New initiative aims to encourage use of research evidence in policy making
3 November 2008
Policy making is a complex process, influenced by a multitude of factors and stakeholders, including civil society organisations, such as advocacy and interest groups and the media.
Research evidence is just one of the many factors that influences policy, but for policy makers who may not be schooled in research it can be challenging to assess the quality of the research. In addition, research results are often complex and nuanced, without clear evidence that a particular policy or strategy is effective under all conditions.
Now, the Wellcome Trust and the Alliance have joined together for a US$1 million initiative aimed at ensuring that policy makers in low-income countries, such as politicians, civil servants, political advisors and health system managers have the necessary skills to apply research evidence in the policy process.
"This new partnership aims to help bridge the gap that often exists between researchers and policy makers," says Dr Jimmy Whitworth, Head of International Activities at the Wellcome Trust. "We hope that this will establish effective mechanisms so that policy makers can better appreciate the implications of research studies and to ensure that this evidence is taken into account when formulating policy."
"Investments in health research aim to improve the health status of populations, but such impacts will only occur if policy makers and civil society pick up research findings and act upon them," says Sara Bennett, Manager at the Alliance. With this programme we hope to improve the prospects that evidence informs policy and also learn more about what types of strategies are effective in building policy maker skills and enhancing capacity for evidence use."
Examples of ways in which to enhance capacity to use evidence in policy making include:
- providing training and/or mentoring in how to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence
- internships that enable policy makers to spend time in research environments or vice versa
- improving access to research resources for policy makers through the launch of websites dedicated to evidence for policy making
- establishing databases of local researchers and their interests, which policy makers could draw upon when seeking evidence
- supporting legislation that requires publication of evidence base for new policies.
The research has been welcomed by Dr Mike English, a Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Fellow in Tropical Medicine based in Kenya, whose work involves improving the delivery of evidence-based care for severely ill children at a district level.
"It is increasingly realised that weak health systems are a significant impediment to major reductions in mortality and morbidity in low-income settings," says Dr English. "While we often know what to provide we are much less sure of how it might best be provided in different contexts. Initiatives, like the current call, that seek to apply the best knowledge to the development of the most effective health policies and health systems and further, that seek to understand and improve this process, are much needed."
For further information, please visit the ‘Enhancing capacity to apply research evidence in policy making’ web page.
Image: Alliance HPSR
Contact
Craig Brierley
Media Officer
Wellcome Trust
T +44 (0)20 7611 7329
E
c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk
Notes for editors
1. The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending over £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.
2. The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research is an international collaboration, based in WHO Geneva, that aims to promote the generation and use of health policy and systems research as a means to improve the health systems of developing countries.