2008-2011)
• Between 25th to 29th September 2006, ESRF
  organised the TOT on Bridging Research and
  Policy in East Africa, involved 10 CSOs i.e. 3
  from Kenya, 4 from Tanzania and 3 from Uganda.
• The major objective of the TOT was to strengthen
  the capacity of senior staff from CSOs who can
  use the knowledge to train their members within
  networks on effective use of research-based
  evidence to influence policy in the region.
• Specific objective To solicit ideas from these
  CSOs in the region so as to develop a resource
  pack for trainers on evidence-based policy
  advocacy in East Africa
• The training was a mixture of field work with
  Research Institutions and Government offices as
  well as group works and plenary sessions

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ESRF Case Study Slide 2

• The content includes a mixture of tools and
  frameworks such as
• Spaces and entry points for CSOs engagement in
  Policy Advocacy
• Assessment of Policy context and strategies to
  influence policy
• Fundamentals of advocacy, advocacy tools,
  Communicating evidence to influence policy
• ME in the context of policy change advocacy
  effort, Knowledge Management and how to Designing
  and Delivering Evidence Based Advocacy Training
• Key lessons learnt A need to customize the use
  of RAPID framework in specific contexts as policy
  situation is dramatically different and therefore
  the challenges faced in policy arena are also
  quite unique.
• Way forward
• Long term sustainability of these trainings
  support Southern CSOs through Capacity building
  workshop on how to mobilize funds and provide
  some funds. Northern CSOs to work together with
  CSOs in the South through for staff exchange
  programmes.
• Outcome A completed resource pack on
  Evidence-based policy advocacy in East Africa.

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Conclusions

• Making knowledge work is a political process,
  better communication is just part of the story.
• Improving communication requires action with all
  stakeholders at all levels.
• There is little empirical evidence about what
  works.
• Effective capacity-development needs
• Context analysis
• To engage all stakeholders
• Builds on local demand and encourages local
  ownership
• A commitment to change
• Long term commitment and flexible approach by
  donors
• Practical action-learning approaches
• More effective ME