Enrique Mendizabal

Founder and Director

Enrique is OTT’s founder and executive director. He leads the development and delivery of OTT’s mission. Enrique has over 20 years of experience in the field of evidence informed policy. Before founding OTT in 2011 he worked for the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) where he headed the Research and Policy in Development programme. At ODI he co-founded the Outcome Mapping Learning Community. Enrique has co-founded various initiatives aimed at supporting better informed policymaking including Purpose & Ideas, the Peruvian Alliance for the Use of Evidence, the Latin American Evidence Week and the Premio PODER al Think Tank Peruano del Año.

From: Lima, Peru
Based: Barcelona, Spain
Languages: English, Spanish
Contact: [email protected]

Releated content

Partner diversification

Fostering global collaboration among think tanks

The promise and perils of AI in shaping tomorrow’s think tanks, policymakers and foundations

Case Study: AI-assisted synergy – research funders collaborate for maximum global impact

Case study: Revolutionising grantmaking – a foundation’s journey with AI

Case study: Think tanks pioneering in an AI-dominated landscape

Case study: AI avatars – tools of truth or instruments of intimidation?

Case study: Guided governance or controlled counselling?

Case study: The guided decision fallacy

Case study: The AI avatar mentorship programme

Case study: The AI-enhanced think tank

Case study: The AI-powered policymaker

Difficult choices for think tanks in the Southern Caucasus

The small think tank trap

Biggest challenges facing think tanks

Think tanks are taking notice of the canaries dying around them

How optimistic are thinktankers about the sector’s future?

Evidence-informed policy and corruption: a two-way street

Five findings on communicating complex ideas (revisited)

Watchdog think tanks

Local research for local problems – who gets the money?

Reimagining knowledge translation in the Global South: implications for practitioners and funders

Bridging text with context: knowledge translation in the Global South

Facilitating the African Education Research Funders Consortium

Facilitating collaboration between science granting councils and think tanks in West Africa for IDRC

Developing a collaborative learning agenda on policy labs for the Jacobs Foundation

Evaluation of the Collective Leadership and Global Learning for Community Impact initiative for Teach For All

Developing an internationalisation strategy for ACED

Thinktanking in the Caribbean: Damien King

Technocracy: its weakening of politics and possible solutions

Knowledge Translation in the Global South

Business model refresh for OIT/CINTERFOR

IDRC Call to Action on Scaling Impact communications support

Support for the Latin American Evidence Week from UNICEF

Mapping of think tanks and advice on how to support them for the Gates Foundation

Design and delivery of a grantee/partner consultation process for Luminate

Training on political party think tanks in Ecuador for UNDEF

Review of partnership models to support the use of evidence with Giving Evidence

A declaration on scaling impact from the Global South with IDRC

Strategy development for the Mawazo Institute

Communications and Uptake Plan for the FCDO GRSP Evaluation

Policy influence training for DGAP

Support for preparing Strategic Pathway Document for the Centre for Policy Dialogue

Y20 delegate training and development for the Misk Foundation

Designing a scientific advisory system for Peru for the British Council

International mapping of think tanks for the Robert Bosch Stiftung

INA and CIMC independent review in PNG

ScalingXchange for IDRC

Strategy exploration and design support for the Open Society Foundations

Developing an evidence base for public engagement with the Wellcome Trust

Mapping of research organisations for UNICEF

Executive Directors’ Retreat (ED Retreat) for OSF and TAI

Evaluation of IDRC’s contribution to Achieving Results at Scale

Research and evaluation of a think tank/thought leadership concept for the American Institute of Physics

Impact Stories for the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research

Social movements and think tanks

Strategic support to Centro Regional de Estudios de Energía (Cernergía)

Training on research communication for the University Nottingham

OTT-TTI Fellowship Programme

Support to the Think Tank Initiative Exchange (conference)

MOOC on communicating evidence

Communications strategy for the Peruvian Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS)

Communications training for the Ministry of Environment

Strategic review of the Sociedad de Investigación Educativa Peruana (SIEP)

Support to SENACYT on supporting think tank in Panama

Monitoring, evaluation and learning digital dashboard for IFAD

Zambia Economic Advocacy Programme

Electoral platforms: strengthening the capacities to influence the electoral cycle

Strengthening the financial sustainability of ILAIPP and its members

Evaluation of IDRC’s contribution to Achieving Results at Scale

Research support service for the Development Policy and Finance team at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The role of think tanks amidst political uncertainty I OTT Conference 2023 (Hosted by Chatham House)

Life after leading a think tank: how funders can support the transition

AI: Understanding your audience

Knowledge translation in the Global South: ChatGPT Q&A

ChatGPT: a game changer for the knowledge industry?

