Every now and then, developmental NGOs are confronted with requests and suggestions to fund research projects. Since NGOs are not academic institutions, the question arises: why should they support or engage in research, and if so: which kind of research should be supported and which should not. Furthermore: if research is considered useful and in tune with the NGOs principles and mandate, then which standards should guide the research?
As a field of inquiry, the relationship between research and policy formulation, implementation and evaluation is well established, particularly in the USA and other developed countries. There is a wide-ranging literature available which documents the findings of empirical studies in a variety of disciplinary contexts, and which attempts to theorise and explain the complex interaction of factors that have a bearing on how and the extent to which research influences or impacts on the policy-making process. The focus on these issues within developing country contexts – particularly the African context – is only recently gaining attention.
