Research > Guidelines

Guidelines for DFID Education Department Sponsored Research

In conducting your research, please remember that, although this research is being sponsored by DFID, you cannot represent or act on behalf of DFID.

It is nevertheless important to be aware of how your research relates to DFID policy in the countries in which you will be working. DFID Education Department will therefore make sure that you have the relevant Country Strategy Papers, as well as other documents that may be pertinent (eg publications from Social Development Department, Evaluation Department etc).

Please contact the relevant Senior Education Adviser (SEA) responsible for the countries where you will be working in the early stages of your research. We will advise you of who this is. S/he may refer you onward to specific country level advisers, but the SEA should be the first point of contact.

They will try to make themselves available for initial briefing, which can include advice on politically or culturally sensitive issues, local protocol and procedures (including rates of pay), approaches to key institutions and key Ministry contacts, etc. They may be able to advise you on whom should be involved in launch meetings, but we regret that our offices are not able to provide logistic or administrative help in setting up or organising meetings. Depending on their location and availability, such advice may be given face-to-face or by e-mail or telephone.

You should check before you leave UK on procedures for getting authorisation for doing your research, taking into account that DFID can advise, but cannot negotiate, this for you. You should expect to carry through procedures of similar rigour to those you would expect when negotiating a research contract with an LEA or national body in the UK.

Please also give the Senior Education Adviser and Country Adviser adequate notice (at least 1 month) of any visit so that they can advise you about any potential clash with other research meetings, key events, visiting missions, public holidays, etc.

Please be aware that, in many of the countries with whom we work, serious attempts are being made to limit the number of agency 'demands' on Ministry of Education and other officials. A particular manifestation of the problem is the chronic overload of agency funded workshops and seminars, taking officials away from their desks. Your research programme potentially adds to the burden, particularly at the dissemination stage. So, be aware of the issue and innovative in your response to it.

We intend including narratives from the quarterly reports on the Research page of our website, and will inform you as soon as this is operational.