A course on evidence-informed policy

Think tanks and political uncertainty

AI: Challenges and opportunities for think tanks

Challenges and recommendations for evidence informed policy

Supporting think tanks: strategic thinking

Candid talk about funding: David Sasaki, Hewlett Foundation

Candid talk about funding: David Sasaki, Hewlett Foundation

The rise of the activist funder and hope for a more moderate 2023

Technical assistance to IPAR Senegal

Think tank funding: the outlook

Think tank state of the sector 2022: OTT Director Enrique Mendizabal reflects

Think tanks innovate amid COVID19

Playing the long game: politics, elite bargaining, and change over 20 years in Peru

Knowledge translation in the Global South: a new approach

Think tanks and social movements | OTT Conference 2022

Think tanks and political parties | OTT Conference 2022

Think tanks and the media | OTT Conference 2022

Think tanks and elections: Reflections and lessons on scaling impact across Latin America

Five characteristics to build a strong scientific advisory system

Business model refresh for OIT/CINTERFOR

IDRC Call to Action on Scaling Impact communications support

Support for the Latin American Evidence Week from UNICEF

Mapping of think tanks and advice on how to support them for the Gates Foundation

Design and delivery of a grantee/partner consultation process for Luminate

The future of think tanks

Think tanks and unions

Rose Abdollahzadeh, Director of Research Partnerships at Chatham House (video)

Training on political party think tanks in Ecuador for UNDEF

Review of partnership models to support the use of evidence with Giving Evidence

A declaration on scaling impact from the Global South with IDRC

Wailea Zülch, engagement manager at foraus (video)

Gala Díaz Langou, executive director at CIPPEC (video)

Melanie Rayment, director at the Australian Centre for Social Innovation (video)

Denisse Rodríguez Olivari, co-founder of Voceras (video)

Oswaldo Molina, executive director of Red de Estudios Para el Desarrollo (video)

Think tanks and impact investing: is there an opportunity?

Strategy development for the Mawazo Institute

Download, Presentations

Think tanks and impact investing: a guide for greater engagement

Science at the epicentre of Peru’s pandemic: a crisis of values

Communications and Uptake Plan for the FCDO GRSP Evaluation

The scalingXchange: introduction

Guiding principle 2: Optimal scale

Guiding principle 4: Dynamic evaluation

Guiding principle 3: Coordination

Guiding principle 1: Justification

Final session: remaining challenges in scaling science and practice

Learning from 2020: being global by engaging locally

New Peruvian think tanks. Part one: LidLab

Gustav Brauckmeyer, Executive Director, Equilibrium CenDE

Closing remarks with keynote listeners

An interview with Peter Da Costa

Policy influence training for DGAP

Diana Torres, principal researcher at URBES-LAB: on founding a new think tank

Rapid knowledge services: Research Support Team serving the Development Policy and Finance (DPAF) team at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Support for preparing Strategic Pathway Document for the Centre for Policy Dialogue

OTT Conference 2020, the 2nd online event: a report

Is there a role for think tanks in impact investing?

COVID-19: First survey results

COVID-19’s effect on think tanks in 10 headlines

On Think Tanks’ first COVID-19 survey

Y20 delegate training and development for the Misk Foundation

Designing a scientific advisory system for Peru for the British Council

How COVID-19 is affecting funding, and what think tanks and donors can do about it

On think tanks and technology

Responding to a pandemic: acting fast, being transparent, and moving online

On Think Tanks Conference 2020 online: a report

OTT Conference 2020, the first online event: a report

Times of crisis: what can think tanks and their funders do?

Opinion, Research

Call to action: Transforming research ‘excellence’ for the Global South and beyond

International mapping of think tanks for the Robert Bosch Stiftung

INA and CIMC independent review in PNG

ScalingXchange for IDRC

Reclaiming the think tank space in the 2020s

Strategy exploration and design support for the Open Society Foundations

Developing an evidence base for public engagement with the Wellcome Trust

Mapping of research organisations for UNICEF

Executive Directors’ Retreat (ED Retreat) for OSF and TAI

A report on the On Think Tanks Conference: Washington DC

Evaluation of IDRC’s contribution to Achieving Results at Scale

Should researchers get to pick who wins and who loses?

