Processos e desafios da interação entre pesquisa e política na perspectiva dos pesquisadores

Resumo As políticas informadas por evidências podem produzir impactos sociais e econômicos e benefícios na equidade e na saúde. A interação dos pesquisadores na política depende de interesses dos atores sociais e de ambientes políticos favoráveis. Este artigo busca compreender os significados e as perspectivas de pesquisadores sobre os processos de interação entre cientistas e tomadores de decisão que influenciam o impacto da pesquisa na política de saúde. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, realizado em 2014, de análise de conteúdo para identificar os núcleos de sentido e as relações entre a pesquisa e a política. Baseou-se na abordagem do programa RAPID da Overseas Development Institute. Foram entrevistados 14 pesquisadores de projetos sobre morbimortalidade materna e neonatal financiados pelo Ministério da Saúde. Os pesquisadores orientaram-se para a produção de conhecimentos, o fortalecimento de capacidades de pesquisa e a divulgação dos resultados. Participaram, em algumas ocasiões, da definição de políticas de cuidado clínico e desempenho dos serviços de saúde. Apontaram barreiras para interatuar e produzir impactos na política devido às tensões do contexto político, econômico e social, às mudanças institucionais e organizacionais no setor saúde, e ao sistema de avaliação acadêmica.

The School of Oriental and African Studies

This chapter covers the period 1960–78. A readership in economics with reference to the Middle East at the London School of Economics and School of Oriental and African Studies was followed in 1964 by taking up the first chair of economics with special reference to Asia at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Edith developed the new department and co-founded the Journal of Development Studies. She travelled extensively, particularly in the Middle East, where she taught and advised at the American Universities of Beirut and Cairo. In 1978, with E. F. Penrose, she published Iraq: International Relations and National Development, a comprehensive study of the political and economic development of the state of Iraq. She contributed to public bodies including the British Social Science Research Council and the Overseas Development Institute, the Commonwealth Development Corporation, the Monopolies Commission, and the Sainsbury Committee.

Rising African debt to backfire on unwise issuers

Significance This typifies a growing debt problem facing Sub-Saharan African (SSA) states borrowing in dollars: as local currencies depreciate on softening commodity prices, repayment costs soar -- threatening added costs of up to 10.8 billion dollars, according to the Overseas Development Institute. Impacts Currency effects on debt repayments will differ considerably between oil-producers inside the CFA franc zone and those outside, eg, Nigeria. SSA exchange rate risks posed by foreign-denominated sovereign bonds would be mitigated by future currency appreciation. Weak debt management capacity in SSA treasuries and lack of parliamentary budget offices reduces pressures that may restrain borrowing. Absent temporary consumption spikes, states are unlikely to reap lasting economic rewards where debt is used to fund recurrent expenditure.

Book Reviews

Robin Hodess of the Transparency International Secretariat reviews “Open Budgets: The Political Economy of Transparency, Participation, and Accountability”, by Sanjeev Khagram, Archon Fung, and Paolo de Renzio. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Eight papers explore the causes and consequences of fiscal transparency, participation, and accountability. Papers discuss the origins, sources of sustenance, and survival prospects of budget transparency in South Africa; accountability from the top down?—Brazil's advances in budget accountability despite a lack of popular mobilization; a mutually reinforcing loop—budget transparency and participation in South Korea; budget transparency and accountability in Mexico—high hopes, low performance; Guatemala—limited advances within advancing limits; the limits of top–down reform—budget transparency in Tanzania; the diversification of state power—Vietnam's alternative path toward budget transparency, accountability, and participation; and capturing movement at the margins—Senegal's efforts at budget transparency reform. Khagram is John Parke Young Professor of Global Political Economy, Diplomacy, and World Affairs at Occidental College and Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum. Fung is Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Citizenship with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. De Renzio is Senior Research Fellow with the International Budget Partnership, Research Associate at the Overseas Development Institute, and Research Associate at Oxford University.”