Research evidence plays an important role in policy making, but maybe not always in
the way that researchers might hope it does. So sometimes research can be used as the basis
for deciding not to do something, rather than as the basis to decide to do something.
The thing I think is most important when it comes to having a dialogue with policy makers
is always recognising the context in which they are operating and the relevance therefore
of your research.
When it comes to having a meeting with a member of parliament or with a government minister,
I think there are a number of things you need to keep in mind. And first and foremost of
those is just how little time they are likely to have to spend with you, because their days
are diced up into many meetings and many obligations and expectations. First, think about how this
might be relevant to them in their work as a constituency member of parliament. What
sort of things might they ask you that are relevant to their job of taking up issues
on behalf of constituents?
Meetings with ministers maybe last no longer than half an hour and within that half an
hour an official will come and knock on the door to see whether the minister actually
wants to spend any more time with you. So if you are leaving after half an hour, you
know you have not fully landed your message. Send them stuff in advance. Make sure their
offices have got some material to read, some of the key things you want to cover so they
can use the time most effectively.
A good briefing has to be short, to the point but also then have the neccessary background
material almost appended to it. If you really want to follow through you can read on that
material. Don't assume that they are going to read the whole of the paper it's about
thinking about what that absract is that you are writing at the beginning, that summary
of the key points. The thing if they read no more than the title or maybe the first
couple of sentences, they will understand this is why you're in a meeting with them
today this is the thing you are trying to explain to them as being relevant to developing
policy or developing practice.
When it comes to nuturing and developing relationships with policy makers, I think what you have
got to bear in mind is that it's not just about you and your research and what you're
trying to get across to them. It's about what they need from a relationship. Being flexible,
being available, being able to not just respond on your own particular research but the broader
area of your research and what it means for them as a policy maker I think are the ways
in which actually you are then someone they will pick up the phone to. You have to see
this as being how you develop in their eyes as a credible expert that they can go to when
they have questions. Of course that creates the opportunity and the context on which you
can talk about your particular latest research. It's an ongoing process. The political cycle,
the electoral cycle, the financial cycle of governments, both local and national, are
such that something may come up a year, two years, three years later when suddenly you
have the opportunity to really land that research and make a difference to policy or practice.
When it comes to overcoming barriers to developing a dialogue with policy makers and politicians
being able to have real impact for your research. It is first and foremost about understanding
that it isn't a one off transaction that you are trying to enter here because the payback
will be much greater if you get that relationship right. I think it's important to step back
and take note of the fact that sometimes we dehumanise politicians, in the way we think
about them. Thinking about them as human beings and what they are trying to do to try and
improve things, even if you don't necessarily agree with their political idealogy, is quite
an important thing. So I think quite a lot of this is about the psychology of developing
a relationship.
Improving access to research. Think about how you emote, in other words connect emotionally,
how you relate your evidence and how credible that is and how you demonstrate the economic
impact, the value for society, the value for government, I think are the ways in which
you can get your message across most effectively. There is a phrase 'the elevator pitch'and
I think that this is absolutely what you need to have in mind that you need to be able to
reduce and I think distill the essence of what it is your research is demonstrating
that can make a difference for the public, can make a difference to that policymakers
agenda. So talking about the impact, talking about real lives, can make I think the biggest
connection to politicians who in the end are in the business of trying to make an impact
on behalf of their constituents.