The contribution of scientific research and its impact on agricultural policy development in Kenya

Date: 28th September - 3rd October 2012

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Questionnaire Form

Research questions addressed by this questionnaire:
a. What is the contribution of researchers towards policy development?
b. What are the difficulties experienced in pushing for research findings to be put into policy?
c. Are the researchers’ voices heard in policy development and formulation?

Please complete all the fields with asterisk ('*') :

1.	Are you a policy maker?	Yes No
	Please tick one	Government Private Sector
2.	Academic qualifications	Bsc Msc PhD Other (please specify):
3.	Do you consider scientific evidence to be useful in informing policy-decisions?	Yes No
	*Explain your answer in the text box provided*
4.	Who should inform policy-makers on scientific evidence?	Researchers Academic journals Intermediaries Think-tanks Lobby organisations General press Other media All of the above Other (please, specify):
5.	Do you think policy-makers, in their decision-making should consult researchers directly?	Yes. If yes, how ? No. If no , how ?
6.	Which are the main obstacles in consulting researchers on policy matters?	Lack of tradition in collaborating Different jargon/discourse Legal barriers Timing on communication: time scale of policy-makers Lack of communication channels All of the above Other (please, specify):
7.	Which are the main factors hindering the uptake of research based-evidence by policy makers?	Lack of incentive recognition of researchers’ work Researchers do not address concerns of policy makers Lack of collaboration between research institute and policy making bodies Other (please, specify):
8.	Do you agree with the idea that scientific evidence is never directly transmissible to policy-makers?: (250 words maximum)
9.	Which are the most appropriate bodies to act as an intermediary between researchers and policy-makers?	Scientific committees Professional associations Specialists in knowledge transfer NGOs and other civil society organizations Foundations Think-tanks All of the above Other (please, specify):
10.	Do you think that there is a gap in the collaboration between the scientific community and policy-makers?: (200 words maximum)	Yes. If yes, how can this gap be bridged? No
11.	Do you think that research findings on agricultural issues are useful to policy-makers when they undertake an impact assessment, and if so, how?: (250 words maximum)
12.	Do you think that agricultural research programmes in Kenya accurately transmit the results of scientific evidence in an efficient way to policy-makers? (200 words maximum)	Yes No. If no, why?
13.	Is there a need for a special body that would be responsible for feeding scientific evidence to policy-makers?	Yes No
14.	Considering that most agricultural research projects are donor funded what actions would be put forward by these organizations/agencies to achieve a better uptake of research results by national governments? (250 words maximum)
15.	Which are the most appropriate mechanisms for efficient knowledge transfer?	Policy dialogue panels which provide a context for sharing ideas between the scientific community and policy-makers Conferences and other large public meetings Small scale seminars with researchers and policy-makers Participative approaches (consultations) involving researchers, policy-makers and practitioners A proactive approach through which policy-makers meet researchers to discuss their policy requirements Professional and trade publications Scientific journals Policy briefings Newspapers and other media Secondment or other people transfer mechanisms to allow researchers to directly collaborate with policy-makers Co-production of research Other (please, specify):
16.	How would dialogue and cooperation between the scientific community and policy-makers be reinforced?	Agreements at the highest level Placement schemes Advisory Boards Publications of press policies Other (please, specify):
17.	Which elements should researchers define in their engagement strategies for disseminating their results from their projects towards policy development and implementation?	Identification of key groups of policy-makers Identification of communication channels (including activities, events) to be used Identification of potential funding and their relevance to policy-makers Other (please, specify):
18.	Who are the appropriate persons to validate research results?	Peer reviewers The end users Other specialized organisations Other (please, specify):
19.	What is the best time for researchers to communicate research findings/innovations to policy-makers?	Project results should be communicated on an ongoing basis over the project lifecycle. Results should be communicated when they are needed When final reports are delivered Other (please, specify):
20.	What is the most appropriate way for the scientific community to ensure that policy-makers are informed of research findings, results, priorities and concerns at different levels (national, regional, local) in order to ensure that policy-making is based on scientific evidence?	Invite concerned government officials to conferences or presentations of research, or organize specific events bringing together policy makers and researchers Send notes and abstracts to relevant ministries Distribute research to government agencies and to NGOs, which might be among the users Involve policy-makers in research. Policy-makers who are consulted at the initial stages of a research project tend to be more open since they can actively participate and hence have a stake in shaping the research questions, and thereby take "ownership" of the research as well. Regular interaction during the research project can help adjusting the questions researched and the tools used to the needs of policy makers Making sure that your research addresses issues of policy relevance to the country Information sheets or easy-to-answer questions Scientific publications Publications targeted at policy-makers All of the above Other (please, specify):