Promoting local leadership of economic development research

Why is local leadership important?

Involving local scholars in economic development research is crucial for developing regions due to several key pragmatic reasons:

In-depth local knowledge

Local researchers have a better understanding of the social, economic, cultural and political contexts of their countries. Intimate knowledge of a country gives researchers special insights into the framing of research questions, the application of methodologies and the interpretation of results. They are also more aware of sources of local data and their availability. Local researchers are thus able to conduct more context-relevant research with applicable policy recommendations.
 

Enhanced stakeholder engagement

Local researchers have denser local networks and stronger links with key actors in the national government, civil society, academia and private sector. This helps them to design and implement their research with more fluid contact with the parties involved, based on the bonds of trust already built. Close links with local policymakers and other stakeholders facilitate their involvement in defining relevant and priority policy research questions, ensuring that the research design correctly addresses these questions, disseminating research findings effectively and translating them into actionable policy recommendations. Policy-engaged research can better contribute to improve the lives of the population.
 

Better ability to influence and guide policies

Local researchers’ ongoing presence ensures they can advise policy makers in the design and implementation of policies based on their findings, as well as in monitoring and evaluating impacts of these policies so as to introduce adjustments as required. Their presence in the country allows them to contribute to the diffusion of their findings and advocate for relevant policy reforms over longer periods of time, making their involvement in research a cost-efficient way to achieve higher impact.
 

Strengthening local academic capacity

A crucial aspect of involving local researchers is the potential effect on strengthening the local academic community and the national research systems, contributing to the development of higher-quality local research that is more suitable for informing policy in the developing world. In turn, policymakers and other stakeholders can increasingly rely on experienced and readily available policy advice as new issues and challenges emerge.
 

Promoting local ownership

When local researchers lead development research, it promotes a sense of ownership and accountability within the community. This approach is more likely to result in policies that are not only effective but also have the backing and support of those the researchers aim to help. As local researchers are frequently well-known, this leads to: i) trust among stakeholders, ii) trust among the general public, and iii) external pressure on those in charge of implementing reforms.
 

Enhanced data collection capabilities

The ability of local researchers to navigate the cultural and social network of their communities contributes to the creation of surveys that resonate with the target population. The questions they pose can be carefully calibrated to produce meaningful responses, drawing on an understanding of the local language, customs, and values. On that line, local knowledge is particularly useful in collecting qualitative data. Also, the ongoing presence of local researchers during the often-prolonged process of data collection, notably when involving multiple rounds of surveying, ensures better monitoring and quick adjustments as required.

Where are the Southern researchers? Unequal Representation in Development Research

Recent systematic assessments regarding the participation of researchers from the Global South in the main fora for discussing topics related to Economic Development, notably led by PEP, reveal concerning results.

Editorial Boards

The marginalization of Southern-based researchers is also evident in the composition of editorial teams of development journals. Only 19% of the editorial board members of the top development journals were located in southern countries, and if regional journals are excluded, southern based editors represent only 13%.

• Read more in the article The Marginalization of Southern Researchers in Development by Veronica Amarante, Julieta Zurbrigg, published in World Development Perspectives, vol. 26, June 2022, 100428
   

Development conferences

Six out of 10 presenters at the top five development conferences were from universities in developed countries, with only one out of 10 from universities in developing countries. The remaining presenters mainly belonged to think tanks or multilateral organizations, and less than 10 percent of them were affiliated with institutions in developing countries.

• Read more in PEP Working Paper 2022-11, Representation of Researchers from Developing Countries at Development Conferences (PDF download) by Ronelle Burger, Vaqar Ahmed
   

Global Development Policy Debates

Less than 10% of authors of World Bank and UNDP international flagship reports from 1990-2020 were based in developing countries.

• Read more in PEP Working Paper 2021-25, Assessing the Participation of Researchers from Lower-Middle-Income Countries in Economic-Development-Policy Debates (PDF download) by Lucas Ronconi, Nisha Arunatilake, Junette Perez, Christian Arnault Emini
   

Economic development consulting

While data on the global economic development consulting market are not readily available, it is evident that local researchers have access to very limited consulting budgets to pursuing economic analysis.

