MOST Policy Documents

1. MOST Policy Documents • A standardized approach for the dissemination & application of policy-relevantknowledge • Rationale for Standardized Approach • System Design Methodology • Documents Structure Outline • Dissemination Methods • System Features & Functionality • Content Connectivity & Flexibility

2. 1. Why ‘Standardize’? • Not standardize knowledge but support – to innovate in dissemination & utilization methods • Reduce processing time & costs with electronic communication – submission/review & editing/posting • Produce different types of documents for different users with different needs – from the same information • Capitalize knowledge & experience to enhance potentials for replication & transfer • Accelerate dissemination and empower use & re-use of research results for policy-making

3. 2.1 Empirical Basis • Briefing & reporting-driven information flows (access, extraction, making & use processes) in policy institutions • US Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, & other policy research services • Policy research theoretical studies & educative materials • Information flows in administration & management decision-support services

4. 2.2 Structure Design • Content mapping from theoretical studies, educative materials, documents by policy institutions, & guidelines for reporting on ‘best practices’ • Integration into comprehensive, ‘generic’ structure • Selection of salient points, addition of points of relevance to domain-specificity • ‘System’ considerations: content connectivity potentials • Definition of appropriate sequence-logic • Refining structure & features with writers & users

5. 3.1 Policy Papers • Document Information • Introduction • Context • Legal Framework in Place • Stakeholders’ Plans & Strategies • Proposed Policy Implications • Monitoring & Evaluation • References

6. 3.2 Policy Briefs • Document information • Introduction • Abstracts from paper sections: • Context • Legal framework in place • Stakeholders’ plans and strategies • Proposed policy implications • Monitoring and evaluation • References

7. 4. Dissemination • Papers (15 to 20+ pages) & Briefs (ab. 4 pages – a collection of selectitems from the Papers) • Print & electronic versions • Website: Downloadable versions (.pdf), and • Interactive versions (.html) – items in Brief link to integral text of section in original Paper • Newsletters via mailing lists (body text, .pdf file as attachment, link to Brief & Paper pages on website) • Alerting via email when new paper comes out

8. 5.1 Search & Reporting • Qualifying & localizing an issue/case filters documents • Generic themes (education) &particular problems (secondary school dropouts) • Regions (Africa) or geographic areas (Eastern Africa), countries (Kenya) • Retrieving specific items produces custom-documents • Select items from single Paper generate custom-type Brief (‘just the right information’) • Select items across multiple Papers generate custom-type report (focus analysis)

9. 5.1.1 Issue/case Dimensions • On ‘secondary school dropouts in Kenya’, one may be interested in • Overviewing legal frameworks, e.g. for anteriority research • Or identifying networks of individuals, organizations, resources, & how they are mobilized • Different sets of items report on the same policy issue/case withdistinct, specific dimensions • ‘Legal instruments for the prevention of sec. school dropouts in Kenya’ • ‘Agents & resources involved in the prevention of sec. school dropouts in Kenya’

10. 5.1.2 Issue/case Locations & Contexts • One may want to compare geographically • Neighbouring (Ethiopia, Tanzania), other African (South Africa, Namibia), or different (Cuba, China) countries • Zoom out for regional (Eastern Africa) or cross-regional (Latin-America & the Caribbean, Asia & the Pacific) comparisons • Or restrict with specific ‘social-ecological’ foci • Geo-administrative scales(district, medium city, village) • Social-environmental contexts (inner city, rural) • Location-specific environments (coastal, mountain)

11. 5.2 Analysis & Research • Quantitative processing across knowledge items produces practical evidence for analytical or exploratory purposes • Identifying how problems result from particular situations in particular contexts • Assessing extent of solutions available for particular types of problem • Identifying solutions to a particular problem based on similar experiences • Assessing potentials for success of solutions • Identifying best option(s) based on context specificity • Inferring problems that might arise from solutions, etc.

12. 6.1 Content Connectivity • Complex policy challenges can be translated into ‘Profiles’ • "How-to’s" & "Best practices" can be extracted and compiled • Natural language tools can help answer practical questions • System can be made self-learning through profiles & queries • Value multiplies with each document added (& with every search) • Need critical mass (docs.) for system to be knowledgeable

13. 6.2 Flexibility • Granularity: the number of structural levels (in a text: section, part, chapter, paragraph, etc.) • Higher granularity = better customization (search & profiles) and more precise analyses (questions & answers), but: • Higher granularity = heavier constraints for the authors – in fitting in research content • Need right balance between enough granularity & ease of writing – to enable usability while not constraining knowledge production • To be tested in close collaboration with authors & users – researchers & policy-makers

14. Thank you • Your comments & questions are welcome • Christina Von Furstenberg c.von-furstenberg@unesco.org • Santiago Castro s.castro@unesco.org • Vincent Maugisv.maugis@unesco.org