Raising irrigation productivity and releasing water for intersectoral needs (RIPARWIN): RIPARWIN final technical report

River basinsHydrologyRiver basin managementRiver basin developmentDevelopment projectsWater allocationIrrigation waterProductivityIrrigation managementRiceTanzaniaGreat Ruaha River BasinUsangu River Basin

Recycling bins, garbage cans or think tanks? Three myths regarding policy analysis institutes

The phrase 'think tank' has become ubiquitous – overworked and underspecified – in the political lexicon. It is entrenched in scholarly discussions of public policy as well as in the 'policy wonk' of journalists, lobbyists and spin-doctors. This does not mean that there is an agreed definition of think tank or consensual understanding of their roles and functions. Nevertheless, the majority of organizations with this label undertake policy research of some kind. The idea of think tanks as a research communication 'bridge' presupposes that there are discernible boundaries between (social) science and policy. This paper will investigate some of these boundaries. The frontiers are not only organizational and legal; they also exist in how the 'public interest' is conceived by these bodies and their financiers. Moreover, the social interactions and exchanges involved in 'bridging', themselves muddy the conception of 'boundary', allowing for analysis to go beyond the dualism imposed in seeing science on one side of the bridge, and the state on the other, to address the complex relations between experts and public policy

What can be done to foster multisectoral population policies? Summary report of a seminar

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo was a watershed moment in the definition of population policies. The meeting put an end to the unproductive debate on which is more instrumental in achieving voluntary fertility decline: providing family planning (FP) services or improving social and economic development. The answer was that both are essential. The Cairo meeting also defined the most desirable services and the kind of development that was most empowering, particularly with respect to achieving reproductive choice. Despite this strong dual message from Cairo, only the call for a move away from a narrow vision of FP services to a broader client-centered reproductive health approach is widely understood. The second and equally important theme—What kind of development?—has received considerably less attention. The Overseas Development Council and the Population Council collaborated in May 1997 to host a discussion of this issue. Seventy people spoke about the promise of this idea and the frustrations in moving it forward. This report assists in a broadening conceptualization of population and attests to the value of embedding population policies within a human development framework

Independent evaluation of the SMEPOL project : impact, lessons and options for replication

The Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Development (SMEPOL) project in Egypt (2000-2005) was successful, and the lessons learned may be replicable. The objective was to improve the policy environment for MSME development. The project enabled MSME issues to move up on the policy agenda, generated a range of policy-relevant research, enhanced capacity in key ministries, and improved policy development processes, meanwhile developing a cohesive Competitiveness Strategy for Egypt. Policy influence was mostly achieved at the ministerial level rather than across the government. Some key lessons are presented within the context of the literature and practical experience

Priority setting for health in the context of devolution in Kenya: implications for health equity and community-based primary care

Devolution changes the locus of power within a country from central to sub-national levels. In 2013, Kenya devolved health and other services from central government to 47 new sub-national governments (known as counties). This transition seeks to strengthen democracy and accountability, increase community participation, improve efficiency and reduce inequities. With changing responsibilities and power following devolution reforms, comes the need for priority-setting at the new county level. Priority-setting arises as a consequence of the needs and demand for healthcare resources exceeding the resources available, resulting in the need for some means of choosing between competing demands. We sought to explore the impact of devolution on priority-setting for health equity and community health services. We conducted key informant and in-depth interviews with health policymakers, health providers and politicians from 10 counties (n = 269 individuals) and 14 focus group discussions with community members based in 2 counties (n = 146 individuals). Qualitative data were analysed using the framework approach. We found Kenya’s devolution reforms were driven by the need to demonstrate responsiveness to county contexts, with positive ramifications for health equity in previously neglected counties. The rapidity of the process, however, combined with limited technical capacity and guidance has meant that decision-making and prioritization have been captured and distorted for political and power interests. Less visible community health services that focus on health promotion, disease prevention and referral have been neglected within the prioritization process in favour of more tangible curative health services. The rapid transition in power carries a degree of risk of not meeting stated objectives. As Kenya moves forward, decision-makers need to address the community health gap and lay down institutional structures, processes and norms which promote health equity for all Kenyans

Memorias del taller : generación y transferencia de tecnologia agropecuaria; el papel de las ong y el sector publico

Taller organizado en Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2-7 diciembre de 199

Policy Toolkits on Employment and Ageing: A Conceptual Framework

Policy toolkits provide useful information and can be drawn upon as guidance in different stages of the policy-making process. This chapter reviews existing policy toolkits on employment and ageing, aiming to distil a conceptual categorisation intended to inform research uptake strategies. As a basis, we develop a clear definition of policy toolkits and propose a typology of policy tools that consists of four types: (1) good practice, (2) social indicators, (3) programme evaluation and (4) forecasts, projections and simulations. We also describe the underlying relationship between research and policy-making, and provide a synthetic overview of toolkits available for ageing-related issues in the area of employment and pensions. We conclude with the observation that effective policy toolkits hinge on the prior formulation of clear policy goals and that different policy goals may not always be congruent with each other or be simultaneously achieved