Summary: Many countries ask the question: will my country reach all or some of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015? The answer to this question requires some kind of projection. However, scarcities of data and technical skills make this exercise difficult. In this paper, the author introduces simple techniques to project the behaviour of indicators, especially when there are limited data points to work with.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Development Policy
Theoretical Approach: Policy impact assessments

Summary: Este artículo analiza la práctica del cambio social en Minga Perú, una ONG ubicada en el amazonas peruano que promueve la igualdad de género y salud reproductiva a través de radios e intervenciones de la comunidad. Este análisis, basado en métodos de investigación participativa, revela una aproximación equitativa, permitiendo a nuestros participantes de llevar el papel de líderes más que de sujetos pasivos de investigación. Además, estos métodos ayudaron a fortalecer individuos y sus comunidades en esta área del Perú promoviendo el desarrollo de dinámicas de grupo y liderazgo.

Region: Latin America

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Civil Society Organisations
Theoretical Approach: Learning

Summary: Los autores explican por qué Zambia probablemente no alcanzará el Objetivo de Desarrollo del Milenio sobre el agua. La falta de inversión y tarifas elevadas son las causas principales del declive del acceso al agua apta para el consumo.

Region: Africa

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Poverty
Theoretical Approach: Advocacy

Summary: The authors highlight some policy recommendations for increasing access to financial services.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Development Policy
Theoretical Approach: Policy impact assessments

Summary: The development of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) such as mobile phones, personal computers and the Internet has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people. But issues around access, ownership of the technology and how much it costs may mean that relatively few individuals benefit to the exclusion of everyone else.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: - N/A -
Theoretical Approach: Advocacy

Summary: Nos complace anunciar las versiones en portugués y español de la publicación One Pager No. 20 del CIP: " Brechas Salariales de Género en la Vida Laboral". La autora, Hyun Son, ex investigadora del CIP, señala que los salarios por hora de las mujeres podrían coincidir con, o incluso superar, los de los hombres a comienzos de la carrera profesional (tal como se muestra en el Brasil, Sudáfrica y Brasil). Pero los salarios por hora de las mujeres invariablemente caen por debajo de los de los hombres cuando están en los 30 o los 40, probablemente debido a las responsabilidades de cuidado de los niños y las opciones de carrera que han hecho al tiempo en la escuela. Disponible en: http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/esp/IPCOnePager20.pdf

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Economic Development
Theoretical Approach: Knowledge Management

Summary: A 4-page briefing paper outlining some of the theory behind, and practical application of the RAPID Analytical and Practical Framework. Better use of research-based evidence in development policy and practice can help save lives, reduce poverty and improve the quality of life. But for this to happen more effectively researchers need to do three things. First, they need to develop a detailed understanding of the policymaking process and the nature of evidence. Second, they need an overall strategy for their work and thirdly, they need to be entrepreneurial. Based on over five years of theoretical and case study research, the RAPID programme has developed an analytical framework and practical tools.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Development Policy
Theoretical Approach: Understanding evidence

Summary: Este documento, elaborado por el Presidente de CIVICUS, Kumi Naidoo, habla sobre la ciudadanía participativa entendida como un medio para la mejora de las relaciones entre el Estado y sus ciudadanos, y para la construcción de nuevas avenidas para la definición de la relaciones entre los más y menos privilegiados.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Inequality
Theoretical Approach: - N/A -

Summary: There are clear connections between the involvement of local people in the management of protected areas and the conservation of biological diversity. While “participatory conservation” is widely recognised as a model that enhances efforts to improve the richness in species and ecosystems, it is in many cases not applied in a way that benefits both the people and the environment. This edition of evidence for policy examines the difficulties in taking communities in protected areas seriously into account. It also suggests practical ways of improving the relationship between the needs and interests of surrounding communities and the efforts to maintain biological diversity.