Domestic funding for social sciences: lessons for Peru

Research and evaluation of a think tank/thought leadership concept for the American Institute of Physics

On Think Tanks Conference 2019: a report

On public engagement

Impact Stories for the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research

The flaws in the ranking

Core funding unexpected (positives)

New ideological battlegrounds for think tanks

Core funding unexpected (negatives)

Social movements and think tanks

Talking evidence in Latin America: right on time?

Biased policy professionals and what to do about them

Where next for evidence and policy in post-Brexit Britain – according to British academics?

Ministers reflect: Ricardo Labó, former deputy minister for mining

Strategic support to Centro Regional de Estudios de Energía (Cernergía)

Training on research communication for the University Nottingham

OTT-TTI Fellowship Programme

Support to the Think Tank Initiative Exchange (conference)

What kind of donor is your donor?

Ministers reflect: “there isn’t a manual”

All have to be critical and creative consumers of research

What’s new in our understanding of how evidence influences policy? A view from Latin America

Chukwuka (Chuka) Onyekwena, Executive Director at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA)

Eugenia Kayitesi, Executive Director at IPAR-Rwanda

Communications as a sign of respect for knowledge

Strategies to tackle the future: the case of youth unemployment

Looking back at the 2018 OTT Conference

Is it all about credibility?

Rethinking the business model: the case of Espacio Público

Political and economic transition in Vietnam and its impact on think tank traditions

La transición política y económica en Vietnam y su impacto en el rol de los think tanks

Political and economic transition in Vietnam and its impact on think tank traditions

Russian think tanks and soft power

12 questions from thinktankers in 2017

MOOC on communicating evidence

Communications strategy for the Peruvian Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS)

Latin American Evidence Week: 10 emerging lessons

Communications training for the Ministry of Environment

Strategic review of the Sociedad de Investigación Educativa Peruana (SIEP)

Support to SENACYT on supporting think tank in Panama

Women, diversity and gender in policy research: an agenda

Working with governments: lessons from Latin America

Simonida Kacarska, Founder and Director of the European Policy Institute

Aminata Diop, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer at IPAR in Senegal

Funding models: the role of researchers

Cristina Bacalso, Research Coordinator at Youth Policy Labs

Dmytro Khutkyy, Head of e-Dem Lab at the Center for Innovations Development

Stella Utica, project manager at the Institutul de Politici Publice

Fajri Siregar, Executive Director at the Centre for Innovation Policy and Governance

How change happens and what can think tanks do about it?

The On Think Tanks team: Enrique Mendizabal

Monitoring, evaluation and learning digital dashboard for IFAD

How can think tanks be agents of social change?

Fayyaz Yaseen, Director Accountability Lab in Pakistan

Zambia Economic Advocacy Programme

Can think tanks ruled by the wealthy be really impartial?

Electoral platforms: strengthening the capacities to influence the electoral cycle

Strengthening the financial sustainability of ILAIPP and its members

Transparify Think Tank Integrity Check: a downloadable tool

Mobilising domestic funding for think tanks in developing countries: a way forward

Download, Presentations

Communications and advocacy for impact

Facing complex contexts? Five strategies for impact

The Transparify Think Tank Integrity Check

WinterSchool for Thinktankers 2017 – a report

Chinese and Latin American think tanks dialogue: Lima 2016

On Think Tanks End of Year 2016

First Dialogue between African and Spanish think tanks

Call for papers: Think tanks in action: a comparative perspective

Lessons from Latin America’s First Evidence Week

The 7 biggest problems facing scientists (in think tanks)

Setting up a think tank: step by step

“Pay-What-It-Takes Philanthropy”: a new approach for supporting think tanks

Opinion, Research

New Global Ranking of Think Tanks: is the Chinese version better?

How does a think tank policy come about? Lessons from China

Opinion, Research

The deliberative think tank: a function or an entirely new model?

What are the challenges that Chinese think tanks face?

Think Tanks in China: A Golden Age?

Bringing the debate home: International conferences as a strategy

Linking research and policy: thinktankers as boundary workers

How to avoid an all-male panel? Just try harder

What does it mean to be influential? The Institute for Fiscal Studies

Maghreb Economic Forum launches new Fellowship Programme for Tunisians

Aditi is now available in French

Thank you, Soapbox!

