How to bring research evidence into policy? Synthesizing strategies of fve research projects in low-and middle-income countries

Abstract

Background: Addressing the uptake of research fndings into policy-making is increasingly important for research ers who ultimately seek to contribute to improved health outcomes. The aims of the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d Programme) initiated by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation are to create and disseminate knowledge that supports policy changes in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This paper reports on fve r4d research projects and shows how researchers engage with various stakeholders, including policy-makers, in order to assure uptake of the research results. Methods: Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted with principal investigators and their research partners from fve r4d projects, using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews explored the process of how stakeholders and policy-makers were engaged in the research project. Results: Three key strategies were identifed as fostering research uptake into policies and practices: (S1) stakehold ers directly engaged with and sought evidence from researchers; (S2) stakeholders were involved in the design and throughout the implementation of the research project; and (S3) stakeholders engaged in participatory and transdis ciplinary research approaches to coproduce knowledge and inform policy. In the frst strategy, research evidence was directly taken up by international stakeholders as they were actively seeking new evidence on a very specifc topic to up-date international guidelines. In the second strategy, examples from two r4d projects show that collaboration with stakeholders from early on in the projects increased the likelihood of translating research into policy, but that the latter was more efective in a supportive and stable policy environment. The third strategy adopted by two other r4d projects demonstrates the benefts of promoting colearning as a way to address potential power dynamics and work ing efectively across the local policy landscape through robust research partnerships. Conclusions: This paper provides insights into the diferent strategies that facilitate collaboration and communica tion between stakeholders, including policy-makers, and researchers. However, it remains necessary to increase our understanding of the interests and motivations of the diferent actors involved in the process of infuencing policy, identify clear policy-infuencing objectives and provide more institutional support to engage in this complex and time-intensive process.

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Research Article

Keywords

Evidence-based policy-making, Research for development

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