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WHAT NEXT?. Anju Malhotra International Center for Research on Women. Substantive Progress. Movement in all three areas More on RH W omen’s heath/wellbeing Many in the seed stage More with program, less policy relevance Work by fellows especially exciting. Methodological Progress.
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WHAT NEXT? Anju Malhotra International Center for Research on Women
Substantive Progress • Movement in all three areas • More on RH Women’s heath/wellbeing • Many in the seed stage • More with program, less policy relevance • Work by fellows especially exciting
Methodological Progress • More randomized, panel/longitudinal designs • More comprehensive in measuring health and economic factors • Many measurement challenges remain • Fruit of methodological investments yet to be borne
Going Forward • It doesn’t happen on its own: research has to be made policy savvy • Economists can’t do it alone
Individual Studies Bodies of Work Accumulation of Evidence Alignment of evidence with agendas Extraction, synthesis simplification of evidence Messaging Based on Simplified evidence Communicating to champions & stakeholders Communi- cating to donors, policymakers The Path from Research to Policy Impact AT THE RIGHT TIME
This will Take More Than a Communication Strategy: • Raising policy awareness and relevance among researchers • Training on framing research questions for policy relevance • Hewlett/PRB –iterative process on asking the right questions • Pushing research boundaries • on methodologies • Looking at the simple, not just the complex
Economists can’t do it Alone • Haven’t we been there, done that? • Context, Culture, Reproductive Health, Women’s Empowerment! • Cross-disciplinary collaboration--Use it! Build on it! • Non-Economists—offer much on conceptualizing, measuring,contexualizing population and RH issues • most exciting work is coming from collaborative efforts • Local perspective and expertise on the research agenda
Revisiting the Big Picture • Who is the audience—the Minister of Finance? • Are we part of a bigger movement—that can resonate with those who have money and power? • What agenda do current global and local conditions call for? • Political and economic scene has shifted • Is it “Why Population & RH” or is it “How Population & RH”? • Is the Population agenda and the RH agenda really the same, to the same audience, and saleable in the same way?