Think Tanks and Democratic Transitions

The New Philanthropists: Rohini Nilekani, Founder and Chairperson of Arghyam

A new face for On Think Tanks

The future of researchers

New organisational development grants from the Think Tank Fund

Think Tank Transparency: Transparify’s 2015 report is out

Aditi: a new resource on think tanks and for think tanks

Want to be relevant? Learn how politics work -and have fun in the process

Think Tanks Stress Test

Think Tanks Stress Test: a Forecasting Tool

New Aditi Bulletin: Insights into the relationship between think tanks and policymakers

Who funds think tanks? An excellent tool to find out

Helping to level the field: The Think Tank Hub Geneva

Recommendations for think tanks: How to attract and retain young talent?

Thinking Politics: Think Tanks and Political Parties in Latin America (English)

Thinking Politics: Think Tanks and Political Parties in Latin America (Spanish)

Communicating Complex Ideas: Translating research into practical social and policy changes

Do not dumb down you audience –or rather, how should think tanks affect policy chance?

#TTmethods – Session 3: Quantitative Survey Analysis

#TTmethods – Session 2: Researching think-tanks with social network analysis

#TTmethods – Session 1: Case studies, qualitative methods and diachronic perspectives

Day 4 of #TheExchangeRio

Day 3 of #TheExchangeRio

Day 2 of #TheExchangeRio

Project presentations: Think Tanks’ Business Models

Project presentations: Communications for Think Tanks

Project presentations: Performance Self-Assessment for Think Tanks

Day 1 of #TheExchangeRio

The agenda for #TheExchangeRio

Insights into the relationship between think tanks and policymakers

The international think tank: 10 ways to raise your profile and become a global player

What makes a great city for think tanks?

Researching a murky subject: definitions, questions, and methods

The next capacity development “thing”: Management for Researchers

What does the future of think tanks communications hold? A conversation with John Schwartz, Managing Director at Soapbox

Creating an enabling environment for philanthropy through tax incentives

Reporting on Progress: new lessons, risks and plans

Report on Progress: November 2014 to April 2015

Lessons on fostering collaboration: learning so far

How to break through the glass ceiling: supporting a new generation of think tanks and thinktankers

The future of think tanks in Africa: Trends to look out for

The Prospect 2015 Think Tank Awards: the winners and some reflections

Gamification: An opportunity for think tank networks

Women in think tanks series: lessons so far

Register for the 1st International Online Conference: Studying think tanks (September – October 2015)

Think Tanks and Universities: not just a communications’ partnership

First day of #TheExchangeQuito

Public events where policy arguments take center stage: Batalla de Ideas

A national ranking of influence: Chinese and American models

The Third Exchange Meeting: Quito

Addressing think tank transparency: one of the elephants in the room

The Think Tank Initiative’s Global Exchange 2015: an annotated guide

Domestic think tank funding: what can foreign donors do?

Collaborative Projects: Performance Self – Assessments for Think Tanks

The Think Tank Initiative Global Exchange: the elephants in the room

Collaborative Projects: Case studies for Communications Strategies

A quick and dirty “Transparify-like” assessment of US think tanks

Changes to our plans and recommendations for 2015: responding to the needs of the participants

How transparent are Spanish Think Tanks? A DIY rating with Transparify’s framework

Reporting on progress: what we did in 2014

Transparify.org

Communications as an Orchestra

Influencing efforts should affect their influencing objectives -and viceversa

2015: looking into a new year for On Think Tanks

Lessons from 2014

An initiative model for a plural think tank: a space of policy ideas

“Solution Aversion”: Denying a problem when you do not like the solution

The one billion dollar business: American think tanks

How to produce a public event

The School of Thinktankers: inspiring the leaders of the future

A quick and dirty Transparify-like analysis of Latin American think tanks

Transparify is about to begin rating think tanks transparency credentials

What happens when foreign donors leave (and they will)? Domestic funders wanted

Celebrating and learning about think tanks

Criticism or defamation?

Organisational change in think tanks: it takes more than great plans

What is a think tank? Defining the boundaries of the label

Think tanks and electoral processes: an opportunity that should not be missed

Day four of #TheExchangeJakarta

Day three of #TheExchangeJakarta

Day two of #TheExchangeJakarta

Day one of #TheExchangeJakarta

Collaboration challenges: lessons from the On Think Tanks Exchange

#TheExchangeJakarta: learning about collaboration from the On Think Tanks Exchange

Final Agenda for #TheExchangeJakarta Event

Is too much transparency a bit of a problem?

Learning about collaboration: The Exchange

Too much think, not enough tank?

Scenarios for the future of think tank support initiatives

Undue influence: what is it, how is it exerted, and how to address it in the future?

Think tank accountability: are they really just hired guns or is it slightly more complicated than that?

