Fostering engagement and impact of research

PEP’s mission is to ensure that scientific evidence centres the perspectives and knowledge of the people it is meant to serve. Contextualisation is key. To that end, all PEP research projects involve collaborative working between in-country experts and the intended evidence users, especially amongst government institutions. 

To support these collaborations, PEP develops the capacity of both researchers and policymakers. By helping them understand each other’s work, needs, and constraints, PEP improves how both groups promote evidence use in policymaking. 

PEP has developed a distinctive approach to help researchers make their work more policy-relevant and impactful, while strengthening local institutional practices for evidence-informed policymaking. 

Built gradually between 2013 and 2019, drawing on experience from projects across the Global South, the approach has proven highly effective in driving both the engagement and impact of PEP research. 

Co-production and collaborative working

Every PEP research project is conducted in partnership with stakeholder representatives from government and civil society, who also benefit from PEP capacity-building activities. 

Policy context analysis and knowledge translation

All PEP research projects are required to produce a policy paper. These papers use an analytical framework to situate research objectives and findings within a country’s broader policy landscape, strategies, and decision-making processes. 

Policy papers primarily serve as knowledge translation tools. They provide practical, relevant input for policymakers. The process also serves as a coaching mechanism, guiding researchers in the analysis of issue-specific policy contexts, debates and evidence needs. 

Training

PEP provides targeted training programmes to help both researchers and policymakers engage more effectively with evidence in policy processes.

Thinking and Working Politically (TWP) – for researchers

This programme equips researchers with practical tools to analyse policy and political contexts, identify key stakeholders, and design research that addresses real policy needs. To help researchers produce evidence that is both rigorous and policy-relevant, the programme combines online modules with in-person workshops covering political economy analysis, stakeholder engagement, policy costing, and knowledge translation. 

Best Practices for Evidence-Informed Policymaking (EIPM) – for government officials

This online course helps policymakers and public officials find, evaluate, and apply evidence in policy design and implementation. Through practical modules and real-world examples, it introduces key concepts and tools for sourcing, interpreting, and integrating evidence into decision-making.