Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

• Rapid Knowledge: ‘Bridging Research And Policy’ In International Development At The Overseas Development Institute, Diane L. Stone

Diane L Stone

Numerous organizations advocate the need to ‘bridge research and policy’. Donors such as philanthropic foundations, national social science funding regimes and international organizations have sought to improve knowledge utilization. Similarly, research consumers such as NGOs and government departments complain of research irrelevance for policy purposes. The concern of this paper is with ‘evidence informed policy’ within the field of international development in which the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a London based think tank, forms the case study. Think tanks are important brokers in processes of ‘bridging research and policy’. Most think tanks are driven by the need to influence immediate …