Social Protection in Asia (SPA) is a policy-research and network-building programme that has supported research on social protection policies and interventions in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India from 2007 to 2010. The guiding theme of SPA research has been to identify barriers to the creation of comprehensive and inclusive social protection measures, with a particular focus on vulnerable and marginalised groups in the informal economy.
At the start of the SPA programme, we decided to track how our research partners – all of whom are embedded in the wider context of policy-oriented research in their countries – sought to use their participation in the programme to interact with policy processes. This brief is based on interviews and discussions with SPA research partners and reflects the lessons we have learned about the different ways that research can influence policy.
Related publication: Social Protection in Asia: Research findings and policy lessons
