The Challenges of Doing Development Research Consulting in the Pacific: From pre-departure to fieldwork and back in the office

Abstract

One of the major objectives of good governance is the establishment of stronger and more effective links between science and policy. This is of particular concern in developing countries, which are in the process of building up their research infrastructure. This article explores the various challenges and pitfalls of conducting a research consultancy for an intergovernmental organization in five countries in the Pacific region. Three major periods of the research project cycle are discussed, including some of the difficulties experienced at each of the stages. The article begins by examining some of the initial pre-departure roadblocks, followed by problems that arose ‘in the field’, and finally, the implications and outcomes of the project.