It is generally alleged that researches hardly reach policymakers and hence research results hardly see its implementation mainly for two reasons, operating both from supply and demand sides. On one hand, there is an acute dearth of research results written in a language that policymakers could understand quickly, and lack of interest of policymakers in research outputs, on the other. The lack of communication between the two parties has emerged as a major constraint in putting the cup and the lip together.
Recently, Dhaka hosted a workshop on Communication for Policy Research and Impact at the BARC conference room under the aegis of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), South Asia and its local partners. The workshop was attended by the Secretary of Agriculture as chief guest, scientists from the SAARC countries, and Chief of Party, the IFPRI in Bangladesh. The rationale for the workshop was set out by Dr Suresh Babu as follows:
"Evidence-based policymaking is crucial for designing and implementing policies and programmes that will help in the development process. It is also a key for implementing policies that focus on increasing agricultural productivity, better market access to the smallholder farmers and enhancing diversification of crops, better diet and nutritional wellbeing, and empowerment of rural women. Yet, much of the research-based knowledge remain unused by the policymaker largely because they are not communicated well. Communication policy research at the right time, to the right audience and through the right medium is both an art and science. The purpose of the workshop was to contribute to improving the capacity of researchers, policy advisors, and policy communicators to better connection with the policy process and strengthening of the capacity of the policymaking process in the South Asian countries."
There is an increasing concern among the policymakers that the policy communication is distorted due to lack of real use of evidence-based research, and at times reporting and writing with political and ideological bias either supporting or condemning the government in power. Such reporting and communication are also not squarely based on research evidence. This is partly due to lack of skills in reading and synthesising the existing knowledge into readable policy communication material that can be taken seriously by the policymakers. This requires not only the skills in writing but to understand the policy system and the process of policymaking and combining that knowledge to see when and how it can make a difference tin the policymaking process.
The policy process in food, agriculture and natural resources sectors involves a multidisciplinary set of actors and players coming from different thematic background-- agriculturalists, economists, scientists, and journalists, all aimed to increase the knowledge base for evidence-based and informed policy kinking. Yet, there is a lack of skills to come together and speak in common language that could be understood and be used of debates and dialogues.
The workshop, a laudable attempt ever to place the researchers and the policymakers on the same platform, was an attempt to develop indigenous capacity for developing written and oral communication of the policy knowledge through series of hand-on exercises. This combined the policy knowledge on issues related to food, agriculture, nutrition, and natural resources and communication skills through various media. Participants prepared policy communications materials such as policy memos, policy briefs, op-ed articles and newspaper articles. In addition, training on writing winning proposals and writing scientific articles were given to a sub-section of the participants. Further skills related to oral communication in terms of giving interviews to the press and the serving on panel discussion on the policy debates were demonstrated.
A broad purpose of the training workshop was to develop policy communication skills of the policy researchers, policy analysts, policy advisors and policymakers. Based on the experience gained over the years, a team of resource persons were pulled together to offer this course. The participants came from public, private, and NGO sectors including the news media. The contents of the training course aimed to build oral and writing capacity of actors and players in the policy process. More importantly, it focussed on how to translate research and evidence into information that helps in the policy process.
This writer was invited as a resource person to speak on 'Policy Communication Methods: Written Methods of Policy Briefs, Policy Memos and Media Articles'. As if it fell from the sky, it took a little while for him to find the rationale behind his selection as the topic was nowhere near his economics profession. Although trained as an economist, he is now better known as a columnist rather than an economist per se. This could be adduced to his almost three decades of engagement in column writing in various celebrated newspapers in Bangladesh. More importantly, the writer seemingly bagged more sympathy (or apathy) and became relatively more popular (or unpopular) by writing newspaper columns as opposed to holding important portfolios, publishing 15 books and half a dozen of articles in international journals in his life time so far. In fact, the writer was encouraged by the writings of great economists like Paul Samuelson, Paul Krugman, J. Stiglitz and others who turn tricky and technical researches into policy tablets through judicious use of newspaper columns. Economists often fail to understand that policymakers rarely understand their frightening models, equations and technical jargons. Apparently it might sound that column writing is a very easy thing but, as someone has argued, it is the hardest type of writings because it requires good thinking. "To write a good column requires more than just the ability to articulate an opinion. Your opinions must make sense, provide insight and be convincing. And you must do all this in an entertaining way".
However, the writer was almost to take the cow to the river and write the essay on river rather than on the cow. But allow him to say what he said there. It was about tips on column writing and thus grow as a good columnist: (1) One should write a column on any issue with conviction, (b) one should maintain the focus. For example, while writing on breastfeeding, one should not dwell on sexual harassment or empowerment of women. That could make columns less focused, (c) columns should be evidence-based. This does not mean that it should be loaded with statistics; (d) use of analogy in illustrating a point is illuminating. Using a simple analogy from everyday life makes the issue more understandable and relevant to the reader and (e) make critical assessment of the issue at hand not merely highlighting the issues. At the same time, one should also be ready to accept criticism as a columnist, (f) localising or personalising to "make an otherwise esoteric and distant topic more real, relevant and memorable to the reader, and finally (g) "generally, people don't like to hear a soft or passive voice when they read a column. So be aggressive - even arrogant, to an extent".
The writer is Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University.
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