Strengthening policy research and development through foreign aid: the case of reducing deforestation and forest degradation in Indonesia

Abstract

This paper discusses work carried out in Indonesia to strengthen research capacity and support policy development for the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s mechanism for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). It addresses the questions: in an apparently receptive policy environment, what are the challenges facing the adoption of recommendations generated by policy research funded by foreign-funded projects, and what are the implications for the evaluation of the research? The paper reflects on some of the key research findings, on the contributions that capacity building for research can make to policy development, and on some of the challenges faced by policy-focused research projects and their assessment. It shows that many factors can influence the adoption of policy recommendations generated by research, leading to significant challenges for the evaluation of policy research activities.