Policymakers’ Reflections:Major Challenges and Future Goals

Jesper W. Simonsen, Executive directorNFU Conference 2014 – Tromsø 1.-2.10.2014

Presenting the NORGLOBAL II

Programme

On Whose Terms?

Outline

The Role of The Research Council of Norway

Development Research in Norway

The NorGlobal II Programme

On Whose Terms?

An interesting illustration

The Roles of The Research Council of Norway

www.forskningsradet.no/lysaker

• Adviser• to government, institutions etc.• research policy, themes, structure

• Financing for added value• programmes, projects, centres, scholarships,

infrastructure• basic research, thematic programmes, support

private RTD

• Meeting places

• Internationalization

The Council distributes about 30 % of public expenditures on R&D in Norway

Publicfunding

of R&D inNorway

50%

Industry

Institutes

OtherMinistries

Highereducation

sector

Ministry of Educationand Research

The ResearchCouncil

269

1830

1312

1908

779

478

371329

362

Funding from all the ministries (2014)

Trade, industry and fisheries

Petroleum and energy

Agriculture

Environment Education and research

Administration

Health

Totalt 8048 mill. kr. (inkl. adm)

Foreign affairs

Education and research

Cross-sectoral

Why development research?

Knowledge, competence and capacity in Norway to design the Norwegian development assistance to get

maximum positive impact (and to avoid damages)

to design the global initiatives and foreign policy to get maximum positive impact (and to avoid damages)

to design other policies optimally taking the principle of coherence into account.

In other words: To use the tax-payers money efficiently

(Drawing on the best knowledge production globally)

Capacity building in the South as a part of the development cooperation.

A knowledgeable Norwegian population.

Development research in Norway

Historically not poorly funded

a small share to long term competence building

a small share allocated through national competitions

HE-institutions committed

Ministry of research committed

Research Council funding increasing

periods of consolidation and of fragmentation

2014: Globvac + NorGlobal + country spec. + open arenas

NORGLOBAL 2009-2014

Poverty and Peace (PovPeace)

CGIAR-fellowship

Women and gender in development

Globalisation of the environmental- energy and climate research (Globmek)

Research on Economic Growth, Poverty Reduction, Reproductive Health and Population Dynamics (Econpop)

Western Balkan Countries development research

Tax havens, capital flows and development (TaxCapDev)

Humanitarian policy (HUMPOL)

Effect of aid

Democracy and Governance in Malawi

(NORGLOBAL/INDNOR)

NORGLOBAL-2 time line

Winter 2013/14 Summarizing experiences

Dialogue (research community)

Program development group

Summer 2014 Consultation MFA/NORAD (strategy processes)

Sept. 2014 The CEEN Report

October 2014 Divisional board: Programme committee – Program plan basis

Winter 2014/15 First call (hopefully)

April 2015 Program plan

Sept. 2015 First projects running

NORGLOBAL-2 recommendations (1)

Programme combining long perspectives and topical priorities

Long perspectives on building strong research groups/sector on prioritized long term thematic areas within the field through a variety of instruments: Traditional projects, scholarships,

mobility grants, centres, infrastructure, international co-financing, incentives for international funding

based on a concrete analysis of the needs in the specific area.

Flexibility for profiling more topical priorities without jeopardizing the long term building of solid foundation for research of high quality.

NORGLOBAL-2 recommendations (2)

One consolidated programme with solid funding for 8-10 years

Knowledge and competence to understand and meet the global development challenges, focussing on reduction of extreme poverty

Broad thematic areas – researcher initiated projects (+ innovation projects?)

Support research in cooperation with countries in the South and the best research groups in the North.

Meeting place for researchers, policy makers and other users

On Whose Terms?

Who should make the priorities?

Whose perspectives are most useful to formulate and analyse the problem?

Useful for whom?

Who should be involved to make the studies successful – given their objectives?

In terms of knowledge

In terms of change

What rights have people to be involved when they are studied?

What are the roles of the policymakers, of the academic institutions and of the scientist?

What kind of research?

Highquality

Lowquality

Low relevance High relevance

ValuableInteresting

Waste Damaging

Thank you for your attention