This month marks the beginning of a new series of guest blogs from ageing researchers, older peoples’ organisations and other experts in the area of ageing.

This guest blog comes via David Andrewes from Eastleigh Southern Parishes Older People’s Forum (ESPOPF), an older peoples’ organisation based in the UK.  In this blog post David writes about the role of research in making life better for older people and his own organisation’s research initiatives: 

In this month's blog CARDI's director Dr Roger O'Sullivan reflects on the often tricky relationship between researchers and policy makers and how they might find ways to interact more effectively:

The communications conundrum

I recently attended an excellent workshop “From Ageing Research into Policy” organised by KT Equal. The underlying message was that it doesn’t matter how good or relevant your work is – if you don’t communicate in a clear and concise manner few people will ever read it! 

To develop effective policy and programmes relating to our ageing population we need a strong evidence base and for our policy makers to have access to the latest research thinking.

The UK’s White Paper on the Modernisation of Government emphasises the need for policy makers to avail of more new ideas, more willingness to question traditional ways of doing things and to make better use of evidence and research in policy making.  

Northern Ireland OFMdFM’s guide to policy making recognises the need for a strong evidence base as does the DoHC health research strategy. 

The importance of research to policy formation

The common theme is that research can help illustrate what works and why, what doesn’t and why and what type of policy initiatives are likely to be most effective.  In other words, research can help policy-makers to think of new and improved ways of doing things or can challenge traditional approaches.

This seems all quite logical but we should recognise policy development is not linear and often doesn’t seem a logical process but of course that’s probably the researcher in me. Furthermore, I have often heard it said that researchers, policy makers and practitioners live in parallel worlds.

Researchers cannot understand why there is resistance to policy change despite clear and convincing research evidence.  While policy makers often feel that researchers do not make their findings accessible and digestible in time for policy frameworks. Practitioners at the end of this chain but on the frontline of service delivery often just get on with doing.

Lost in translation?

It is not just the production of research or collection of statistics that is important – it is the better utilization of the findings and knowledge from such research to help improve the lives of older people. This begins with translation and moves to communication.  

Professor Martin Rees in this year’s BBC Reith Lectures emphasised the researcher’s role is to discover the evidence to help inform decisions but it is politicians who make them.  Decisions with regard to resource allocation and service delivery must be based on the best and most up to date information and thinking. This will be most effective if there is a wider understanding of what issues really matter not those that are topical.

Researchers rising to the challenge

Those of us who produce research should not underestimate the importance of drawing out the implications of research for policy not just once but many times.  If people don’t understand something they often dismiss it.  We must not allow important issues relating to ageing fall to the side.

The role of research is not to fill library shelves with dusty books – it is rather to produce vibrant, robust, relevant and understandable information, to help address the needs of society today and in the future. 

Research is to Confirm, to Explain, to Challenge!

Dr Roger O'Sullivan

Director