How to encourage researchers to publish more

How to influence a group of selfish agents? Lessons from sheepdogs

Reviewing the proposals

Think tanks should not be afraid to borrow money

The art of creating time: invest, don’t spend

A new political economy of research uptake: overview from studies in Latin America, Africa and Asia

Think Tank Initiative Evaluation: some ideas for the evaluators

Call for Proposals: Evaluation of Phase 2 of the Think Tank Initiative

Think tanks are on the agenda in India: Skills, Scale and Speed

Think tank rankings and awards: rigged, futile, or useful

Supporting think tanks: 5 ideas for action

National Think Tank Awards: Premio PODER 2014 in Peru celebrates innovation

A manifesto for research-policy funders: publish what you are funding and finding

On Think Tanks is 4 years old today

Two collaborative projects for The Exchange

Reporting on progress: recommendations

#dhakacomms workshop: Day 4

#dhakacomms workshop: Day 3

#dhakacomms workshop: Day 2

Reporting on progress: what we planned and what we did

#dhakacomms workshop: Day 1

What do policymakers want?

A quick and dirty “Transparify-like” assessment of the KSI think tanks

Think Tanks transparency: a new opportunity thanks to Transparify

A quick and dirty “Transparify-like” assessment of TTI think tanks

Setting up a think tank: step by step

Corporate interests and think tanks: an overview of current debates

Side event at the Meeting in Lima: On Ukraine

On the KSI pilot evaluation and lessons for the programme implementation

You may be proud of being ranked as a top think tank, but what about your staff?

Video of Think Tanks Data visualisations event

Fundraising should be fun… but it is also a very serious matter

The On Think Tanks Exchange: first meeting

Day four of #TheExchangeLima

A couple of notes on collaboration between think tanks

Day three of #TheExchangeLima

Day two of #TheExchangeLima

Final Agenda for #TheExchangeLima Event

Supporting think tanks series: synthesis of the think pieces and (possible) recommendations

Supporting think tanks series: synthesis of the think pieces – context related lessons

Better Sooner than Later: Addressing think tanks’ governance and management (Line management, staffing, and monitoring for management)

Better Sooner than Later: Addressing think tanks’ governance and management (Boards, Executive Directors, Senior Management Teams, and central services)

Better Sooner than Later: Addressing think tanks’ governance and management challenges to take full advantage of new funding and support opportunities

First Exchange: Lima, Peru

Barriers to Collaboration task for the First Event

Fair is Fair: on contracts and sub-contracts

How to fund think tanks? A few questions that may help decide

“People with competence, freedom, and responsibility are the key to success”

For think tanks, big is not always better

“People, not organisations, make for the best partners”

A few initiatives, not many projects, may be the secret to success

Resources for executive directors: competences, structure and tools

Book Review: ‘Think tanks in America’ by Thomas Medvetz

Monitoring and evaluation for management

Meet The On Think Tanks Exchange’s participants

New Year Resolutions

Meet The Exchange participants

Playing to the Gallery (and the uses of typologies)

Director transitions: Unavoidable and necessary

The applications are in… the results will follow soon

What is the point of the development sector? Unmediated support is the future

This year, instead of ranking think tanks lets think about them more carefully

Do not forget: apply to The Exchange by 30th November

On #datavis judging: Enrique Mendizabal’s advice

Think tank networks: the holy grail?

A workmance: Executive Directors and their Heads of Research or Policy

New offices for CGD: food for thought

Launching the On Think Tanks Exchange for collaboration between think tanks

Geoff Mulgan: How do think tanks think?

Premio PODER to the Peruvian Think Tank of the Year 2013: some lessons

For-profit think tanks and implications for funders

Request for Case Studies for Ray Struyk’s new book on Improving Think Tank Management

Launching the On Think Tanks Exchange for collaboration between think tanks

How to apply to be part of the On Think Tanks Exchange

Think tanks and Universities in Latin America: a research project

Quality control: a few options for think tanks

Think tanks and their key audiences: what do they have to say?

Learning about efforts to support better links between Politics and Ideas

Director’s profiles and how to replace them

The On Think Tanks Exchange

The future of think tank communications in Peru

Fred Carden, Lead Technical Advisor, Indonesia KSI (Part 2)

Fred Carden, Lead Technical Advisor, Indonesia KSI (Part 1)

Data visualisation competition: pen and paper may be good enough

Two disciplines that almost all think tanks lack: designers and philosophers

A case and a role for think tanks: India and Pakistan peace dialogue

Data visualisation competition for think tanks

How does the context affect think tanks? Lessons from China

How does the context affect think tanks? A few hypotheses and research questions

The Institute for Government: in Lima with Jill Rutter

How does the context affect think tanks?

