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What think tanks do? A view from India | on think tanks
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What think tanks do? A view from India
by Enrique Mendizabal on August 8, 2014
F O L L O W BL O G V IA E M AIL
[Editor's note: this post w as w ritten by Neeta Krishna, Associate
Professor, Father C Rodrigues Institute of Management Studies,
Navi Mumbai. It is part of a series of articles commissioned by
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the Aiditi project at CSTEP w hich aims to capture information/
anecdotes/data from various Think Tanks. The main objective of
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Aditi is to discuss institutional issues of common interest such as
funding, human resources, research capacity, institutional issues
of policy research etc.]
The first part of this three part series presented a historical
perspectiv e on Think Tanks with an emphasis on Think Tanks in India and South Asia. This
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post ex plores the areas in which Think Tanks work and the activ ities they engage in.
For the reader who is considering a career in a Think Tank, this article may prov ide some insight into
life in a Think Tank.
SE AR CH T H IS SIT E
For leaders and members of Think Tanks, especially emerging ones, discussion
on and ex amples of Think Tank activ ities intends to stimulate introspection for taking their own
organizations ahead.
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In Michael Scherer’s article in the Time Magazine, the Centre for American Progress is v ariously
called an ‘Idea Factory ’, an ‘Action Tank’ and a ‘Think Tank on Steroids’! This powerful imagery
accurately captures the sometimes ov erlapping spaces of Ideas and Action that Think Tanks occupy .
On Think Tanks Ev ents
The label ‘Think Tank’ embraces a div erse set of policy research organizations. Some are big, some
small, some operate in narrow and specific areas; others hav e wider domains. Some follow no
particular ideological agenda, claiming they engage in open-minded enquiry ; others hav e specific
ideological v alues. Some are pure research institutions; others attempt to influence public policy by
adv ocating specific policy options, and lobby with law makers and gov ernments. Some ev en engage
in activ ism, undertaking specific actions to bring change.
Different Think Tanks do different things. Y et there are some core functions and activ ities common
to most Think Tanks, which are discussed in this post.
What Think Tanks Do
As discussed abov e some Think Tanks operate in wide domains, others in v ery specific areas. A
measure of this can be had from their V isions and Mission statements and objectiv es, for ex ample:
Social Policy and Dev elopment Centre – SDPC (Pakistan) – Contribute to national economic and
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social dev elopment policies and programmes to make them more accountable, pro-poor,
com pilation of the 2013-14
engendered and equitable
com petition
Centre for Civ il Society - CCS (India) – Adv ancing personal, social, economic and political
freedoms
Think Tank Functions and Activities
Within their chosen domains Think Tanks identify particular areas to focus their work on. CCS for
ex ample, with its aim of adv ancing political freedoms, has chosen to focus its activ ities on reforms in
the education sector and in ‘bringing economic freedom to the enterprising poor.’
Some activ ities like Research and Adv ocacy , are common to most of Think Tanks. Ty pical Think
Tank activ ities and functions are discussed below, under different heads grouped in two categories
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as:
1 . IDEAS-Activ ities that result in the creation and dissemination of useful ev idence-based
knowledge, ideas and tools in the Think Tank’s domain. These activ ities include research,
organizing conferences and dialogues, storage and dissemination of knowledge resources.
2. ACTION-Activ itieslike capacity building, training, adv ocacy , consulting-relating to what a
Think Tank does with the ideas and knowledge generated with an intent to bring change.
In reality the activ ities under different heads are interconnected and often ov erlap. Many Think
Tanks focus their efforts in an Ideas group, while others mov e bey ond Ideas into Action.
IDEAS–creation, storage and dissemination of useful evidence-based knowledge, ideas and tools
Research is the defining activ ity of Think Tanks. It forms the back-bone of their knowledge and idea
generation role. On the basis of research, Think Tanks conduct analy sis, generate ev idence, ideas,
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opinions and recommendations. There is much div ersity in the ty pe of research undertaken by
Com m unicating Com plex
different Think Tanks.
Ideas book
The research could be based on open-minded enquiry with no underly ing ideology behind it.
