It took over two years and involved 25 authors from across the Environment for Development (EfD) network. Now it's published: a practical handbook for researchers who want to ensure that their research is not only relevant for policymakers and stakeholders but also used to inform policies and practices.
The handbook, titled Bridging the Research-Policy Gap for Sustainable Development - A Handbook for Policy Engagement and Impact in the Global South, aims to inspire and guide researchers on how to generate meaningful impact from their research through proactive policy engagement.
"As researchers, we are increasingly expected to demonstrate societal impact from our work, but most of us receive little formal training in how to engage with policymakers or communicate our findings. We hope that this handbook will become a useful tool for learning and capacity development within the EfD network and beyond," says Daniel Slunge, project leader for the handbook.
While there are other handbooks on research-policy engagement, an important feature of this handbook is its strong focus on the Global South. It addresses challenges specific to low- and middle-income countries, such as limited funding, institutional instability, and uneven access to policymaking spaces, and offers practical tools, case studies, and examples from EfD centers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
"Researchers will find the handbook to be a clear and useful roadmap for making their work policy-relevant, especially in the contexts of the Global South, where evidence-based policymaking is critical to address development challenges," says Hoa Le Dang, EfD Vietnam, who is one of the co-authors.
The handbook is open-access and can now be viewed and downloaded from the EfD website. Along with the handbook, there is an AI-powered chatbot where researchers can ask questions on topics covered in the handbook, not only in English but also in Spanish, Vietnamese, Kiswahili, and several other languages.
The development of the handbook has been coordinated by staff at EfD's Global Hub at the University of Gothenburg, with contributions from researchers in EfD's global network. examples.
By: Petra Hansson
