Specialist short course
Case study
Objective
To equip participants with the skills and knowledge to shape policy with evidence more effectively.
Relevance
There is increasing pressure on government officials, research programmes and NGOs to make better use of evidence for the production of viable policy options. Influencing decision makers with evidence and contributing to policy formulation requires an explicit focus on power and politics in highly complex policy environments. The course equips participants with the concepts, skills and competencies required to operate effectively at the interface between policy and research. It enables them to design achievable plans to produce, review and communicate research and to enhance their capacity to deliver rigorous compelling evidence-based policy offers.
Design
Participants join an international cohort of policy and evidence innovators from governments, development agencies, charities, social enterprises and research organisations, to share learning and gain new insights into improving policy processes through better use of evidence.
The Knowledge, Impact and Policy Cluster at IDS leads the course and brings a wealth of experience in the theory and practice of engaging knowledge with change processes.
The course combines lectures, peer learning webinars, group work, and presentations.
Participants are assigned a course facilitator and small study group to help keep the conversation going via a dedicated online channel throughout the course.
Pre-recorded lectures, presentations and reading materials, along with a comprehensive workbook, are provided in advance.
Delivery
The facilitation team and speakers include:
- James Georgalakis, IDS Director of Communications and Impact
- Dr Louise Clark, IDS Learning Manager
- Jo Carpenter, IDS Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist
- Alan Stanley, IDS Digital Knowledge Manager
- Jessica Meeker, IDS Knowledge Officer
- Guest lecturers from the Global South
Participants
The course attracts individuals leading policy and research in their organisations or programmes who are seeking to enhance their evidence literacy and policy engagement capacity to become more effective advocates for social change.
Past participants include:
- Communications Advisor at Christian Aid UK
- Country Office Manager, International Development Law Organisation, Kenya
- Engagement Officer on the Global Impact team at the Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation
- Members of the UNICEF China Social Policy team
- Programme Coordinator at the CGIAR GENDER Platform
- Researcher at the School for Development Studies of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Participant numbers
Approximately 30 participants per course.
Impact
Since we began running this course in 2019, we have helped to build the capacity of more than 145 individuals to make better use of make better use of evidence for the production of viable policy options.
Each course has enabled participants to:
- Re-evaluate their organisation’s or programme’s use of evidence and theories of change.
- Adapt to fast-changing policy demands and deploy new tools for understanding how change happens in a particular context.
- Systematically identify and appraise policy relevant evidence.
- Frame research for policy and practice and develop compelling evidence informed policy offers.
The course has resulted in a number of follow-up requests for technical support or partnerships including tailored courses or learning events for the Ministry of Education in Jordan, and the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (the NGO Coalition for durable solutions for displacement-affected communities in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.)
The first lecture from the IDS Shaping Policy with Evidence course
Key contacts
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