The Impact of Research on Development Policy and Practice: This much we know .

1. The Impact of Research on Development Policy and Practice: This much we know. A Literature Review and the Implications for ICT4D Dr. Roger Harris Visiting Professor Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovation roger.harris@rogharris.org http://www.rogharris.org/ @HarrisrwhRoger

2. introduction

3. Universities must make an impact Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed KhaledNordin “Universities should live up to their roles within the local community while making an impact in the international arena.” What does he mean by impact?

4. What is the impact of research? Research Impacts Academic Impact Publications Citations Training Academic Research Socio-economic Impact Socio-economic benefits Public Policy Capacity building

5. Research Impacts Research Impacts Academic Impact Publications Citations Training Academic Research Socio-economic Impact Socio-economic benefits Public Policy Capacity building My question is, are we making any impact?

6. Two communities Researchers, practitioners, and policy makers live in parallel universes… …with different values, languages, time-frames, reward systems and professional ties • Researchers • Practitioners and Policy-makers • puzzle why there is resistance to policy change despite clear and convincing evidence; • generally do not see policy engagement as part of their role; • face strong organizational disincentives that dissuade them from engaging in outreach beyond the scientific community; • face structural barriers to engaging in knowledge translation activities. • lament that researchers do not speak with one voice; • bemoan the inability of researchers to make their findings accessible and digestible in time for policy decisions; • lack confidence in their researchers; • regard research-based evidence as a minor factor when policies for development are formulated and practices shaped.

7. Two ‘impacts’ Researchers’ impact Policy and practitioners’ impact • usually reflected by the impact factor of the journal in which the research report is published; • impact factor is a measure of the average number of citations that have been made to recently published papers; • frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field. • for research to have any impact, the results must inform and shape policies and programmes, and be adopted into practice; • use or consideration of research findings for actual outcomes of social change; • emphasizes the need for economic and societal impacts.

8. The implications of two ‘impacts’ • Academic ‘impact’ misrepresentswhat impact is • Academic performance indicators have given rise to an identity representation of academics as performers; • Researchers are assessed on the basis of their ‘hits’ instead of on the substance of their work. • Performativitystifles innovation; promotes superficiality and conformity • Research institutions discourageimpact-oriented research by prioritizing the number and frequency of publications in peer-reviewed • The activities that make up the work of knowledge transfer pose risksto an academic career as they are not widely accepted as legitimate forms of scholarship. • For policy research, academic peer review and citation counting are regarded as too limitedfor effective evaluation

9. Themes in the literature

10. Intent

12. Information and Communication Technologies

13. Intermediaries

14. Policy Entrepreneurs • A policy entrepreneur is an individual who invests time and resources to advancea position or policy • It is a role for researchers wishing to influencepolicy.

16. Incentives

17. A determining factor for whether research-based and other forms of evidence are likely to be adopted by policy makers and practitioners • Research is more likely to contribute to policy if the evidence fits within the political and institutional limits and pressures of policy makers, and if it resonates with their assumptions • Political Context • Researchers • must know and understand • the key stakeholdersin the policymaking process, and understand the way in which the door can be opened to politicians and public interest • Knowledge • producers • need to be more self-aware of the politicalnature of their engagement in policy processes

18. Demand • Understand the demand for research among policy-makers and practitioners, by, for example, mappingthe existing information-demand and information-use environment. • The effectiveness and impact of research will be driven by continuousinteractions between supply-drivers and demand-drivers • Researchers are advised to participatein activities that would stimulate demand for their outputs, • We know more about how to improve the supplyof evidence than we do about how to improve the demand for it

19. Models of knowledge transfer

20. Engagement

21. Implications

22. Implications for ICT4D research

23. lessons

24. Lessons for research and academic institutions

25. Lessons for researchers

26. Lessons for journal editors and publishing organizations

28. Examples

29. Conclusions

30. Framework for the impact of research on policy and practice • Intent • Engage-ment • Comm-unication • Demand • ICTs • Policy and practice • Political Context • Interm-ediaries • Incentives • Policy Entrep-reneurs • Networks

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