Brookings, for instance, claims its 300 researchers represent div erse points of v iew. Research may
be conducted to v alidate an ideology or v iewpoint a Think Tank holds. Either way , credible and
AUT H O R S
robust research, conducted well and untainted by ideological biases adds to knowledge, leading to
better informed public policy . Think Tank research may be based on data from primary or
Adrián Lauer
secondary sources. As the ex amples below illustrate, research undertaken by Think Tanks pertains
Andrea Ordónez
to public issues, which would be well serv ed by informed public policy :
Andrea Moncada
Bangladesh Institute of Dev elopment Studies BIDS (Bangladesh)-Estimating Cost of Food
Security in the Contex t of Climate Change in Bangladesh
Frazer Institute (Canada)-201 4 released a research based report on the relationship between
Economic Freedom and two env ironmental indicators of air quality , based on data from more
than a hundred countries ov er ten y ears
Clara Richards
Sandrine Ebakisse
Hans Gut brod
Jeff Knezovich
Leandro Echt
Nick Scot t
Field level Research & Analysis is often done in association with other agencies like NGOs, though
some Think Tanks do it themselv es. CCS, championing the theme of freedom, and hav ing focused on
freedom in school choice, ran a three y ear program distributing school v ouchers to girls of school
going age (an ex periment in education policy ). A y ear after commencement of the project, CCS
commissioned another agency to conduct an ev aluativ e study . Ground lev el data collected in
studies like these, if credible, informs policy makers of the likely effects of adopting such a policy .
Caroline Cassidy
Pet er da Cost a
Enrique Mendizabal
richarddarlingt on
St ephen Y eo
Tomás Garzón de la Roza
Think Tanks also undertake research on the impact of a particular policy and/or program. Public
Melissa Julian
Affairs Centre (India), for instance, is study ing the impact in Bangalore, of the Indian gov ernment’s
policy decision to merge all prev ious child protection policies under a one umbrella scheme. The
research findings will help policy makers understand gaps in implementation before the policy is
CAT E GO R IE S
rolled out across the country .
Select Category
Research and knowledge generation is sometimes undertaken in partnership with other institutions
or companies with some common interests who see some alignment between their goals and those of
the Think Tank. These partnerships prov ide resources, ex pertise and often a greater sense of
purpose. Dev elopment Alternativ es (India) has listed the Holcim Foundation (created by Holcim
Ltd) as a strategic partner.
Conceptual Models for practical application, based on research, hav e been dev eloped by sev eral
Think Tanks. Multi-v ariate models through which decision makers can assess the likely impact of a
policy choice under different scenarios hav e also been dev eloped by Think Tanks. Model building is
a complex task and requires ex pertise, resources, and testing against reality . If the models are
sound, they can prov ide a huge v alue for good decision making in public policy . For ex ample:
T AGS
Africa articles A sia capacity
dev elopm ent Ch in a CIPPEC
communication
communications Data
Visualisation donors EBPDN
evaluation ev en t s evidence
funding GDNet Grupo Faro ideas
IDRC Impact independence In dia
In don esia
Influence knowledge
Latin America learning M&E
management media Nick Scott
CSTEP has dev eloped Decision Analy sis for Research and Planning (DARPAN), a user-
ODI online Per u policy Politics
interactiv e computer application to enable multiple policy makers to simulate and ev aluate the
RAPID
impact of their policy choices and take inv estment decisions.
Scorecards and other measurement tools: Some Think Tanks hav e dev eloped scorecards and
measurement tools for assessment in their areas of interest. These are v ery v aluable to assess the
current situation, impact of changes in public policy etc. For ex ample:
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research
research
communication Sou t h A sia Staff
strategy
Think Tank
Think Tank Fund Think
Tank
Initiative think tanks
T r a n spa r en cy t w it t er UK US
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PAC (India) has dev eloped a Citizen Report Card (CRC) a tool to prov ide public agencies with
Tweets
sy stematic feedback from users of public serv ices.
Enrique Mendizabal
@onthinktanks
TERI (India) dev eloped GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), which was
adopted as the national rating sy stem for green buildings by the Gov ernment of India in 2007
Dialogue, Know ledge Sharing and Exchange of Ideas through Seminars, Conferences etc.
Knowledge and idea creation is not the preserv e only of research. To stimulate thinking, idea
generation and ex change, the best Think Tanks engage in a v irtuous loop of collaborativ e knowledge
6h
The challenge of communicating
with different actors: is
segmentation a good investment
for think tanks?
wp.me/pYCOD-1B1
Show Summary
creation through knowledge sharing, dialogues, and discussions. In fact, research questions and
Enrique Mendizabal
@onthinktanks
agendas themselv es are often shaped and refined at conferences organized at the beginning of a
research project.
