Opportunities, Ownership and Tailored Outputs: How to Respond to Demand for Evidence

Many international development research projects aim to influence policy and practice by providing rigorous evidence that impacts on real-life decisions. However, the world of policymaking – whether organisational, local, national or global – can be complex for social scientists to navigate, and researchers may sometimes find it difficult to assess what demand exists, or respond to demand when it occurs. To ensure the evidence they are generating engages their target audiences, researchers need to interact with a range of different actors, processes and systems – and work through knowledge intermediaries. This process often begins with mapping out who the target audiences are and identifying realistic pathways to reach them.