The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed debates on the use of research evidence firmly into the mainstream. Nonetheless, most of the dilemmas we faced before the crisis in relation to connecting evidence with policy and practice remain.
Some of these dilemmas are being felt even more acutely, given how Covid-19 has both hit the most vulnerable hardest, and exposed the weaknesses and inequities in our knowledge systems, such as:
- a lack of coordination in research investments,
- hierarchies of knowledge that favour some types of research knowledge over others,
- the difficulties of reconciling scientific advice with political realities,
- and managing potentially unrealistic expectations of discovering ‘what works’ and applying this to diverse contexts.
Much of this was recently highlighted by the new Global Commission on Evidence report. It provides a call to action that includes highlighting the value of citizen science as well as the lived experiences of practitioners and those directly affected by societal challenges.
However, the report only briefly addresses two of the central challenges and opportunities we face: firstly, creating an enabling environment for the mobilisation of southern knowledge and, secondly, the empowerment of researchers and the communities they work with in low and middle income countries.
South to North learning
We frequently see influential international organisations promoting tool kits for policy engagement and producing supposedly generalisable lessons for achieving research impact. These invariably fail to acknowledge the expertise that already exists within think tanks, research organisations and social movements in low- and middle-income countries.
There have been increasing calls for more South-to-North and South-to-South learning in this area. Whether in health, education, climate change or macro-economics, many of the true innovations in evidence-informed social, environmental and economic policy are found in African think tanks, Latin American universities, and the research policy networks of the Indo-Pacific, for example.
Many studies have been undertaken of the evidence-informed policy and practice space in development. Indeed, this is a far more mature field than some realise. The field is frequently divided into theoretical learning for scholars and practice-based learning for those operating at the coal face.
With some notable exceptions, we also tend to see a focus on specific approaches and sectors, such as implementation science in health care, impact evaluation in development or participatory action research in social movements. There’s too little cross fertilisation of ideas, both practical and conceptual, across themes and geographies.
This results in the continuous reinvention of the wheel and too little acknowledgement of existing theory and practice. There is also a chronic tendency to over-rely on English-language literature. And, a failure to identify the underlying assumptions being made about how knowledge contributes to change.
New project will review the current state of the knowledge with a focus on the global South
It is with all this in mind that IDS and OTT Consulting are working with IDRC to conduct a research project focused on knowledge translation in the global South.
We start with a review of the Spanish, French and English literature on knowledge translation. This focuses on the rich landscape of reviews already undertaken to assess the state of the knowledge.
Then, we will actively engage researchers and knowledge intermediaries in the global South to both identify innovations and challenges in research for development and, seek out the areas where funders such as IDRC, can make a real difference to the mobilisation of southern expertise.
Our commitment to addressing structural inequalities that characterise the global knowledge systems is reflected in our research design which will privilege Southern voices and directly addresses gender equity and social inclusion.
We will take a phased flexible approach, rather than assume we can systematically identify a finite literature and key informants on a topic as broad as this. We will look across scientific disciplines and geographies and engage with the complexity of how context and conditions influence the outcomes from different types of engagement mechanisms.
Grounding the learning in southern experience
This project is being co-designed, co-produced and co-communicated with our partners. We will facilitate a ‘Learning Journey’ shaped by our southern-based Steering Group, who come from diverse disciplines, sectors and geographies. Fellow travellers on this journey include a global research team, research participants from the global South and IDRC staff. We anticipate a rigorous study and inclusive learning process that will build on what has come before but deliver new insights. These will be grounded in southern lived experiences and on established policy theories to support equitable knowledge translation processes.
It is our hope that we can help improve understanding of current trends, gaps, opportunities and challenges for the use of research in the global South and strengthen relationships and behaviours that support innovation.
Many impressive organisations and networks are already working hard in this area and we hope to connect with many of them over the next year. Our vision is the same as theirs: to see Southern voices and leadership driving responses to development challenges.
