P&I´s "Context matters" framework is available here.
You might also want to read the conceptual paper, that presents the full framework and its dimensions and how they were built and the practical paper, which proposes concrete ways in which the framework can be used.
Today, it seems, no one would underestimate how fundamental context is when considering interventions, projects and activities to promote better interaction between research and policy. "Context matters" or "Context was crucial", we proclaim. And policymakers and practitioners in developing countries nod their heads, all of them too familiar with the challenge of trying to inform policy with knowledge. Also, a significant body of literature on the links between evidence and policy also recognizes the role of context in explaining the successes and failures of those promoting their research to influence policy.
However this analysis usually appears ex post. We tend to regard context as an explanatory factor to account for what has worked or not worked that well in a specific project; or to tell a story of where evidence has successfully informed policy. Moreover, we often refer to it in very broad terms, alluding to “external events” for instance. We present it as something that is clearly beyond our control, too large, too complex, too “external”.
At P&I we believe that there is still ample scope to improve our understanding of context analysis and how we interact with it. P&I was created to promote effective co-generation of relevant knowledge on the links between research and policy, with a special emphasis on Southern perspectives and experiences. So we decided it was time to develop some new knowledge to unravel what we mean when we proclaim: “Context matters”.
Our assumption was that a more thorough understanding of context should lead to more effective interventions – both by those who design and manage policies and by those trying to influence them – and thus greater impact.
In partnership with the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP), we developed the "Context Matters" Framework, a participatory tool to help detect and understand the best entry points to improve the use of knowledge in a public agency.
Exploring six interrelated areas, it helps government organizations, policymakers, researchers, practitioners and donors to navigate complexity, better understand their organization, and identify the blockages and opportunities for positive change.
The framework:
Looks at internal factors within an organization as well as the external political economy and relationships .
Addresses visible changes, such as new processes or behaviours, and invisible changes, such as incentives or cultures for knowledge use
Builds on the experience of 50+ policymakers and practitioners
Has been tested with multiple government agencies in a wide range of countries, including Peru, Ghana, Uganda, Pakistan
Purpose&Ideas is always ready and eager to answer any queries regarding its use and to support efforts to apply the framework to improve how we can build on a sound understanding of context to improve use of knowledge in policy.