Research for Impact

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/research-for-impact

Introduction

**Course Review: Research for Impact on Coursera** In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, the ability of research to influence real-world change cannot be overstated. The course "Research for Impact," offered on Coursera, equips researchers with the knowledge and tools necessary to transition research beyond traditional academic confines and into arenas that enact genuine change. This six-week course, defined by its multi-dimensional approach, delves deeply into how researchers can structure their inquiries to maximize their societal impact. ### Course Overview The "Research for Impact" course is designed to enlighten participants on the pivotal shift from conventional research to an impact-centered methodology. Traditionally, research aimed at merely contributing to academic discourse, often resulting in a slew of journal publications. However, the course asserts that if research is to be truly valuable, it must not only seek to generate knowledge but also to influence policy, practice, behavior, and societal attitudes. By engaging with the complexities of "wicked" problems—issues like climate change adaptation, public health crises, and social inequality—participants are encouraged to think critically about how their research can address these challenges. ### Course Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Introduction to Research for Impact** The course kicks off with an introduction to the fundamental principles of the Research for Impact approach. Participants will explore the concept of transdisciplinarity and its significance in addressing global challenges. The inclusion of real-life testimonials from researchers who have employed this approach adds a personal touch that helps contextualize the academic concepts. 2. **Planning for Impact** Planning is a cornerstone of effective research. This module introduces valuable frameworks like the Theory of Change and Impact Pathways, encouraging participants to anticipate how their research can effect change within complex systems. The experiences shared by experts from Oxfam and East African researchers provide practical illustrations of how to navigate the unpredictability of research outcomes. 3. **Engaging and Partnering** A shift from "doing research ON people" to "doing research WITH people" is central to the Research for Impact approach. This section focuses on stakeholder engagement and the formation of partnerships. Insights from experienced professionals highlight the nuances of navigating power dynamics in research communities, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances both the research process and its outcomes. 4. **Communicating for Impact** Communication is key in bridging the gap between research findings and real-world application. Participants learn to develop effective communication strategies tailored to diverse stakeholders and contexts. The course emphasizes the role of knowledge brokers in conveying research in accessible formats, illustrated by innovative case studies like the use of drone footage to communicate findings on floods in Ghana. 5. **Building Capacities** Recognizing that skill-building is a journey for both researchers and community stakeholders, this module addresses capacity development. Participants will explore methodologies for enhancing skills essential for fostering change, as demonstrated through engaging case studies, including the use of games for community development. 6. **Influencing for Impact** The final week synthesizes the knowledge gained throughout the course, focusing on how to influence key stakeholders effectively. Creating intervention logic and strategically targeting points of influence are emphasized to ensure that research efforts are not only respected but actively incorporated into decision-making processes. ### Conclusion and Recommendation The "Research for Impact" course on Coursera is much more than a traditional academic offering; it is a transformative experience aimed at equipping researchers with the tools they need to create tangible change in society. By blending theory with real-world experience and practical application, the course provides invaluable insights into how research can drive effective social impact. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone interested in research—be you a novice, an experienced academic, or a practitioner looking for innovative ways to apply your work. The course's comprehensive syllabus, expert-led sessions, and collaborative focus ensure that participants not only learn how to conduct impactful research but also leave with actionable strategies that can be implemented in their own work. Enroll in "Research for Impact" to take the first step towards making your research work for the betterment of society!

Syllabus

Introduction to Research for Impact

Welcome to Research for Impact. We begin by introducing the Research for Impact approach and its elements. Then we look more closely at the ‘wicked’ problems that this attempts to tackle and the complex systems within which the work takes place. Transdisciplinarity is an important theme in the Research for Impact approach, and so we discuss its role in addressing wicked problems such as climate change adaptation. Chandni Singh and Hillary Masundire share their personal experiences around using the Research for Impact approach to bring change in their communities. We also hear from students, researchers and practitioners speak about how the Research for Impact approach was used in their own research projects.

In Research for Impact, we are always working towards some kind of positive change. But how does change happen in complex systems and how can we plan our research activities to bring about this change? This week, Marta Arranz from Oxfam, helps us explore these difficult questions and introduces us to the Theory of Change, Impact Pathways and other tools used for planning. Since projects do not always go to plan, we consider monitoring and evaluation as an important aspect of planning for change. We look at revisiting and adjusting our planned activities as we learn from experiences to improve and increase the impact of our research activities. Mark Tebboth and Alemayehu Zewdie share their experiences of doing research in East Africa and provide us with practical examples of how to plan for impact.

A key principle of the Research for Impact approach is that we move away from doing research ON people and start doing research WITH people. This encourages us to think carefully about how we can most effectively engage with those affected by, or who may influence the outcomes of our research. How can we develop partnerships that will move us closer to achieving our research goals, and what are the considerations for identifying stakeholders? This week, Daniel Morchain who is the Senior Advisor in Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience at Oxfam leads us though considering these questions and more. We also learn about different methods of engagement and what we can gain from these processes. Daniel also discusses the challenges and opportunities of working with issues of powers and politics and what sensitivities we need to be aware of when engaging with diverse groups of stakeholders. For a more practical perspective, Prince Ansah from the University of Ghana and Chandapiwa Molefe from the University of Botswana, share valuable insights from their experiences working with stakeholders and forming important partnerships to achieve their research goals. As you may have gathered, using the research for Impact approach also comes with challenges and we hear from researchers and practitioners about how they addressed some of these challenges in their own research projects.

Different stakeholders have different languages, cultures, and interests and so we need diverse communication approaches in order to effectively communicate with them. In this week, communications expert Prathijna Poonacha Kodira, who is a consultant for the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, explores the process of moving beyond research dissemination and using the information and evidence that we have to deliver impactful messages to various stakeholders. We learn how to develop communications strategies with impact in mind by asking five simple questions: Why, Who, What, How and When. Prathijna also introduces the important roles that knowledge brokers play in ensuring that research findings reach the right people at the right time in a language and format that they can use. This week’s case study is led by Kwasi Appeaning Addo, who demonstrates how using drone footage of floods in Ghana has not only been an effective form of communicating research findings but has also influenced change.

As a researcher, you are not expected to come with all the knowledge and skills required to facilitate the change you hope to see. On the other hand, your stakeholders and partners may also require additional knowledge and skills in order to contribute to realizing your shared vision. This process of developing these skills for both the researcher and stakeholders is an integral part of the Research for Impact approach, and is called capacity development. This week, our experts Amadou Sidibe, who is an In-Country Scientist for Michigan State University for ICRISAT in Mali, and Edmond Totin, who is a Research Scientist at ICRISAT in Mali, help us to understand the different types and aspects of capacity development and how we go about developing the capacities of ourselves and others. Our case study this week features Renie Thomas who demonstrates how the use of games has aided the development of community members in Maharashtra, India.

In the previous weeks, we learnt about the interdependent elements of Research for Impact and the various tools and activities that we can use to implement them into our research processes. In this week, we look at how to align these practices with our goals and how to use these elements to influence key stakeholders to bring about the changes that we and they want to see. We focus on building strategies and developing a good intervention logic to focus on which points of these complex systems we need to influence to ensure that the evidence from our research project is used and valued by our stakeholders to make an impact. For a more practical perspective Adiku Prosper Yaw shares his experience of doing influential research in Ghana and we end off by hearing from researchers and practitioners who share their practical tips about how best to achieve impact through our research activities.