Inside an innovation - birth of individual budgets
Policy Making and Evidence
1. Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
Policy Making and EvidencePolicy Making and Evidence
David HowlettDavid Howlett
Executive Director, Africa CollegeExecutive Director, Africa College
A transformationA transformation project working on food security and human healthproject working on food security and human health
2. Questions
•• How does a policy get made in the BritishHow does a policy get made in the British
Government?Government?
•• What are the main entry points to provideWhat are the main entry points to provide
evidence into policy?evidence into policy?
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
3. Today
•• Rapid look at the principles and actors inRapid look at the principles and actors in
policy makingpolicy making
•• ExampleExample
•• Lessons for academicsLessons for academics
•• My perspective as a natural scientist when atMy perspective as a natural scientist when at
the Department for Internationalthe Department for International
Development (DFID)Development (DFID)
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
4. Principles for Policy Making IPrinciples for Policy Making I
•• Forward lookingForward looking –– takes a long view, based ontakes a long view, based on
trends and predictions, of the likely impacttrends and predictions, of the likely impact
•• Outward lookingOutward looking –– takes account of the national,takes account of the national,
European and international situationEuropean and international situation
•• Innovative and creativeInnovative and creative –– questions establishedquestions established
ways of doing things and encourages new ideasways of doing things and encourages new ideas
•• Using evidenceUsing evidence –– uses evidence from a wide rangeuses evidence from a wide range
of sources and involves stakeholders at early stageof sources and involves stakeholders at early stage
•• InclusiveInclusive –– takes account of the impact on thetakes account of the impact on the
needs of those directly or indirectly affectedneeds of those directly or indirectly affected
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
5. Principles for Policy Making IIPrinciples for Policy Making II
•• Joined upJoined up –– looks beyond institutional boundarieslooks beyond institutional boundaries
to the Government’s strategic objectivesto the Government’s strategic objectives
•• EvaluatesEvaluates –– builds systematic evaluation ofbuilds systematic evaluation of
outcomes into the policy processoutcomes into the policy process
•• ReviewsReviews –– keeps policy under review to ensure itkeeps policy under review to ensure it
deals with the problems it was designed to tackledeals with the problems it was designed to tackle
•• Learns lessonsLearns lessons –– learns from experience of whatlearns from experience of what
works and what doesn’t to improve policyworks and what doesn’t to improve policy
•• NowNow –– Value for MoneyValue for Money
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
6. The Many ActorsThe Many Actors
•• MinistersMinisters
•• ParliamentParliament
•• Devolved administrationsDevolved administrations
•• Departments and NDPB (Departments and NDPB (quangosquangos))
•• Civil servantsCivil servants
•• Public consultationPublic consultation
•• Civil society and advocacy groupsCivil society and advocacy groups
•• Private sectorPrivate sector
•• Think tanksThink tanks
•• Academics and learned societiesAcademics and learned societies
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
7. Sources of evidenceSources of evidence
• Departments have their own civil servants who
provide advice and/or help find information,
• Department Chief Scientific Advisers
• Parliament - Select committees and all party groups
with MPs with particular interests
• Learned societies
• NDPB (quangos) e.g. Environment Agency
• Civil society and lobby groups
• Researchers and academics
• Public consultations
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
8. The Starting pointThe Starting point
•• What problem or challenge is the policyWhat problem or challenge is the policy
addressing?addressing?
•• What outcomes do you want to achieve?What outcomes do you want to achieve?
•• What indicators will you use to determine theseWhat indicators will you use to determine these
outcomes?outcomes?
•• What are the range of actions (options) that areWhat are the range of actions (options) that are
needed to get to these outcomes?needed to get to these outcomes?
•• Example of international development .........Example of international development .........
