1 / 17

Interfacing Research, Policy Analysis and Practice: Building a Governance Knowledge Network

Interfacing Research, Policy Analysis and Practice: Building a Governance Knowledge Network. Presentation for the Workshop on Building Distributed Communities of Practice for Enhanced Research-Policy Interface 30 May, 2004 Asit Sarkar International Centre for Governance and Development

abiola
Download Presentation

Interfacing Research, Policy Analysis and Practice: Building a Governance Knowledge Network

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Interfacing Research, Policy Analysis and Practice: Building a Governance Knowledge Network Presentation for the Workshop on Building Distributed Communities of Practice for Enhanced Research-Policy Interface 30 May, 2004 Asit Sarkar International Centre for Governance and Development University of Saskatchewan

  2. Focus of Presentation • Background to the Project • The GKN Initiative • Value of using ICT as networking protocol • Key findings from the Needs Assessment • Stakeholders’ Expectations from GKN • The Proposed Framework • What is needed (as we see it)?

  3. International Centre for Governance and Development • Established in 2001 • An interdisciplinary unit • Focusing on active communication with stakeholders in governance and development • Knowledge development & knowledge sharing as key mission

  4. GKN Initiative • Prompted by the desire to integrate knowledge from international development projects on governance into the research and learning environment • Supported by the Policy Branch of CIDA • Part of the new agenda of SSHRC

  5. The GKN Initiative • A virtual Canadian community of knowledge & practice on governance and development • Initiate and foster knowledge sharing & knowledge aggregation among different stakeholders • A platform for sharing lessons, experiences and best practices • Act as a hub bridging theory and practice on governance and development • Serve as one-stop place for critical information updates on governance and development issues

  6. The GKN Initiative . . . 2 • A hub for collaboration and partnerships among government, research community, academia, NGOs, and development practitioners • Build linkages with stakeholders in the developing world for knowledge sharing and knowledge generation • Encourage strategic partnerships with other international research communities for synergy between policy and practice

  7. Reasons for Seeking Enhanced Research-Policy Interface • Research is more likely to contribute to evidence-based policy making that aims to reduce poverty, alleviate suffering or save lives if: • it fits within the political and institutional limits and pressures of policy makers, and resonates with their ideological assumptions, or sufficient pressure is exerted to challenge those limits • researchers and policy makers share particular kinds of networks and develop chains of legitimacy for particular policy areas • outputs are based on local involvement and credible evidence and are communicated via the most appropriate communicators, channels, style, format and timing ‘Bridging Research and Policy: Context, Links and Evidence’ E.Crewe and J. Young, July 2002, Overseas Development Institute and Global Development Network

  8. Use of ICT for Networking • Operationally connect geographically dispersed expertise in research, policymaking and practice • Provide environment that facilitates issues-based discussions and problem solving • Provide a rich set of tools, including support for dialogue, negotiation and knowledge construction • Connect people to people, people to community • Connect people to information, people to knowledge • Connect people to workflow, people to best practices • Encourage the development and sharing of both tacit and explicit knowledge

  9. Why GKN? • Current knowledge on governance and development is fragmented • Lack of awareness on people working on similar issues across provinces and between organizations • Growing interest in establishment of knowledge network • Need to build collaboration between public, private, non-governmental organizations and academia • New patterns of information dissemination need to be set up • Majority interested in applied research and technical assistance

  10. Stakeholders’ Expectations (Recommendations) • Establishment of Knowledge network concisely focused on thematic lines • Network built upon dialogue vs. passive information dissemination • Develop a network that links resources from government, private and university • The GKN should be linked to training programs in universities • Establish a bilingual network (English and French)

  11. Expected Outreach and Deliverables • Evolution of community of practice on governance and development • Policy briefings, field notes and research papers • Biannual meetings to share the state-of-the-art information and knowledge on governance and development • Sharing of best practices on governance and development • Develop and archive reference materials • Provide critical information to stakeholders interested in funding research projects

  12. The Proposed Framework(work in progress) • Newsletter on policy initiatives, funding, reports and research services and functions • A Web portal to profile and disseminate critical information on regular basis • A Web portal that acts as information dissemination as well as knowledge development hub • Develop linkages with related global networks

  13. Human & Technology Considerations affecting the Success of a DCoP • Didactics - Technology needs to help shared learning • Scalability – Must allow for new entrants & their effective participation • Trust – Quality assurance expectations • Security and privacy – Concern for all stakeholders • Usability – Easy navigability • Sociability – Network protocol & related aspects • Culture – Accommodate diverse cultures • Awareness – Technology’s capability to reach beyond initial stakeholders

  14. GKN Partners • International Centre for Governance and Development, University of Saskatchewan • Policy Branch, Canadian International Development Agency • Parliamentary Centre of Canada • Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada • Canadian Association for Studies in International Development

  15. Joint Value Added Potential • Sharing Knowledge • Creating a Network Web with profiles of network members • Establishing Thematic Hubs focusing on aspects of governance in which Canadians are active • Publicizing Current Events of interest to Network Members • Profiling the Governance-related Development Practices of Network Members • Aggregating Knowledge • Network Publications • Issue-based network repositories • Generating Knowledge • Collaborative research projects • Research colloquia • Issue-oriented forum

  16. Key Issues to Consider • What will encourage researchers to contribute and participate in GKN? • How will the “community of interests” be drawn into the GKN? • What would satisfy the policymakers’ need for “just in time” policy input? • What will be the parameters of quality assurance? • What will drive the financial & operational sustainability?

More Related