Resource Library
This resource library presents studies and resources developed by Politics & Ideas, its members and strategic partners The resources are organized in three main categories:
- Resources for policy makers
- Resources for think tanks
- Resources for policy makers and think tanks
Resources for policy makers
Vanesa Weyrauch, Leandro Echt and Shahenda Suliman
Paper – 2016 – Politics & Ideas/INASP
This paper presents a conceptual framework to help policymakers, researchers, practitioners and donors better define windows of opportunity in different contexts to focus efforts on promoting better interaction between knowledge and policy. The framework comprises six facets or ‘dimensions’ of context that any government institution aiming to improve the use of knowledge in public policy (as well as those working with these agencies) should consider carefully: (1) macro-context; (2) intra- and inter-relationships with state and non-state agents; (3) culture; (4) organizational capacity; (5) management and processes; and (6) core resources.
Vanesa Weyrauch, Leandro Echt and Shahenda Suliman
Paper – 2016 – Politics & Ideas/INASP
This paper is a practical knowledge product that stems from a conceptual framework developed by P&I and INASP to understand how the context at the level of government institutions affects the use of knowledge in policy.
Evidence-Informed Policy Making Toolkit
INASP
Toolkit – 2016 – INASP
The EIPM Toolkit is an adaptable suite of resources created to support civil servants and parliamentary staff to use evidence in policy making in developing countries. It focuses on finding, evaluating and communicating evidence as well as developing practical implementation plans.
Online course promotes the use of knowledge and evidence in policy
Vanesa Weyrauch and Leandro Echt
Case study – 2015 – Politics & Ideas/INASP
There has been an increasing interest and institutionalization of knowledge in public decision making over the last few years. However, the experiences of Politics & Ideas (P&I) and its members in Latin America with regards to political leaders show that many mid-level policymakers need support, new tools and new ideas to foster effective changes within their agencies to promote a better use of research. With a grant awarded by INASP as part of the VakaYiko project, P&I recently ran an online course to help address this gap for Latin American policymakers. Here the authors describe the need for this type of training and what they have learnt as a result of the course.
Héctor Díaz Romero and Leandro Echt
Case study – 2015 – Politics & Ideas
This case focuses on an experience developed by the Honduran Secretariat of Social Development, which decided to consolidate its operation through the creation of an internal technical agency specialized in social policy design and the monitoring and assessment of progress made in the sector.
Cecilia Nieto and Vanesa Weyrauch
Case study – 2015 – Politics & Ideas
This case is focused on an experience developed by the Social Cabinet of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, which decided to create a monitoring system for a comprehensive Plan (ABRE). Said system seeks to generate reliable information that allows, on the one hand, measuring results obtained (or not) and, on the other hand, making decisions as new policies make progress.
Resources for think tanks
Vanesa Weyrauch with Susan Koshy, Umar Sheraz and Anaité Vargas
Paper – 2014 – Politics & Ideas
Think tanks are increasingly asking themselves how they can fine tune their communications so as to interact more effectively with the several stakeholders that are part of their field of action: from politicians and bureaucrats, to similar organisations and donors. Moreover, as they re-think about their policy influence efforts they begin to develop a more nuanced and sophisticated approach to the development of their communications strategies.
Vanesa Weyrauch (compiler)
Book – 2009 – CIPPEC
This book is a contribution to the reflection and debate in Latin America on the challenges that policy research institutes face in order to bring the knowledge they generate to public policy makers. It includes case study analysis from the region.
Series How to communicate research for policy influence
Vanesa Weyrauch, Leandro Echt and Dolores Arrieta
Toolkit – 2013 – CIPPEC
The series presents 5 toolkits addressing different aspects and tools on research communication for policy influence: the relationship with the media, the making of policy briefs, the online tools and data visualization.
Series How to design a policy influence plan
Vanesa Weyrauch and Leandro Echt
Toolkit – 2012 – CIPPEC
The series presents 10 toolkits addressing various components of a public policy influence plan: goals, allies, strategies and communication, among others.
