The links between economic policy
            and research : three examples from Ghana and some general thoughts
The author gives examples of research
            recently published in professional journals that directly
            helped, or could help, in formulating policy advice (and
            perhaps even policymaking). An article by Younger (1992) was
            helpful in analyzing a problem in Ghana, where aid flows to
            government crowded out the private sector (especially
            private investment), which competed for scarce domestic
            resources. Younger suggested that tighter fiscal policy
            combined with looser monetary policy would promote more
            investment. Younger's analysis helped frame thinking in
            an area where muddleheadedness is common, and provided the
            author with analytical ammunition when he supported
            budgetary restraint. In another example, research based on
            the Ghana Living Standards Survey helped identify the
            poverty consequences of alternative revenue instruments. The
            link between economic policy and research can be made, says
            the author, but that does not mean it will be made. Usually
            such a link relies on the change placing of a researcher in
            the policymaking and advising trenches. One problem is that
            policymakers face highly specific, timebound problems and
            are interested only in answers to particular questions. But
            what matters to researchers is the generality of results or
            the methodological innovations in analysis. Journals turn
            down papers that answer very specific policy questions. The
            appropriate dissemination of research results requires that
            researchers speak the language of policymakers. The author
            proposes the following. Professional researchers should do
            highly country-specific and policy-specific studies that use
            the best-practice methodological tools plus a detailed
            institutional knowledge of the country. There should be a
            continuous attempt at synthesizing the findings of
            professional research for the benefit of the policy
            community, as is done in the World Bank Research Observer.
            "We need single-page or double-page flysheets
            summarizing research results," says the author,
            particularly those that are country-specific and
            policy-specific. Research should be presented in short,
            pithy summaries that policymakers and their top advisors can
            understand, setting out the policy question addressed and
            the answer provided (the latter are not so common,
            especially for Africa). "A basic rule of thumb I have
            developed is that anything longer than two pages is unlikely
            to be read by the most senior policymakers, the limit for
            the next most senior is four pages, then eight pages, and 16
            pages. If it is longer than 16 pages, do not bother to send
            it to the policy fraternity (unless it is prefaced by a
            two-page summary)."