Presentation by Assoc Prof B. Lalljee, Head of Department and Prof S. Facknath Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius

1. Transforming Research into
Policy
Assoc Prof B. Lalljee, Head of Department
and
Prof S. Facknath
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius

16. Introduction
• There are many terms used to describe the
processes by which knowledge generated
through research finds its way to those who need
it – be they practitioners (farmers, engineers,
health workers, community workers) or
policymakers in government and other agencies.
• The terms ‘research communication’, ‘research
dissemination’ and ‘research utilisation’ (or
research into use) are familiar in the university
and development research sectors.

17. Assumptions made by Researchers
• A researcher, on publishing the research findings, assumes that the policy
makers will:
- find the document;
- understand its potential utility for their problem;
- have time to read it;
- be able to understand it;
- be able to extract the appropriate meaning for their problems;
- be able to understand the implications for action with respect to their
problem;
- understand the implications of how the implications for action might interact
with others from other programmes;
- have the ability, willingness time and resources to implement the actions;
- understand how to measure the effects, and have the tools to do so;
- have the ability, willingness time and resources to measure the outcomes;
- have the ability to understand the outcomes as they emerge;
- have the ability to understand the implications for follow-on research or
actions (e.g., policy);
- be interested enough to make all this effort !

18. What is Research Uptake?
• Research Uptake (RU) does not refer simply to
the one-way process of communicating research
findings to potential end-users.
• It involves effective communication much further
upstream – right from understanding end-user
needs in the initial stages of project design, and
in some cases even involving them in the
research design, project implementation and
adoption of research results.
• RU describes the entire process of doing research
that has outcomes that have impact on the lives
of people.

19. Why is research uptake management
important?
• Career progression typically emphasises
publication in academic journals or other
scholarly publications.
• Preparing research evidence for lay audiences
may not be a priority, or may not be an
activity for which many researchers find time,
or have the expertise.
• Increasingly, research funding agencies
require evidence that this has been done.

22. To Use Intermediaries or Not
• It has been argued that there is a need for a
bridge between the research and policy-
making communities, comprising of applied
social scientists, business analysis, etc.
• On the other hand, it has been argued that
intermediaries can do more harm than good
as a result of misinterpretation, vested
interests and personal agendas.

23. • If no intermediaries are to be used,
scientists have to have the expertise,
the skills and the time to be able to
communicate their results in a
simple and non-technical manner.
• Not all scientists have these qualities,
which need time and practice to
develop.

24. Researchers need to build their capacity to fulfill
multiple roles in policy formulation to:
• understand the needs of policymakers;
• simplify and focus communications with the policymaking
community and the lay public;
• attune engagement and communication to the timeframe,
jurisdiction and interests of policymakers;
• increase familiarity and comfort with the policymaking
process;
• provide timely, accurate data (in accessible and
understandable form);
• serve as neutral and respected conveners of policy forums;
• conduct research and analysis of findings in response to
questions raised by policymakers and other stakeholders;
• Be open about accepting criticism and responding to it
positively.

25. Getting Research into Practice
v/s
Getting Practice into Research
• The current model for most research is based on the
assumption that researchers discover new things and then
tries to market them to policy makers (‘Getting Research into
Practice’).
• However it is equally important to start from the perspective
of decision makers even before devising the research
questions. This means ‘Getting Practice into Research’.
• The former approach may be appropriate for new and untried
research problems, but for operational research (how an
intervention is implemented), the second approach is more
desirable, and should be embedded within the research
programme.

26. Getting Practice into Research
• When policy makers become involved in the research
process from generating the research agenda to
participating in the research process (perhaps even
including co-authoring publications), the co-produced
research is proximal to the decision maker and can be
readily taken up and implemented.
• Steps that researchers and policy advocates can take
together to influence policy:
– Describe a problem locally, so that it has policy relevance and
a local context in order to get the attention of local
politicians and media.
– Provide policy-makers with reasonable and implementable
solutions to the problem, so they have a way to act.
– Develop a convincing message that will resonate with the
public and politicians.
– Convey that message and research data in a variety of ways,
each timed to have maximum impact on the policy-making
process.

27. An Example of A Relevant Initiative -
DRUSSA

28. Development Research Uptake in
SubSaharan African Universities (DRUSSA)
DRUSSA Project is based on 3 premises :
• Skills needed to implement research findings are
different to the skills required to do the research, so the
researcher may not be the best person for this task. It is
better addressed institutionally, through the
development of a Research Uptake Management scheme
in the institution.
• Research uptake can take a lot of time and money, hence
often is not part of the research project itself, and should
be tackled at institutional level through a separate
office/unit with its own staff and budget.
• Researchers need to be incentivised to continue with the
uptake process after the research part is completed.

30. • The support of policymakers is very important in
order to scale up and implement study findings.
• Even if changing national policy has not been the
main aim of a study/programme, success or failure in
terms of utilization of study results or maximizing
their impact depends on the degree of importance
given to it by government bodies or multilateral
organisations.
• It seems to be more effective if :
– the research is a priority for the policymakers and other
stakeholders
– The research is in line with national development plans
and strategies
– the research establishment has good relations with the
policymakers and they can
– agree on the research goals and findings.

