In recent years, the issue of ‘knowledge’ for development
- and more specifically ‘evidence-based decision-making’
- has risen high on the development agenda. At the same time, the
major focus, in terms of policy instruments, has been on Poverty
Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). A dominant issue, in relation
to PRSPs, has been the question of ‘ownership’ - of
national development policies. Yet these two issues are rarely linked.
A great deal has been written in the last 2 -3 years about participation
in the process of PRSP preparation, but almost nothing on the role
of knowledge, or more specifically research, in this process.
Under the auspices of the Global Development Network, we are engaged
in a collaborative project studying how ‘domestic’ research
has or has not been used in the preparation of national development
strategies, on the basis of selected case studies in four African
countries:
- Malawi: with special focus on land reform and ADMARC;
- Uganda: with special focus on land reform and agricultural policy;
- Tanzania and Kenya: with special focus on primary school fees.
The study is thus assessing to what extent national research resources
are used, and what factors may explain variation in their use. This
involves analysis of the processes of decision-making relating to
the PRSP, including the role of foreign as well as local actors.
Presentation:
Desmond McNeill, (SUM, University of Oslo, Norway)
Arne Tostensen, (CMI, Bergen, Norway)
Comments:
Paul Spray, (Head of Research, DfID)
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Documents to download
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