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Research Communication and Uptake

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Introduction

The 2002 Review Research for Poverty Reduction singled out the need to link research with the take-up of ideas, so that results made a difference to the poor. The problem is not just dissemination of research results and the process is not simply linear. There are a wide range of users of research including policy makers, other researchers, civil society, the private sector, public sector services and poor people themselves.

Results of research are typically published in academic, subscription only journals, which can be difficult for users in developing countries to access. Sometimes journals are not available or they are published in a way that makes them inaccessible by some stakeholders – too scientific, wrong language, inappropriate communication channel. The extent to which new knowledge is accessed and used by developing countries is strongly influenced by local capacity to access, use and deliver knowledge, which is often weak.

The Research Strategy 2008-2013 places emphasis on the need to:

• put people who do research in touch with those who use it,
• give decision-makers, opinion-formers and practitioners access to a wider range of new and existing research, providing an evidence base they can draw on.

In order to do this by 2010 we will invest up to 30% of our research budget in making research available, accessible and useable through a range of means:

• creating a service to draw attention to and communicate research results, supporting the research communication function of our programmes.
• bringing together DFID’s research results and the best of other organisations’.
• developing a range of products that highlight research and increase the amount of people using it. This will include
  -research-based overviews;
  -research syntheses (that is, bringing together all knowledge in on a specific research theme) and
  -policy briefings.;
• working to get these resources to the right people at the right time.
• building on the success of Research4Development and
• organising conferences and events to bring research to users in developing countries and the UK.

See the working paper on Research Communication which informed the Research Strategy 2008-2013.

The timing of research competitions and calls for proposals can be found in the Implementation Timetable.

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Currently communications activities include:

• Ensuring that all CRD research programmes have good user engagement, a communication strategy for the research programme and adequate resources to implement good practice in research communication; For more information on the communications strategies of the DFID Research Programme Consortia (RPC), communications contacts, and other useful documentation, please visit the Communications Corner.
• Providing communications advice and support to Central Research Department Teams and Research Programmes; read the reports:
  -Lessons Learnt on Designing Communication Strategies for Research Programmes. Report of a Workshop held at DFID, 26th July 2006
  -Lessons Learnt in Research Communication: Monitoring and Evaluation and Capacity Development. Report of a lesson-learning workshop, DFID, Palace Street, 2nd August 2007
  -Lessons Learnt in Research Communication: DFID's 10% policy on communicating research - Successes, Challenges and Next Steps. Report of a lesson-learning workshop, DFID, Palace Street, 22nd July 2008
• Investing in innovative mechanisms to get DFID and other research to the widest range of end users, in appropriate formats and using mass media.
• Engaging with international research partners, such as the CGIAR, other bilateral donors, the UN specialist agencies, the World Bank and international Public Private Partnerships, so that they include user engagement in their research and increase investment in communication and knowledge management;
• Funding programmes to increase access to knowledge; such as PERI, SciDev.net Makutano Junction, GDnet Information Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) and Research4Development.

Information on the Communication projects can be found on R4D.

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