International development policy and practice are expected to be based on the best available evidence, but ensuring that people have the right information at the right time is not a simple task. What information and knowledge do policy-makers and practitioners need, and how do they use it? How can we manage and communicate knowledge effectively across the wide range of disciplines and contexts in international development to support better-informed policy and practice? How can we evaluate the impact of research and evidence on policy and practice?
On 17 October, 2012, the International Development Department at the University of Birmingham brought together leading experts on research communication to share experiences and lessons learned about managing knowledge and evaluating the uptake and impact of research and evidence on policy and practice. Approximately 50 people from academic institutions, think-tanks, and consulting firms across the UK attended the workshop.
The PowerPoint slides shown by presenters can be downloaded below.
Welcoming remarks
- Olivia Kew-Fickus, Director of Strategic Planning, University of Birmingham
The uptake of social science research and evidence in public policy
- Fiona Armstrong, Head of Knowledge Exchange, ESRC [PowerPoint slides]
- Andrew Rathmell, Senior Principal, Governance, Security and Justice Team, Coffey International Development [No PowerPoint slides]
The demand side of research and evidence in development
- Derick Brinkerhoff, Distinguished Fellow, RTI International [PowerPoint slides]
- Kirsty Newman, Research Uptake Manager, Research and Evidence Division, DFID [PowerPoint slides]
- Sarah Lister, Democratic Governance Adviser, Oslo Governance Centre, UNDP [PowerPoint slides]
- Jo Duffy, Research Development Leader for International Development, ESRC [PowerPoint slides]
Monitoring and evaluating the uptake and impact of research
- Fred Carden, Evaluation Director, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada [Speaking notes] [PowerPoint slides]
- John Young, Director of Impact Assessment, Partnerships and RAPID, ODI [PowerPoint slides]
- Elise Wach, Evaluation and Learning Advisor, Impact and Learning Team, IDS [PowerPoint slides]
Knowledge brokers and networks
- Brian Lucas, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, University of Birmingham [PowerPoint slides]
- Liz Hart, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway [No PowerPoint slides]
- Paul Knox-Clarke, Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action [No PowerPoint slides]
- Katie Welford, Evidence and Lessons Learned from Latin America, Practical Action Consulting [PowerPoint slides]
- Yaso Kunaratnam, I-K-Mediaries network and Knowledge Brokers Forum, IDS [PowerPoint slides]
Thanks to Kirsty Newman, Heather Marquette, and Sumedh Rao who live-tweeted from the event; see how the event unfolded on Twitter at #resupbir.
This event was made possible thanks to funding from the University of Birmingham’s International Development Department and College of Social Sciences Advanced Social Science Collaborative. Thanks to Coffey International Development for sponsoring the evening reception.
