Research for Impact

Welcome to Research for Impact. We begin by introducing the Research for Impact approach and its elements. Then we look more closely at the 'wicked' problems that this attempts to tackle and the complex systems within which the work takes place. Transdisciplinarity is an important theme in the Research for Impact approach, and so we discuss its role in addressing wicked problems such as climate change adaptation.

In Research for Impact, we are always working towards some kind of positive change. But how does change happen in complex systems and how can we plan our research activities to bring about this change? This week, Marta Arranz from Oxfam, helps us explore these difficult questions and introduces us to the Theory of Change, Impact Pathways and other tools used for planning.

A key principle of the Research for Impact approach is that we move away from doing research ON people and start doing research WITH people. This encourages us to think carefully about how we can most effectively engage with those affected by, or who may influence the outcomes of our research.

Different stakeholders have different languages, cultures, and interests and so we need diverse communication approaches in order to effectively communicate with them. In this week, communications expert Prathijna Poonacha Kodira explores the process of moving beyond research dissemination and using the information and evidence that we have to deliver impactful messages to various stakeholders.

As a researcher, you are not expected to come with all the knowledge and skills required to facilitate the change you hope to see. On the other hand, your stakeholders and partners may also require additional knowledge and skills in order to contribute to realizing your shared vision. This process of developing these skills for both the researcher and stakeholders is an integral part of the Research for Impact approach, and is called capacity development.

In this week, we look at how to align these practices with our goals and how to use these elements to influence key stakeholders to bring about the changes that we and they want to see. We focus on building strategies and developing a good intervention logic to focus on which points of these complex systems we need to influence to ensure that the evidence from our research project is used and valued by our stakeholders to make an impact.