Project: Formal and informal networks in rural areas20Nov2014
RRPP project conference 'Enhancing the contribution of research to policy making in the Western Balkans - lessons from practice'
The conference Enhancing the contribution of research to policy making in the Western Balkans - lessons from practice took place on 19 and 20 November in Belgrade. At the event Policy Bridging Initiative - designed by the International Centre for Policy and Advocacy (ICPA) to support the RRPP-funded research projects - has been officially launched.
The conference has involved panel discussions among representatives from NGO sector, universities, governments as well as orientation meetings with the ICPA and RRPP. More than 85 participants have participated.
The main aim of the event was to enable RRPP researchers to make informed decisions on bringing research evidence into the policy making process in the Western Balkans.
Guided by this aim, the central questions accompanying the two-day conference were:
- What are the enabling conditions for research to influence policy decisions?
- How to work towards institutionalising these conditions in practice?
The current round of RRPP research seeks to encourage the development of regional perspectives and also to push for policy change through regional networks. Such a regionally networked approach is on the mind of many partners, but what are the challenges of operating as a group at the regional level? What are their strengths and how can they be funded? Should regional initiatives be over when they reach their first stated goal? Or have an organisational sustainability view?
Conference was an opportunity to elaborate on how to create a more enabling environment to institutionalise bridging practices and how to facilitate networking between the current round of RRPP researchers and invited guests from other sectors and countries of the region.
In his introductory speech, Mr Jean-Daniel Ruch, Swiss Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia and to Montenegro, stressed a special role social science research plays in the prevalent knowledge-based economy. Its comprehensive, systemic approach can be helpful while trying to establish a policy link in such areas as brain-drain prevention, missing infrastructure and rural-urban cleavage as well a involvement of diaspora.
The regional dimension is particularly crucial to strengthen cooperation above ethnic boundaries and become competitive internationally, noted Jasmina Opardija, RRPP Programme Manager. The key question is why so many well-educated people coming back home have so little impact on policy making in the region? What strikes is the weakness of universities to attract them and, subsequently, to produce a good quality research outcome. Among 21 funded projects in the current round, only 4 were submitted by universities.
Given that 85% of RRPP research teams have chosen the PBI support in one of the policy streams, the demand for guidance in producing policy relevant research results appears obvious. Lisa Quinn from ICPA advocated for evidence-informed policy making and depicted the main goals of the PBI: produce policy relevant output and endorse the impact on target decision-making process.
Public Policy Research Centre (CENTAR) takes part in the research project 'Impact of Socio-economic Structure of Rural Population on Success of Rural Development Policy' which is financed by the RRPP.