Impact Global Location: Tonga

REF impact found 4 Case Studies

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Boosting poor households’ incomes through temporary worker schemes in the Pacific

Summary of the impact

Thousands of poor rural workers from 11 island states in the Pacific have benefited from the findings of twin research programmes led by Alan Winters of the University of Sussex — one on small island economies and one on the temporary mobility of labour. New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employers Scheme (RSE), which welcomes workers from poor Pacific Islands for the agricultural season, is a direct outcome of his research. Winters was also instrumental in designing and implementing the RSE in a way that permitted formal evaluation and which has become an exemplar of good practice. The evaluation shows that households in Vanuatu and Tonga benefiting from the scheme have experienced average increases in income of 35-40 per cent.

The RSE has been described by World Bank staff as `among the most effective development projects ever evaluated'. Persuaded by the positive evaluation, the Australian government has overcome longstanding reservations and introduced a nearly identical scheme, which is potentially much larger. The RSE also inspired the imaginative US response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, providing 1,000 temporary visas for unskilled Haitian workers. And Winters' research on temporary labour mobility and the RSE underpins developing countries' efforts to start serious negotiations on the issue in the WTO's Doha Round of trade negotiations.

Submitting Institution

University of Sussex

Unit of Assessment

Economics and Econometrics

Summary Impact Type

Economic

Research Subject Area(s)

Economics: Applied Economics
Studies In Human Society: Demography

Optimising recovery and adherence to treatment in patients with major physical health problems

Summary of the impact

Poor treatment adherence and self-management are universally recognised as major problems across all illnesses. Research at Kings College London (KCL) has resulted in new ways of assessing, investigating and improving these problems. These are now achieving widespread impact through the highly successful commercial organisation Atlantic Healthcare, which provides medication adherence and patient support programmes on a global scale. These programmes, which are now reaching patients with over 50 major medical conditions in a large number of countries, are very solidly based on the findings from KCL research.

Submitting Institution

King's College London

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Clinical Sciences, Public Health and Health Services
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences: Psychology

Strengthening international policy engagement with the educational priorities of small states

Summary of the impact

International engagement with the education policy priorities of small states has been significantly strengthened and reshaped since 2009 by research and subsequent activities undertaken by the Education in Small States Research Group at the University of Bristol. Small states have historically been marginalized from international policy debates and agendas. Their unique educational priorities have often not been reflected in international deliberations, goals and priorities for education. This research has significantly strengthened macro-level international policy engagement with the educational priorities of small states. This is evidenced by changes in policy priorities, strategic plans, funding streams, on-going interventions, new research initiatives, and government ministry support for small states provided by leading international agencies including the Commonwealth, UNESCO, The World Bank and national policy makers. The reach of impact is therefore evidenced across global, regional and national levels.

Submitting Institution

University of Bristol

Unit of Assessment

Education

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration, Sociology

POL03 - Thinking and working politically: changing development policy and practice

Summary of the impact

Adrian Leftwich's work has made a decisive contribution to changing the way that decision-makers understand `politics' in development policy and practice. Specifically, Leftwich contributed to a step change in the UK Department for International Development's (DfID) approach to the governance agenda, from a narrow technocratic focus on administrative capacity—formal structures and rules—to a much broader conceptualisation of governance as a political process. His `thinking and working politically' framework, encompassing leadership, coalitions and political economy analysis, has shaped the thinking, not only of DfID, but also the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and major international NGOs.

Submitting Institution

University of York

Unit of Assessment

Politics and International Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration, Political Science

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