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Think Tank might organize conferences for ex perts in a field to ex change v iews or discuss and debate
Should think tanks sue their
critics? Should they be sued for
providing poorly researched
advice?
cato.org/blog/people-sh…
an issue or policy ; or presentations, lectures or interactiv e sessions by ex perts to those who seek to
Show Summary
The ex change of knowledge and ideas at seminars and conferences could take different forms. A
learn from them. Conferences are also held to present and discuss research findings at the end of a
Think Tank Watch
@ThinkTankWatch
research, in order to make meaning out of a research. They could ev en inv olv e stake-holders who
may not be ex perts.
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Sometimes the dialogue at conferences is between people or parties with opposing v iewpoints, and
seeks to build, if not a consensus, at least more inclusiv e decision making. Obv iously any
T O P P O ST S & P AGE S
interaction between well-meaning and informed indiv iduals could result in positiv e ideas and ev en
action.
Think Tank Initiativ e Ev aluation:
som e ideas for the ev aluators
March 201 4-Regional Centre for Strategic Studies RCSS (Sri Lanka) co-hosted with Peaceboat, a
round table conference on Building a Nuclear Free World
Adv ice to Think Tank Startup: do not
do it alone
The Jinnah Institute (Pakistan) along with Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (India) held
Topic Page: Think tank funding
the Delhi Dialogue III (4th of the dialogues between the two countries) as part of an India-
Com m unicating com plex ideas: the
Pakistan Track II diplomacy (i.e. not through formal channels) initiativ e, seeking to promote
book
peace through constructiv e engagement and dialogue, between the two neighbors who hav e an
About
unfortunate history of conflict and suspicion.
Conferences may also be organized by Think Tanks in partnership with policy makers and/or
international organizations like the UN and its arms. Apart from other benefits, this could indicate
that policy makers recognize the importance of a public issue under discussion, and the ability of the
Think Tank to bring v alue in resolv ing it.
Know ledge Resource Centers, Know ledge Dissemination, Communication Almost all Think Tanks
engage in documentation and publication of research findings, articles and papers, conference
proceedings, reports, policy briefings, tool-kits and books. The wide spread use of computers and
the internet hav e enabled these knowledge resources to reach a much wider audience, through
podcasts, blogs and resources hosted on their web-sites.
Many Think Tanks make their research papers and research findings relativ ely av ailable freely on
their web-sites. Some tailor their communications to appeal to different ty pes of audiences, not just
the intellectual elite. Their web-sites look liv ely and attractiv e. Many host learning resources that
will engage and educate lay persons, and encourage them to participate in a cause. This is especially
so for Think Tanks which work in areas where public policy needs to be bolstered by public response
(for ex ample env ironmental sustainability , human dev elopment).
Communication to Engage Citizens: Some Think Tanks also look for way s to engage members of the
public, the real beneficiaries of good public policy . For this the first step is communication, a task
made easier for some target groups through the increasing use of computers and the internet. Many
Think Tanks hav e a section in the web-site for v olunteers, donors and others interested in its cause.
Some publish a periodic newsletter, and some, like CSE, CCS and Brookings Institution use blogs to
increase the reach of their work.
CSE publishes a v ery engaging env ironmental reporting magazine for students, cheekily , though
v ery appropriately titled ‘Gobar Times’.
Gobar (Hindi)-Meaning-Cow dung, has many uses including manure (instead of chemical
fertilisers), fuel, insulation, anti-bacterial wall and floor plaster, and as an ingredient in some
Hindu religious rituals.
This section discusses how Think Tanks use knowledge, ex pertise and ex perience from research and
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other idea generation activ ities to promote the change needed in public policy .
ACTION – Putting Knowledge & Ideas to Use
Building Capacity through Education and Training:Think Tanks engage in education and training to
share knowledge and dev elop skills and ex pertise in their area of operations. This is a v ery v aluable
function, which Think Tanks can and must ex ecute,because of the ex pertise they possess in a
particular area.
