Between August and September of 2005, ODI carried out consultations for the Civil Society Partnerships Programme (CSPP) in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. This process helped identify key collaborators in the region: CIES in Peru, ILDIS in Bolivia and CIPPEC in Argentina. The consultations suggested that Latin America is home to a rich and credible academic and research community. Latin American researchers, unlike those in other regions, do not lack research resources and skills and understand the complexities of the policy processes of their countries –probably because, unlike many other developing regions, Latin America has been independent for close to 200 years; giving civil society ample time to engage with many forms and styles of governments.  However, they all recognise that they have not been as successful in learning from the experiences of specific Civil Soceity Organisations’ (CSOs) interventions to influence policy.

 

The Latin American context is also changing. Recent electoral processes have provided an opportunity for political debate at the grassroots that has, albeit being under-reported by the media, underscored the more public left-right dichotomy that grabbed the headlines. Latin Americans have voted, in different degrees, for alternatives to the traditional development model. This creates a window of opportunity for CSOs in the region which they want to take advantage of. The new governments, facing close scrutiny by the electorate, will be eager for advice and help for implementing these new visions of development.

 

In that sense, at the consultations, and in subsequent discussions, Latin American researchers and practitioners have demanded the formation of a network that would allow them to share their policy influencing experiences, learn from others and link up with peers in other regions of the world.

 

This process has already begun. Led by some of our collaborators in the region, ODI is facilitating the development of a network of researchers and practitioners interested in learning and supporting other evidence based policymaking initiatives. For that aim, a dgroup has been set up to provide participants with an initial space for engagement and knowledge sharing.

 

Already, valuable learning processes have taken place. An innovative project led by CIESto provide research based evidence to inform the Peruvian electoral process in the run up to the 2006 elections was identified by Grupo Faro; an Ecuadorian network, member of the network. They have taken some of the lessons from the Peruvian initiative and developed a local version with the support from CIES, CIPPEC and ODI. The network has also proven useful for disseminating research products, conferences and events, and funding opportunities for work in the area of research policy linkages. (See the attached file for the network’s first e-report.)

 

In the coming months CIPPEC, in Argentina, will collaborate with network members in the production of illustrative case studies of effective evidence based policy influence in the region and help develop and run a Trainer of Trainers session. This event, planned for February 2007, will bring together capacity building specialists in the region to help develop a Latin American version of the capacity building methods and materials developed and implemented by ODI elsewhere. Alongside this process, the CSPP will finance a series of collaborative action research projects. Through them, ODI researchers and collaborators will work together, over a period of at least 2 years, to address a national or regional policy issue -thus testing the methods and tools and learning from practical experiences for the benefit of the other members of the network –and pro-policy change, of course!

 

Demand for awareness and capacity development on bridging research and policy and interaction with the network and the ODI is high in the region. Exchanges with Brazilian, Uruguayan and Peruvian researchers and academics over the last few months confirm this interest.

 

Through these relations and other projects we hope to spread the reach of the programme and develop a strong Network that will provide continuous support for civil society in the region. Linked to the broader CSPP, we hope to be able to bring the lessons from Latin America to the rest of the world and vice versa.

 

In conclusion, the changing context in Latin America presents CSOs with important opportunities. However, their research skills and understanding of policy processes needs to be complemented by a more systematic approach to policy engagement and influence if they are to take benefit from them. The CSPP-AL network will attempt to aggregate the collective knowledge of development researchers and practitioners and facilitate the promotion of pro-poor evidence based policymaking. In the process, we hope to create a core group of experts that will further advance our understanding of research policy linkages for the benefit of CSOs worldwide.

 

The following are a number of Latin American related activities and research carried out by the RAPID Group.

 

Workshops and consultations:

  • Consultation workshop and seminar in Argentina: A consultation with Argentinean civil society organisations about the challenges and opportunities that they encounter when attempting to influence policy processes with research based evidence.
  • Consultation workshop and seminar in Bolivia: A consultation with Bolivian civil society organisations about the challenges and opportunities that they encounter when attempting to influence policy processes with research based evidence.
  • Knowledge Management and Knowledge Networks for CARE UK, in London: A workshop with the Latin American Civil Society team of CARE UK to help them develop a learning network linking its regional staff.
  • Network building and evidence based policy influence for Academics and Practitioners, in Madrid: A workshop with researchers and practitioners of universities and NGOs associated to the Compañia de Jesús working on development in Latin America. The workshop helped to set out the foundation for better cooperation between the participants.
  • Mexican and Central American researchers' workshop, in London: A workshop for researchers from universities and NGOs to introduce them to a series of tools for policy impact. The workshop was part of a longer UK based study visit.
  • Outcome Mapping for the Latin American forum of IFRTD, in Cuba: Outcome Mapping is a methodology that can be used to plan, monitor and evaluate the contribution of research on the changes in the behaviours of key policy actors. The four day workshop helped the regional forum develop a basic strategy for monitoring their contribution to policy influence.
  • UNESCO, International Forum on the Social Science Policy Nexus: A workshop developed and implemented with CIPPEC on bridging research and policy using an example from education policy in Argentina.

 Research:

  • Research policy networks in Peru: A study of seven research policy networks in Peru as part of a broader study of networks' role in bridging research and policy. It includes short cases, lessons, best practices and recommendations for action.
  • Bridging Research and Policy (Policy Brief - in Spanish): A Policy Brief summarizing the RAPID framework.
  • Bridging research and policy cases in Argentina and Bolivia: Cases from the consultations as presented by the participants in Argentina and Bolivia.