IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/oup/rseval/v32y2023i2p200-212..html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using theory to understand how policy change happens: Insights from agricultural research for development

Author

Listed:
  • Boru Douthwaite
  • Claudio Proietti
  • Vivian Polar
  • Graham Thiele

Abstract

Influencing policy is an important scaling mechanism. However, if a program is to plausibly claim that it has or can influence policy, it needs to explain how. This is not straightforward because of the complex nature of policy change. Scholars suggest the use of theory to help answer the ‘how’ question. In this article, we show how, in practice, a middle-range policy change theory—Kingdon’s Policy Window theory—helped us model the workings of four outcome trajectories that produced agricultural policy outcomes in four cases. By providing a common framework, the middle-range theory helped accumulate learning from one evaluation to the next, generating specific and generalizable insights in the process. Accumulation learning in this way can help organizations become more convincing in the proposals they write to donors, more accountable and better able to identify and deliver on their goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Boru Douthwaite & Claudio Proietti & Vivian Polar & Graham Thiele, 2023. "Using theory to understand how policy change happens: Insights from agricultural research for development," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 200-212.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:rseval:v:32:y:2023:i:2:p:200-212.
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/reseval/rvac038
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alan de Brauw & Patrick Eozenou & Daniel O Gilligan & Christine Hotz & Neha Kumar & J V Meenakshi, 2018. "Biofortification, Crop Adoption and Health Information: Impact Pathways in Mozambique and Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(3), pages 906-930.
    2. Low, Jan W. & Thiele, Graham, 2020. "Understanding innovation: The development and scaling of orange-fleshed sweetpotato in major African food systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. Douthwaite, B. & Keatinge, J. D. H. & Park, J. R., 2002. "Learning selection: an evolutionary model for understanding, implementing and evaluating participatory technology development," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 109-131, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Boru Douthwaite & Claudio Proietti & Vivian Polar & Graham Thiele, 2024. "Using theory to understand how policy change happens: Insights from agricultural research for development," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 200-212.
    2. Caroline Hambloch & Kai Mausch & Costanza Conti & Andy Hall, 2023. "Simple solutions for complex problems? What is missing in agriculture for nutrition interventions," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 363-379, April.
    3. Adetomiwa Kolapo & Akeem Abiade Tijani & Seyi Olalekan Olawuyi, 2024. "Exploring the Role of Farmer-Led Jumpstarting Project on Adoption of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato in Nigeria: Implications on Productivity and Poverty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-35, August.
    4. Gatto, Marcel & Mgomezulu, Wisdom R. & Okello, Julius J. & Pradel, Willy & Kwikiriza, Norman & Hareau, Guy G., 2023. "Direct and spillover effects of biofortified sweetpotato interventions on sustained adoption in Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    5. Rute M. Caeiro & Pedro C. Vicente, 2020. "Knowledge of vitamin A deficiency and crop adoption: Evidence from a field experiment in Mozambique," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(2), pages 175-190, March.
    6. Torres-Avila, Angelica & Aguilar-Ávila, Jorge & Santoyo-Cortés, Vinicio Horacio & Martínez-González, Enrique Genaro & Aguilar-Gallegos, Norman, 2022. "Innovation in the pineapple value chain in Mexico: Explaining the global adoption process of the MD-2 hybrid," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    7. Martin, Will, 2021. "Tools for measuring the full impacts of agricultural interventions," IFPRI-MCC technical papers 2, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Valera, Harold Glenn & Yamano, Takashi & Pede, Valerien & Puskur, Ranjitha & Habib, Muhammad Ashraful & Bashar, Khairul, 2021. "Impact of Nutrition Training on Long-Term Adoption of High Zinc Rice: A Randomized Control Trial Study Among Female Farmers in Bangladesh," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315165, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Sylvester Ochieng Ogutu & Andrea Fongar & Theda Gödecke & Lisa Jäckering & Henry Mwololo & Michael Njuguna & Meike Wollni & Matin Qaim, 2020. "How to make farming and agricultural extension more nutrition-sensitive: evidence from a randomised controlled trial in Kenya [Agricultural extension: good intentions and hard realities]," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 47(1), pages 95-118.
    10. repec:hal:cdiwps:halshs-02532955 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Berber Kramer, 2017. "Cooking Contests for Healthier Recipes: Impacts on Nutrition Knowledge and Behaviors in Bangladesh," Working Papers id:11943, eSocialSciences.
    12. Jorge Gustavo Rodríguez Aboytes & Matthias Barth, 2020. "Learning Processes in the Early Development of Sustainable Niches: The Case of Sustainable Fashion Entrepreneurs in Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-26, October.
    13. Seth R. Gitter & James Manley & Jill Bernstein & Paul Winters, 2022. "Do agricultural support and cash transfer programmes improve nutritional status?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(1), pages 203-235, January.
    14. Ruel, Marie T. & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Balagamwala, Mysbah, 2017. "Nutrition-sensitive agriculture: What have we learned and where do we go from here?:," IFPRI discussion papers 1681, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Rossing, Walter A.H. & Albicette, Maria Marta & Aguerre, Veronica & Leoni, Carolina & Ruggia, Andrea & Dogliotti, Santiago, 2021. "Crafting actionable knowledge on ecological intensification: Lessons from co-innovation approaches in Uruguay and Europe," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    16. Kate R. Schneider & Luc Christiaensen & Patrick Webb & William A. Masters, 2023. "Assessing the affordability of nutrient‐adequate diets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(2), pages 503-524, March.
    17. Totin, Edmond & Stroosnijder, Leo & Agbossou, Euloge, 2013. "Mulching upland rice for efficient water management: A collaborative approach in Benin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 71-80.
    18. Denise Hörner & Adrien Bouguen & Markus Frölich & Meike Wollni, 2022. "Knowledge and Adoption of Complex Agricultural Technologies: Evidence from an Extension Experiment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 68-90.
    19. Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Ahmed, Akhter & Gilligan, Daniel O. & Hoddinott, John & Kumar, Neha & Leroy, Jef L. & Menon, Purnima & Olney, Deanna K. & Roy, Shalini & Ruel, Marie, 2020. "Randomized controlled trials of multi-sectoral programs: Lessons from development research," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    20. Christophe Muller & Nouréini Sayouti, 2019. "How do agro-pastoral policies affect the dietary intake of agro-pastoralists in Niger?," Working Papers halshs-02165137, HAL.
    21. Higgins, Andrew & Antony, George & Sandell, Gary & Davies, Ian & Prestwidge, Di & Andrew, Bill, 2004. "A framework for integrating a complex harvesting and transport system for sugar production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 82(2), pages 99-115, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:oup:rseval:v:32:y:2023:i:2:p:200-212.. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Oxford University Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://academic.oup.com/rev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.