Region: Europe

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Natural Resources
Theoretical Approach: - N/A -

Summary: This policy brief (synthesis paper) forms one of a series of six reports prepared under the ECHO-funded project on ‘Reducing the vulnerability of pastoral communities through policy and practice change in the Horn and East Africa’. The aim of the project is to raise awareness among planners and policy makers about the full potential of pastoral systems to make a significant contribution to the economies of the region. Each of the five six reports presents evidence-based research findings to overcome misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding particular aspects of pastoral livelihoods and highlights appropriate policy recommendations that favour pastoralist systems. The reports present evidence to help inform thinking in order that policy makers can keep abreast of new opportunities and threats in the rangelands. Pastoralist populations are growing due to many and diverse factors. Pastoralists are being obliged to inhabit more marginal rangelands, and some are adapting their traditional livelihoods to gain access to services and alternative livelihoods. These trends in pastoralist demography, including urbanisation, need to be part of the development agenda so that these changes and their consequences are taken account of in drylands development. Changes in population distribution have led to the emergence and growth of urban and peri-urban areas. Population growth in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) has meant an increase in urban areas with insufficient basic infrastructure, inappropriate urban planning and the appearance of slum-like settlements.

Region: Africa

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Development Policy
Theoretical Approach: Advocacy

Summary: This briefing paper analyzes the opportunities and constraints that exist for smallholder farmers in Tanzania to diversify into non-traditional crops in two of the three horticultural sub-sectors: fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) and spices. It concludes that policies should be considered to: - make the technical knowledge required to participate in horticultural export more easily available to smallholder farmers; - foster the development of farmers associations; - invest strategically in infrastructure for food storage and transportation; - stimulate internal demand for high value agricultural products through promotion of food hygiene standards.

Region: Africa

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Agriculture
Theoretical Approach: Policy Engagement

Summary: Los autores ponen en tela de juicio el punto de vista de unos economistas según el cual costos laborales excesivos –consecuentes a salarios demasiado altos o a rigideces del mercado laboral- impiden que el empleo productivo aumente en países de renta baja como en Kenia. Utilizan datos recientes sobre hogares para demostrar que el hecho de reducir los salarios tiene más bien por efecto el aumentar el número de empleos remunerados a nivel de la pobreza. También demuestran que no existe una prueba clara que permita afirmar que las leyes sobre sindicatos o sobre salarios mínimos contribuyen al aumento de las rigideces en el mercado laboral de Kenia.

Region: Africa

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Economic Development
Theoretical Approach: Advocacy

Summary: The author acknowledges the importance of Micro-finance institutions in ensuring access to financial services. However, he argues, public policy must include direct lending to reach enough of the poor.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Development Policy
Theoretical Approach: Learning

Summary: This paper is aimed at stimulating dialogue that will guide GDN as it moves forwad with the next phase of its BRP Project. I encourage you to read it before the workshop, since many of the discussions will be based on it.

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Civil Society Organisations
Theoretical Approach: Policy Engagement

Summary: Donors spend billions of dollars on development research each year, but what is the impact on policy? This Briefing Paper summarises ODI’s work on understanding how policy processes operate in the real world, as part of its mandate to inspire and inform policy and practice that lead to the reduction of poverty. The paper presents six key lessons that are essential to any researcher or organisation wishing to generate evidence-based policy change, and an eight-step approach for policy entrepreneurs wishing to maximise the impact of research on policy. This is known as the RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach (ROMA).

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: - N/A -
Theoretical Approach: Policy Engagement

Summary: An area that has received less attention but contributes to slow progress in achieving the health-related MDGs is the analysis of how and why national health policies achieve less than expected, perform differently from expected, or even fail. This briefing paper from ODI focuses on this topic and looks to answer the question: what do we now know about the factors influencing the patterns and effectiveness of health policy change and how can we move the agenda forward in order to improve health outcomes?

Region: International

Type: Policy Briefs
Sector: Health
Theoretical Approach: - N/A -