Call for proposals: Think tanks and universities in Latin America

Monitoring and evaluation: Lessons from Latin American think tanks

Supporting think tanks series: Independent research within government

Supporting think tanks series: think pieces by practitioners

‘Tourist’ funders are unhelpful when supporting and evaluating think tanks

Politics and Ideas: a new think net

Calls for new national think tanks in Africa: one or many?

Think tank networks as government policy

Take the initiative: design your own support plans

WonkComms: the future of think tank communications

Call for evidence: a new way of doing research

Looking for success: 5 from the Think Tank Initiative

Strategic Plans: A simple version

Charging for content: can it be done?

Force Field Analysis: A cheaper and more useful alternative to ROI for a think tank

Educate the public: a forgotten function for think tanks?

Promoting density: a few good examples from Britain, the US, and Australia

Who is responsible for a think tank’s influence?

Think tanks and universities: a research project proposal

From non-renewable resources to unlimited knowledge

Think Tank Boards: Composition and Practices

Case study, Opinion

Think tank models of Zambia: Academic, Political, NGO, and Faith-based

A Zambian think tank start-up: a possible model

Zambia is the place to be for new ideas on think tanks

An alternative to funding domestic think tanks: bring out the big guns

Managing human and financial resources: a Ray Struyk masterclass

Research questions are not the same as policy questions

The density model: an alternative to trying to control the uncontrollable

Think tanks in Latin America: what are they and what drives them?

Research uptake: what is it and can it be measured?

A monitoring and evaluation activity for all think tanks: ask what explains your reach

An alternative to the supply, demand and intermediary model: competencies for all

What to do when governments’ political repression also erodes intellectual capacity

Corporate websites: do we need them?

2012 in review: some very interesting insights into the world of think tankers

End of year post: reflections and a future agenda

Politics, money, and think tanks: is it really a game changer?

Savior Mwambwa on think tanks in Zambia

Chinese think tanks: from windows to super highways

Intellectual independence: how to protect and strengthen it?

Chinese think tanks are more intellectually independent than you think

African Development Bank wants partnerships with leading think tanks; but is this the best way to support them?

Who should be the next director of the Overseas Development Institute?

Think Tank Initiative 2012 Exchange: How a digital strategy can enhance think tank management, research and communications

The politics of the evidence based policy mantra

Supporting think tanks to develop their communication capacities: organisations not projects

How to overcome the knowledge gap: study the rich

Quality control: who should be involved?

Supporting think tanks: Advice from the think tanks themselves

Paradox of Hoaxes: How Errors Persist, Even When Corrected

Educating (testing) the public

Even the mighty get it wrong: putting think tanks in their place

“A policy brief is a piece of paper. It doesn’t DO anything on its own”

A case for funding university-based/linked think tanks: more and better staff for others

Communication options for think tanks: channels and tools

Communication options for think tanks: channels and tools

Windows into the world: a think tank function

Fund like a “Secret Dragon”: some ideas on how to support think tanks

AusAID’s approach to revitalising the knowledge sector in Indonesia: a public discussion

Labels, frameworks and tools: do they stop us from thinking?

Middle East education reform think tank project

Communicating complex ideas: a book in progress

AusAid’s knowledge sector support programme for Indonesia

Prospect Magazine’s Think Tank of the Year Awards 2012: the winners

Who took the “think” out of think tanks? from The Berkeley Blog

How a digital strategy can enhance think tank management, research and communication

Hans Gutbrod: new head of the Think Tank Initiative

Day one of the Think Tank Initiative’s exchange (@TTIX2012)

To use social media effectively, think tanks have to behave differently

Digital think tanks

Developing research communication capacity: lessons from recent experiences

An RCT debate: Abhijit Banerjee versus Angus Deaton

Should think tanks register as lobbyists?

IDRC has been keeping ideas alive -literally

The art of exit: when closing down is an alternative

Prospect magazine Think Tank of the Year Awards 2012

Research based Evidence Advocacy guidebook by Young and Quinn

Experimentalism and development evaluation: Will the bubble burst?

An interesting think tank tactic: Policy Exchange’s Policy Fight Club

Add salt to your communications strategy

What keeps think tank directors up at night? reflections on funding, staffing, governance, communications and M&E

Capacity building: straight from the lion’s mouth

“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less”

K* (and * stands for what exactly?)