Capacity building happens at different lev els. At one lev el, ex pertise is built within the Think Tank, as
its researchers are ex posed to multiple learning opportunities through the research they do,
participation in conferences, dialogues and interaction with established ex perts. At another lev el,
by inducting and guiding interns and researchers for specific research programs; many offer
fellowships and research grants; some ev en offer degrees. This creates a pool of ex perts in the field
with the skills required to research and analy ze a public issue and adv ocate or ex ecute a policy
choice.
Some Think Tanks also offer short-term training programs for functionaries who deal in public issues
and public policy . Sev eral Think Tanks also offer learning programs to members of civ il society so
they are better informed and motiv ated to seek good public policy . The Frazer Institute (Canada),
for instance, conducts free seminars to enable post-secondary students to ex plore current public
policy issues. Some ex amples include:
Institute of Economic Growth (India) trains probationary officers of the Indian Economic
Serv ice in techniques of economic analy sis, policy analy sis, and planning.
The Institute for Policy Studies (Sri Lanka) has conducted workshops for members of Sri Lanka’s
Prov isional Councils to improv e Serv ice Deliv ery and budgeting for pro-poor growth and
dev elopment.
There are sev eral tools and media through which Think Tanks adv ocate ev idence-based policy
choices. Some of these include sharing research papers and policy briefs to policy makers, putting
them up on their web-site, hosting conferences for influencers of policy or ev en activ ely lobby ing
for change. Without effectiv e adv ocacy , research efforts may not y ield the required change in policy
or behav ior.
Advocacy: Think Tanks conduct research so that there is informed public policy , formulated on the
basis of ev idence. The ev idence, arguments and recommendations that research produces would be
of use if presented effectiv ely and appropriately so that they are heard by policy makers and other
influencers of public policy , including members of civ il society . This process of effectiv e
communication of findings, arguments, recommendations and perhaps, options, is, by and large,
what Adv ocacy by Think Tanks is all about.
Skills required for effectiv e adv ocacy do not automatically co-ex ist with research skills, and may
hav e to be dev eloped both at the lev el of indiv idual researchers and the organization.
Some adv ocacy ex empts include:
ICRIER (India) publishes a policy series- research papers with policy recommendations.
BRAC (Bangladesh) uses innov ativ e approaches such as interactiv e performance theatre and
community / courty ard meetings to mobilise communities at the grassroots lev el.
Activism & Outreach: A few Think Tanks with specific action agendas go bey ond adv ocacy to taking
concerted action to mobilize opinion and influence decision making in policy , by inv olv ing citizens
in their campaigns.Sometimes research is commissioned by policy makers and adv ocacy efforts may
be less v isible or public. When Think Tanks seek to bring change, battling resistance from different
sources like gov ernment inertia, prev ailing social customs, established power relationships, they
may need to indulge in adv ocacy more forcefully and v isibly .
The research design of some Think Tanks is what they call Action Research, dedicated to creating
solutions – designing and ex ecuting-in their area of operations. An ex ample of action research is:
Dev elopment Alternativ es (Sustainable liv elihoods) generates economic opportunities for
people in rural communities using local resource and, innov ativ e technology solutions.
Some Think Tanks prov ide assessment and consulting serv ices, often for a fee. Such fee based
serv ices bring money resources to the Think Tank, and could also prov ide a measure of the v alue
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receiv ed by the client from the serv ice.
Expertise, Advice, Consulting: Leading Think Tanks attract intellectuals and ex perts in different
fields, as leaders and members. These include retired high ranking former gov ernment officials with
wide ex perience and ex pertise in policy making and implementation, motiv ated to bring change.
Think Tanks also build their own team of ex pertise which makes their powerhouses with specific
competencies, whose ex perts are sought to serv e on ex pert panels, committees, working-groups, as
resource persons in policy relev ant conferences, and as consultants and ex perts on specific
projects. They also influence policy in a more direct way by serv ing as adv isors or members of
adv isory councils set up for policy rev iew and change.
Pream ble to the third part
This post focused on the activ ities and functions of Think Tanks leav es many unanswered questions
and raises many more. What makes a Think Tank effectiv e? What challenges do they face? How
should they be managed? What kind of relationship must they hav e with funders, with Policy makers,
with media? How important is it for them to partner with other institutions? How do they establish
credibility giv en that their outputs are largely intellectual and not phy sical? Some of these questions
will be addressed in the third part of this series dealing with Think Tank Effectiv eness.
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