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
9. Millennium Development Goals
1. Halve the no of people living in poverty and
reduce hunger
2. All children to receive primary education
3. Sexual equality & stronger voice for women
4. Reduce child death rates
5. Improve the health of mothers
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Protect the environment
8. Global partnership for development
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
12. Impact on ChildrenImpact on Children
Country
2003 - 2008
< 5yr under
weight (%)
2008 < 5yr
mortality
rate (%)
Global Hunger Index
2009 2010
Egypt 6.8 2.3 <5 <5
Algeria 3.0 4.1 6 <5
South Africa 10.1 6.7 6.9 7.3
Botswana 8.4 3.1 17.9 12.5
Namibia 17.5 4.2 14.3 13.6
Uganda 16.4 13.5 17.1 15.0
Malawi 15.5 10.0 21.8 18.2
Mali 27.9 19.4 26.9 19.1
Ethiopia 34.6 10.9 31 29.8
DRC 28.2 19.9 39.1 41.0
<5 Low hunger
5-10 Moderate
10-20 Serious
20-30 Alarming
>30 Extremely alarming
The Global Hunger Index is based on three dimensions:
insufficient availability of calories, shortfalls in the
nutritional status of children, and child mortality.
www.ifpri.org/publication/2010-global-hunger-index
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
13. Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
•• 20062006 White Paper said they should be one .......White Paper said they should be one .......
•• Civil servants tasked to produce one .......Civil servants tasked to produce one .......
•• Internal discussion on outcomes and internal work startedInternal discussion on outcomes and internal work started
•• Awareness with other Departments with an interestAwareness with other Departments with an interest
•• Outline for consultation produced with invitations to makeOutline for consultation produced with invitations to make
submissions and to answer set of questionssubmissions and to answer set of questions
•• More consultation that statutory required to help get asMore consultation that statutory required to help get as
many stakeholders involvedmany stakeholders involved
•• Consultation analysed and working papers produced andConsultation analysed and working papers produced and
used to draft strategyused to draft strategy
•• Consultation across Whitehall, review by MinistersConsultation across Whitehall, review by Ministers
•• Final strategy drafted and launched by SoS in April 2008Final strategy drafted and launched by SoS in April 2008
14. How were academics involved?How were academics involved?
•• Subject close to their hearts (research funds)Subject close to their hearts (research funds)
•• So a lot of interest but a lot of special pleadingSo a lot of interest but a lot of special pleading
•• What worked was evidence on research gapsWhat worked was evidence on research gaps
and the impact from filling theseand the impact from filling these
•• Well written submissions that answered theWell written submissions that answered the
questions backed up with evidence workedquestions backed up with evidence worked
(not the same as academic papers or articles)(not the same as academic papers or articles)
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
15. Good evidence from researchGood evidence from research
•• Sets out the key facts and figuresSets out the key facts and figures
•• Sets out options to achieve policy outcomesSets out options to achieve policy outcomes
•• Sets out the pros and cons of different options,Sets out the pros and cons of different options,
any contested areas and uncertaintiesany contested areas and uncertainties
•• Sets out the risks and feasibility of optionsSets out the risks and feasibility of options
•• Takes evidence from a range of sources that areTakes evidence from a range of sources that are
referencedreferenced
•• Uses plain English without jargonUses plain English without jargon
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
16. LessonsLessons
•• Understand the policy you want to inform andUnderstand the policy you want to inform and
the problem it is addressingthe problem it is addressing
•• Consider what information and data is neededConsider what information and data is needed
and who will use itand who will use it
•• Put it into the format that will be most usefulPut it into the format that will be most useful
•• Be both proactive and reactiveBe both proactive and reactive
•• Be prepared to respond quickly and understandBe prepared to respond quickly and understand
the time framethe time frame –– tomorrow maybe too latetomorrow maybe too late
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
17. Thank YouThank You
Africa CollegeAfrica College -- A research partnership on foodA research partnership on food
security and human health between Leedssecurity and human health between Leeds
University IITA, ICIPE and national researchUniversity IITA, ICIPE and national research
organisations in suborganisations in sub--Saharan AfricaSaharan Africa
For more details see www.africacollege.leeds.ac.ukFor more details see www.africacollege.leeds.ac.uk
Finding sustainable answers to
hunger and malnutrition in Africa