31. Conceptual Framework for Research Utilisation
(GRIPP Report, JSI Europe, 2007)

32. Key Players
• The key players can be categorised into two
broad groups:
• External players
– International researchers
– Donor(s)
• Internal players
– Local scientists
– Policy makers
– Implementing bodies
– End Users

33. Role of External Players
• Their roles are earmarked from the start
• Their roles usually end once the study findings
are known and disseminated.

34. Local players
• Local researchers/programme
• Policymaker
• National body/association
• Implementing organisation
• End Users

35. Role of Internal Players
• Should take ownership of the processes required to
implement research into policy or practice.
• There has to be close collaboration between researchers,
policymakers and implementers so that together they can
develop a sustainable system with the right policies and
practices in place.
• The appropriate infrastructure and systems should exist so
that the policies can be set in motion.
• The implementers have to be open to accepting the new
policies.
• The implementers have to ensure that personnel are suitably
trained to introduce or change practices on a wider scale. If
the appropriate skills base does not exist on a nationwide
scale for instance, it may require revision of education policies
to ensure that over the years the skills gap is reduced.
• On a micro level, it may mean obtaining resources to train
people within an organisation or transferring personnel with
the requisite skills to where the skills gap exists.

36. Key Points in the Research to Policy Framework
• Involvement of stakeholders in the study right from the beginning and
maintaining good inter-personal relationships with them is important for enabling
the scale up and utilisation of research results. In the case of policy makers, this
ensures that the study findings are accepted and used by policymakers in decision
making.
• For research having strong international research groups, close collaboration with
local researchers is imperative, particularly in the scale up and utilisation phase,
where the latter take a more prominent role than the international researchers.
• The credibility of a study’s findings is enhanced if backed by findings from other
studies, and ensures better uptake by policy makers, who are wary of new ideas.
• Timing of the research and the release of the findings is an important factor that
may affect scale up and utilisation of research results, e.g. research on climate
change just after a devastating cyclone or an intense drought period. Policy makers
are more ready to act on the study findings, if it is a priority issue for them at that
time.
• Communication activities are important for ensuring the right messages get to the
right persons at the right time. The dissemination should be a well-targeted
activity so that information is provided to those who need to know about it and it
should be presented in a way that can be comprehended by the audience.

37. Key Points in the Research to Policy Framework
• The media should be engaged wherever possible in disseminating
information and they need to be educated on the right messages to be
conveyed, especially in cases where a sensitive issue is being dealt with.
The research budget should include resources to allow for media
involvement.
• Where the study is based on a sensitive issue, policymakers may be
reluctant to be seen supporting study findings if they there is a danger of
alienating their voters and/or involves huge public spending. Where this is
anticipated, extra steps should be taken to help politicians develop
strategies for addressing the issue in a way that will help them win their
voters’ support for initiatives to address the issue.
• The nature and extent of donor involvement in a study and its scale up is
important. It may affect the study, uptake of its findings or it may even
give a different angle to the study’s findings.
• At times, even with a strong research-based evidence, and consequent
policy development, insufficient resources and/or confidence of the end-
user may hamper uptake, e.g. implementation of organic farming in
Mauritius.

38. UoM Research Strategy
Research Uptake Engagement & Community Outreach
• Goal 1: University-local communities engagement
• Actions:
• Dissemination of research findings to end-users in lay terms in the local media including
use of websites and use of social media (blogs, facebook, twitter)
• Promote research uptake by end-users
• Include the voice of the local communities in the university research agendas through
meetings, workshops.
• Engage citizens & students through community involvement
• Develop courses, mini-projects and dissertations addressing important community
issues
• Prepare and empower learners outside the campus environment
• Create broad public awareness of the University’s mission and contributions
• Provide expert contributions to public debate and policy-making, and leading the
engagement agenda in the Republic of Mauritius
• Outputs: Practical applications of applied research at community level; Number of
outreach workshops, extension activities including meetings and open days; Number of
brochures, flyers, fact-sheets; Number of dissertation projects and mini-projects
addressing community issues; Number of research findings adopted by end-users.

39. • Goal 2: To apply current knowledge of the University to the country’s
evolving needs
• Actions:
• Increase institutional private sector and alumni involvement
• Foster engagement with our communities of interest
• Extend our range of continuing personal and professional development
programmes
• Develop long-term, sustainable relationships with the community, through a
focused and proactive engagement policy
• Promote technology transfer
• Outputs: Number of new educational programmes (workshops, short
courses, seminars, etc); Number of new research projects; Number of
projects offering turn-key solutions for the society; Number of professional
development programmes; Number of joint activities with local
stakeholders; Number of research projects scaled up to pilot and industrial
scale.

40. Conclusion
• If properly carried out, research uptake ensures a
win-win situation for all.
• Research uptake should be about more than just
supplying research findings, even if it is inclusive and
participative.
• It should also be about stimulating demand for
research more broadly, such that policy makers
themselves are motivated to seek out research.
• It should serve as a platform for broader national
development issues.

41. Thank you for your attention

42. What are the potential barriers
to uptake of research?

43. What would enhance uptake of
your research?