Have the social sciences failed us? Andrew Gamble says no

Avoiding Founder Failure: A few insights and tips relevant to think tanks

Competition on ideas? money? people? influence? names?

Twitter and think tanks in the UK

Brookings moving into India: is this the future for the developing world?

Shared reserves and emergency funds: a new way of thinking about core funding

Communications handbook for research programmes

Rohinton Medhora appointed incoming president of CIGI

Huw Davies: “When contextualised, research has the power to animate, inform, empower or infuriate”

Updated: Call for proposals for chapters on communicating complex ideas

Making Policy Better Series: Good Policy, Bad Politics

Spads: they exist everywhere but are hardly ever considered as target audiences

Helping think tanks work together: 10 recommendations for policy research consortia

Evaluating Communication Outputs

The Go to Think Tank Index: two critiques

Making Policy Better: The Randomisation Revolution – How far can experiments lead to better policy?

Challenges and Opportunities for Think Tanks and Advocacy Organisations in the Western Balkans Today

Celebrity academics: they do more than just advertise their own work

Groupthink: many lessons for think tanks

DFID’s new approach to long-term funding for think tanks

RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach: more useful when used to plan the whole policy research initiative

Revitalising Indonesia’s Knowledge Sector for Development Policy: the diagnostics

The think tank hub: a new model for supporting think tanks

Demand driven research: the new comfort zone

Influencing policy and practice: the long and complex road

The true value of science?

Social media visibility: does it have anything to do with size?

Understanding the demand for World Bank research within the Bank

Think tanks and political, economic, and social stability

What is in your think tank’s DNA?

Organisational Advocacy Tools

Organisational Assessment Tools

And the winner is: Brookings … but, once again, the loser: critical analysis

Is the idea of think tanks devalued? Tevy Troy thinks so

The Church and think tanks

A Latin American policy entrepreneur: Orazio Bellettini, Executive Director of Grupo FARO

Latin American think tanks: using knowledge to inform public policy

Happy Holidays from On Think Tanks!

Is religion a ‘no no’ for think tanks?

Looking for evidence in political debates: the case of GMOs in Zambia

Think tank event etiquette: getting the most out of an event

Think Tanks: At Work – 2010-2011 Think Tank Initiative Annual Report

Ideas for the next Head of the Think Tank Initiative (and other think tank funds), if I may

The mighty influence of think tanks (in the US)

A new idea: do not fund think tanks

Not evidence but arguments: translating evidence into policy in Ecuador

The limits of the scientific method and the need to merge science and innovation

CGD, the cult of ideas and policy change

Daniel Kahneman explains how cognitive illusions skew our thinking (about think tanks’ influence?)

Think tanks working on climate change governance

Grow more food for thought

Learning from think tanks?

Official post from Prospect’s Think Tank Awards 2011

A new think tank model for higher quality, independence and transparency

A guide to using Twitter in university research, teaching, and impact activities

A Framework for Improving Performance

Self-Assessment Toolbox

How important are the source and the motivation to pursue an idea?

I worked at a think tank. I didn’t have time to think

Politics not metrics can tell us what works

Prospect Magazine Think Tank Awards 2011

Harvard Business Review Insight Center: Communication

Think Tanks, politics and the media in Latin America (in spanish)

Can think tanks make a difference? only if they are capable of logical leaps of the mind

Think tanks transparency and Twitter accounts

When influence can be a bad thing: “think tanks are crushing our democracy”

Organisational Assessments: a useful alternative to evaluations

The Policy Entrepreneur: Simon Maxwell (Part 2)

Open innovation and being there communications

The taxi driver test: a new way of testing the relevance, usefulness, and stickiness of your policy recommendations

‘Shares’ as an indicator of influence

‘Think tanks are becoming bland’

A new think tank model: a focus on productive sectors

The Standard: Africa home to only 2.3 per cent world’s researchers

Working Papers are NOT Working

Misinformation and its consequences

‘I predict a riot’ -and then explain it

An underappreciated benefit of experiments: convincing politicians when their pet projects don’t work

Got resources? Think tank them

Center for Global Development: A new transparency policy

Making the most of social media: Liz Carlile

In praise of Twitter: 5 ways in which it can help think tanks (filter, announce, search, network and argue)

Impact of Social Sciences: Maximizing the impact of academic research

Information Dissemination: Think Tanks, the Media, and the Future of Ideas Distribution

Getting Better at Strategic Communication advice from RAND

Recommendations for good policymaking from the Institute for Government -how can think tanks help?

