research

Monitoring policy influence like measuring smoke?

In this blog published by Better Evaluation I write about my experience in a project supporting research centres in Australia to monitor their impact on health policy in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. I reflect on the main challenges and make some suggestions for others looking at the M&E of policy influence. You can find […]

Monitoring policy influence like measuring smoke? Read More »

Towards policy-relevant science and scientifically informed policy: Political economy of the use of knowledge and research evidence in urban resilience interventions in the Philippines

The Philippines is the third most disaster-prone country in the world: so how is the government using knowledge and evidence to ensure that the country has the best possible policy and practice to reduce the effect of natural disasters on people\’s lives. This knowledge context study applies political economy analysis and the knowledge, policy and

Towards policy-relevant science and scientifically informed policy: Political economy of the use of knowledge and research evidence in urban resilience interventions in the Philippines Read More »

What comes first? Research evidence or ideology?

Research evidence is important for policy and decision making, we argue in our RAPID programme at ODI. Policies and decisions which are informed by research evidence lead to better decision and policies. Decision and policies which are grounded on the knowledge and the truth that comes from scientific research. I thought about this while reading

What comes first? Research evidence or ideology? Read More »

A new Italian word I discovered today and the connections it made in my mind

Today I received an email from a friend and learned a new Italian word: oblatività. In English? Something like: altruism, selflessness, unselfishness. The origin of this word is in the Latin words such as oblativu(m), oblatus which means something like giving without the expectation of getting something back. If you Google it, you will find

A new Italian word I discovered today and the connections it made in my mind Read More »

Evidence gone missing in the Italian election campaign show

Paul Krugman has written in his End This Depression Now! ‘In normal times, the latest academic research plays a very small role in real-world policy debates, which is arguably how it should be – in the heat of the political moment, how many policy makers are truly equipped to evaluate the quality of a professor’s

Evidence gone missing in the Italian election campaign show Read More »

The solitude of an academic in the world of Italian politics

Prof. Mario Monti was nominated senator for life in late 2011 by the Italian president Giorgio Napolitano. This move allowed our president to assign to Prof. Monti the task to establish a new government after the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi at the time when Italy was on the brink of default (October 2011). Prof. Monti’s

The solitude of an academic in the world of Italian politics Read More »