The program and policy change framework: A new tool to measure research use in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Organizations that fund research to address global development challenges are increasingly interested in measuring the social and economic outcomes of research. However, traditional metrics for measuring research outputs are often insufficient for capturing the outcomes targeted by international assistance organizations. To address this, the Center for Development Research (CDR), part of the U.S. Global Development Lab at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has designed a new tool: the Program and Policy Change (PPC) framework for tracking and quantifying the influence of research on program and policy change in international development. The framework draws on existing conceptual frameworks of evidence uptake and the literature on policy change. This article describes the design of the PPC framework and presents the results of applying the framework to two USAID research programs. The benefits of the framework include applicability across research sectors, focus on evidence-informed policy at various levels of geographical influence, and inclusion of a numeric scoring system that enables quantification of outcomes.

Research Translation for International Development: A Literature Review and Framework for Evidence Use and Partner Engagement

“…Scholars and donors in international development call for research to have an impact beyond academia and to connect more directly with policy and practice (Fowle et al, 2021; Fransman et al, 2021; Gunn and Mintrom, 2021; Toukan, 2021). This trend is paired with increasing funding opportunities for academic research to improve development outcomes (Newman et al, 2012; Mach et al, 2020; Toukan, 2021) in many parts of the world.…”