Public policy influence of international development networks

The survey, conducted by Decima Research Inc in May 2005, sought to provide a profile of network coordina- tors and networks from 1995-2005; to assess the effectiveness of IDRC support for networks; and to examine network outcomes in contributing to the development of individual careers, member organizations and the society at large. [...] This ultimately increases the quality of the research produced; when policy makers begin to recognize the quality of the research they become more accepting of the research. [...] The impli- cations for policy influence are expressed well in the proposal for the Agricultural Policy Research Network for West and Central Africa: Considering the relative scarcity of experienced policy researchers in the West and Central Africa region, the network will provide an opportunity to draw on their expertise across national boundaries and give rise to research output of a quality that [...] The goals of Regional Equity in Health Research Network (EQUINET, RP 04378) in Southern Africa, for example, are to support research intended to refine concepts and issues around “equity in health” in the region, to promote dialogue on the critical dimensions of equity in the Southern African Devel- opment Community (SADC) region, and to promote policies that address equity within and across the r [...] The concept of equity in health constitutes a significant paradigm shift in health research and policy and as such, EQUINET has the potential to both expand the policy capacities of researchers and broad- en policy horizons in the health field.