• Read more in PEP Working Paper 2022-05, Southern Researchers Marginalisation at the Global, Regional and National Economic Development Consulting Business (PDF download) by Ramos Mabugu, Margaret Chitiga, Vaqar Ahmed, Kehinde Omotosho

​​​​​​

Obstacles to overcome

In order for Southern researchers to be able to better contribute to development debates, a certain number of obstacles must be addressed. Supply-side obstacles prevent Southern researchers from doing their work in a conducive environment and on a level playing field with respect to Northern researchers. These obstacles include:

On the demand side, obstacles arise from various sources. Journal editors often prefer theoretical/methodological innovations over contextual/policy ones, while relying on editorial boards in which the Global South is under-represented. Research funders often have difficulties in identifying local researchers or Southern-based research centers.

Solutions: The PEP example

• Funding: PEP is able to effectively channel global research funding to Southern researchers, ensuring timely and high-quality outputs.
   
• Training: Where local capacity of research leaders or assistants need updating in specific areas, PEP is able to provide graduate-level training in the most policy-relevant methodological approaches through its online courses and customized training.
   
• Mentoring: Where local capacity exists, but experience in professionally commissioned research is lacking, PEP can provide mentoring to ensure research outputs are timely and of the utmost quality. Mentors are international experts drawn from PEP’s global network of scientific resource persons and policy mentors.
   
• Advising: Trained and experienced local researchers are isolated in many developing countries and thus benefit from the qualified feedback from PEP advisors, also drawn from its global network of scientific resource persons and policy mentors, can provide.
   
• Networking: With the same goal of breaking down the isolation of local researchers in many developing countries, PEP can establish bridges with experts in similar areas from other countries through peer reviewing (all PEP WPs are anonymously peer-reviewed) and for sharing experiences. Indeed, PEP is able to organize multi-country studies within or across continents to encourage this cross-fertilization and learning from the very different contexts and policy conditions across countries.
   
• Research environment: PEP can facilitate access to data, software, literature, and other elements that form a conducive research environment that researchers in developed countries often take for granted. This ensures that local researchers are equipped to conduct the very best research. PEP can also contribute to the development of an appropriate research environment by advocating for the fair recognition of contribution of local researchers in teams combining researchers from different contexts.
   
• Administrative support: PEP’s global secretariat is able to provide local researchers with support to handle the financial/budgeting, administrative, communications, reporting and other aspects of commissioned research projects.
   

Capacity Building

PEP provides a unique capacity-building mechanism for local researchers through a distinct learning-by-doing approach with regular interactions with a select set of mentors. PEP´s ‘Grants Plus’ program ensures that project teams receive financial and research resources, professional development opportunities, and support for publication and dissemination. PEP's capacity-building activities benefit from its broad coverage of policy issues and analytical perspectives, as well as its sophisticated Monitoring and Evaluation System
 

Promoting and advocating for locally-led economic policy research

Over recent decades, substantial investments have been channeled towards promoting local expertise and research capacity in developing nations. PEP's significant role in this endeavor across the Global South is of extreme importance. Nevertheless, researchers from developing countries continue to encounter obstacles that marginalize their voices in global development research and policymaking arenas. In response to the multifaceted challenges faced by Southern scholars, PEP launched a "call to action" in 2022. In this initiative, PEP underscores the imperative of involving Southern scholars in policy research, positioning research for impactful policy outcomes, enhancing Southern research representation, and directing investments towards equity promotion, among other objectives. PEP has further organized webinars, inviting esteemed editors and policymakers to deliberate on the barriers to and viable solutions for elevating the participation of Southern researchers in global economic development policy discourse and publication in top development journals.

PEP’s call to action

Evidence on the impacts of locally-led research

PEP has been collecting data and examples of the impact of locally-led research since 2016. Here are some examples of how engaging local researchers can have demonstrated impact:

Related pages

• Call to Action for greater participation of Southern Researchers in economic development debates
• Research on Increasing Global South Participation in Development Economics
• Blogs on localisation
• Further reading on Southern Participation in Economic Development Research, Policy and Consulting