e-Risalah USIM - Edisi Disember 2022

DISEMBER 2022 18 | Translating Research Findings Into Policy & Practice: Appraisals From Expert Academic And Policymaker P olicy papers are critical analyses of specific issues or problems that involve research, policy proposals and enforceable strategies for addressing the identified issues or problems. Academic researchers are usually familiar with the standard research processes, which are to design and conduct quality research and subsequently to disseminate relevant findings through peer- reviewed conference presentations and publications. The process of developing high quality policy papers via research, however, is no easy task. There is a long and continual cycle involved, from identifying the underlying problem to formulating a policy paper with a specific subject matter to solving it, and observing the implementation of the recommendations and reviewing them for further improvements. Recognising the challenges around the capacity of our academics to shape and impact policy, policy choices and actions in light of their increasingly active involvement in securing and implementing international and national- level research grants and consultations, the Faculty of Syariah and Law, USIM, through the Office of the Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) conducted a half-day workshop entitled “Policy Talk: Translating Research into Policy” on 15 September 2022 at the Faculty of Syariah and Law, USIM. Dr Farah Nini Dusuki, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, who has extensive experience as an academic research consultant working with governmental and various UN agencies, was the first guest speaker. She spoke from her wealth of experience about pathways from research findings to policy and practice. The second guest speaker, Dr Norazam Mohd Noor, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Public Security of Malaysia (IPSOM), Ministry of Home Affairs, explored the fundamentals and practical tips on how to produce evidence-based and solution-driven policy papers that are attuned to relevant national and international policies. Dr Farah Nini highlighted in her presentation the need for researchers to determine the available pathways and strategies in order to undertake research that can be effectively converted into policy and practice. Pathways essentially refer to tracks or ways of achieving a specified result. In contrast, policy is a planned collection of guidelines, judgments, and actions that lead to a sensible end or the practical implementation of an idea. The first available pathway is through research projects, which are often funded by numerous agencies and institutions. The second being consultancy projects, which are associated with having a By Dr. Rodziana Mohamed Razali In Our Words Diagram 1: Cycle of policy making