By Marianne Gadeberg and Michael Victor Presented at the Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy Phnom Penh, Cambodia December 7-9, 2011 Session 8a: Presenting the Work of the M-POWER Fellows

1. CAN RESEARCH INFLUENCE
POLICY

2. CONTENTS
 The purpose of this session is to get us to
step outside our normative and rational
thinking to look at how we can spread our
ideas to influence people and processes.
 How are policies made?
 What is the role of research in policy
making?
 What are some tools that can be used

3. If everyone is thinking alike,
then no one is thinking.
(LaoFAB)

4. IS POLICY MAKING PROCESSES LINEAR?
Ignorant Target
groups...
Scientists...
... will gladly
...possess all
change their
expert knowledge
attitudes and
and scientific
behaviour
wisdom
accordingly

5. OR ITERATIVE, INTERACTIVE AND BASED ON
TRUST, RESPECT AND INFLUENCE
Where
policy is
made – on
the golf
course

6. HOW IS POLICY MADE?
 Reactive decision-making
 Dominated by political expediency
 Based on interpretations and
understanding (rather than evidence)
 Participatory development process
 Impacted by personal interactions

7. 1885Edward J. Claghorn of
New York, New York granted
U.S. Patent 312,085, for an
automobile safety belt.
1959 US Congress passes
legislation requiring all
automobiles to comply with
safety standards including
seat belts.
1970 State of Victoria,
Australia, passes first law
worldwide making seat belt
wearing compulsory for
drivers and front-seat
passengers.

8. EVIDENCE BASED POLICIES!

9. IS THE PROBLEM INFORMATION GAP OR HOW
INFORMATION IS USED?
 Information = power
 Cooperation built on trust
 Trust comes from understanding
 Understanding = access to information and
interpretation

10. INTERESTING CONCLUSIONS FROM A POLICY
COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH SURVEY
 Evidence plays a relatively modest role in policy
making, which is dominated by political expediency.
 Policy makers tend to use stories rather than ‘hard’
evidence as they are easy to understand and
effective.
 Decision makers tend to focus on communication as a
way of getting a message across rather than as a
participatory development process.
 Personal interaction remains the most effective means
of communicating with policy makers.
 Communication strategies should build on existing
networks and communities of interest.
http://www.healthlink.org.uk/we-do/comms_icd.html

11. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
 Strategic communication is communication
in a planned, strategic way in order to
bring about positive social change.
 It is just not public information or PR
 Not noise or buzz
 Multiple channels
 Iterative
 Takes time

12. TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATING
RESEARCH

13. SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
 Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a
diagnostic method for collecting and
analyzing data about the patterns of
relationships among people in groups.
 It helps to:
 Understand the flow of knowledge,
information and Innovation
 Understand where there are
potential nodes of influence and
dissemination area
 Target opportunities where
increased knowledge flow will have
the most impact
 Helps us find (strategic!) ways to get
our ideas accepted or used by
influence makers

14. USE OF INTERMEDIARIES
• Engage with secretaries,
staff of policy-makers,
those who write speeches
• Not just your facts and
figures, not just your story
but who communicates it:
Look for influential people
to communicate your
findings
• Develop and sustain
networks - don’t rely on
one person

15. USING YOUR OWN NETWORK INFLUENCE
 We all have our own
networks:
 Friends who work for
government
 Wives, family members
of those you are trying
to influence are good
ways to spread ideas

16. PUBLICATIONS
 Research papers
 Policy briefs
 Books

18. USE OF MEDIA
 Media can grab attention of Politicians – concerned
about reputation
 Legitimizes research
 Can act as a reference and provide balance
information
 Relations with media need to be carefully managed
and developed – building trust

19. FACEBOOK, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, FLICKR

20. FIELD TRIPS

22. EXERCISE
Target Changes Tools to use
sought
Committee Understanding • Face-to-face communication
members of an multiple uses of • Short presentations/meetings
RBO water (iterative)
• Field trip to talk with local
stakeholders
• Evidence-based briefs
Director of Multiple use • Use of intermediaries
Water requirements • Media
Resources at included in • Policy briefs (through
the Ministry of hydropower intermediaries)
Environment concession • Present findings at national-
agreements level workshops
• Provide information to your
mentor
• Journal articles