Never mind the gap: on how there is no gap between research and policy and on a new theory (Part 3 of 3)

The Policy Entrepreneur: Simon Maxwell (Part 1)

Never mind the gap: on how there is no gap between research and policy and on a new theory (Part 2 of 3)

What is influence? – a view from Onalytica

Speed Dating for think tanks: how to meet your future partner?

Never mind the gap: on how there is no gap between research and policy and on a new theory (Part 1 of 3)

A good example of think tank transparency

Think Tanks and Policy Advice in Countries in Transition

Impact evaluations, research, analysis… what is the difference?

To go public or not to go public… How to decide if it is time to adopt a new communication approach?

3ie, impact evaluations and policy influence

What is the role of the intelligence services? And think tanks?

An unlikely path to aid: Paying to set up think tanks – Doug Saunders

Think tanks: research findings and some common challenges

Independence, dependency, autonomy… is it all about the money?

15 Tips for Effective Communication -from Philanthropy411 Blog

What makes a successful policy research organisation in a developing country? Review of Ray Struyk’s latest paper

How to influence difficult publics? Lessons from the Chilean media

Evaluating a think tank from the AEA365 (but should we?)

Theories of change: an annotated review of documents and views

Ideology trumps facts -but facts still matter

A great purpose statement for a think tank -honest and realistic

Mexico’s public think tanks’ network: support the system

For the 21st Century think tank: mobile data collection and research tools

Research and policy links in Australia

Corruption free think tanks

Policy analysis and influence: researchers or communicators?

Developing the capacity of your organisation: river diagram

When evidence will not make a difference: motivated reasoning

The ‘Top Think Tanks’ in the World commentary from AFRICA IS A COUNTRY

Battle of Ideas Festival -evidence versus argument

Barriers to sharing from Chris Collison

How to organise and present a think tank’s research

How to present research

Somewhat of a milestone for onthinktanks

Is everything from the ‘North’ bad for the ‘South’?

Think tank directories and lists

“Sea Turtles” or “returnees” behind China’s think tank growth

A ‘punchy’ think tank debate

Value for money

Evo, think tanks and policy in Bolivia

Different ways to define and describe think tanks

Support resource mobilisation to get impact – Dan Pallotta

Think tanks and policy makers in Argentina

How to make sense of complexity to identify research and influencing opportunities

Why Think Tanks are More Effective than Anyone Else in Changing Policy

Evaluation reading list, contacts and resources

The rise of conservative think tanks in the U.S. marketplace of ideas

How think tanks change public policy – the Overton Window of Political Possibility

Handbook on monitoring, evaluating and managing knowledge for policy influence

Vínculos entre conocimiento y política

An introductory guide to evidence based influence -but don’t forget the context

on Monitoring and Evaluating Influence

More on monitoring and evaluating influence

UK think tanks and policy landscape

Bruce Bartlett on Think Tank Politicisation | and think tanks and the media

An agenda for 2011: onthinktanks

Open innovation: TED Fellows

After the uprising Egypt will need solutions: bring in the think tanks

Observations: The line between science and journalism is getting blurry….again

Goran’s recommendations on think tank rankings

Another year, another ranking of think tanks (and surprise surprise, Brookings is still the best)

Good advice on effective influencing (even if it may have been all made up)

On the importance and roles of think tanks, India

Once again, think tank debate from India

On some of Goran’s musings

Science limits our policy options -an event from the Institute of Ideas

Conformity and groupthink: a tool for think tanks or a danger?

On measuring the cost effectiveness of think tanks

Think tanks in East and Southeast Asia

Independent thinking, but at What Price? – Brookings Institution

Whose money is it anyway? think tanks and the public: an Indian debate

The Think Tank Initiative 2010 annual report

why are there no think tanks here?

On success from TED by Alain de Botton

On the formation and support of think tanks

Ezra Klein – Giving is personal. Make it political.

Mapping the world of higher education – Danish Development Research Network

On rankings

Contribution analysis by John Mayne

On the definition of think tanks: Towards a more useful discussion

Literature Review on Rates of Return to Research

Too little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Right Thinking, Big Grants, and Long-term Strategy

Brains for hire: the think tank

on evaluating think tanks (for evaluative thinking)

on the definition of think tanks

on networks

on the business model and how this affects what think tanks do

on charging for content

On the origin of think tanks -newspapers

On the hard choices think tanks must make

on independence