A comparative study of Policy research institutes in developing countries
Miguel Braun, Mariana Chudnovsky, Nicolas Ducote and Vanesa Weyrauch
Paper – 2007 – CIPPEC
Through a comparative analysis of 18 case studies on PRIs that have demonstrated a certain degree of influence in policymaking, authors have attempted to detect which factors prove more important in the difficult, chaotic and long process of bridging the gap between research and policy. The goal was to first identify successful institutes and then to study their organizational performance in detail in order to illustrate their strengths and weaknesses in achieving impact on policy through the use of evidence and research. Finally, the study sought to understand why some institutes are better able to influence policy in a wide range of policy sectors and in diverse regions, consequently identifying the key factors that aid PRIs to do so.
Weaving global networks. Handbook for policy influence
Vanesa Weyrauch and Ines Selvood
Handbook – 2007 – CIPPEC
The handbook is aimed at global and regional networks, civil society organisations, policymakers and donors that support networks. By drawing on practical and academic sources CIPPEC have produced a book that endeavours to improve knowledge about how these networks of potential policy influences operate.
Series How can we monitor and evaluate policy influence?
Vanesa Weyrauch
Toolkit – 2012 – CIPPEC
This series presents 6 toolkits addressing different aspects related to the process of monitoring and evaluation of policy influence: the reasons why monitoring is important, the steps that must be followed, the cornerstones of any monitoring and evaluation strategy, how to measure results in the short, medium or long run, data collection methods and knowledge management to improve influence.
Vanesa Weyrauch, Julia D’Agostino and Clara Richards
Handbook – 2010 – CIPPEC
This handbook aims to support organizations and policy research institutes so that they can monitor and evaluate their interventions and to develop systematic strategies for knowledge management. It presents stories of experiences in these fields in Latin America, thoughts on the most common challenges and opportunities together with concrete working tools to develop a smart corporate strategy and strengthen the impact of its research in public policy. These contributions seek to pave the way for the impact of research on public policy in the region.
Resources for policy makers and think tanks
The Municipality of San Isidro: Policy Influence in Local Education Governance
Anne Lan K. Candelaria. and Sonia R. Lorenzo with Jess R. Lorenzo
Case study – 2014 – Politics & Ideas
This case study discusses the engagement between Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) and the Local Government of San Isidro in the Philippines between the period 2004 to 2007. It serves as an illustration of the case study protocol by Anne Lan Candelaria published as part of the same series.
Lessons Learned on promoting better links between research and policy in Latin America
Vanesa Weyrauch
Paper – 2013 – Politics & Ideas
How often do we stop to reflect on how we are doing what we are doing? Not frequently in today´s hectic and fast-pace development world. Fortunately, after six years of working in the link between research and policy through a very diverse set of activities, under the Spaces for Engagement programme, the time has come to more systematically reflect on what we have learned so as to improve our future work, as well as empower others who are walking or aspire to walk in the same path.
Writing a case study for policy
Anne Lan K. Candelaria
Paper – 2013 – Politics & Ideas
This document provides a series of theoretical and practical ideas about case study writing for policy. It provides a general definition of what a case study is and then highlights five key recommendations for policy-related case studies: adding contextual information, focusing on process over outcome, minding language use, considering co-writing with a policy maker, and ending with questions rather than answers.
Adolfo Garcé
Paper – 2013 – Politics & Ideas
In the last few years, scholars have paid increasing attention to the study of contextual factors that shape the use of research in public policy in each country. The concept of Knowledge Regimes is one of the most significant recent contributions to this literature. This paper is a critique of this concept based on the study of three key policy change events during the Vázquez administration in Uruguay. Although this concept helps to characterize the supply of research, it does not take into account the characteristics of the demand from the political system. Based on this criticism, a new concept is developed.
Defining problems or providing solutions? The role of ideas in policy debates
Andrea Ordoñez
Paper – 2013 – Politics & Ideas
Ideas are a key concept to link research and policy, and theory and practice. Little research, however, is available on what ideas are and how they evolve. To explore the concept of ideas in policy debates, the paper builds on two laws that have recently been enacted in Ecuador. The first policy relates to the new law for universities that seeks, on the one hand, to align the universities’ activities with the National Development Plan, and on the other hand, to promote more and better research. The second refers to the law for popular economy that develops a new regulatory framework for small and medium scale financial institutions.
