Issue 42,

August 2008

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This is a summary of an article by Chih Hoong Sin

Knowledge brokers — the people who bridge the gap between the producers and users of knowledge — are well-known for their role as intermediaries in putting research results into policy and practice. To date, most of the literature on knowledge brokering has examined the roles of brokers as consultants in the public sector. But important lessons can be gleaned from the private sector, too. In a 2008 article published in Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, Chih Hoong Sin shares lessons from five distinct consultancy approaches: cross-pollinators, matchmakers, translators and processors, multiple dissemination routes, and articulators of user perspectives.

Five roles of intermediaries

“Cross-pollinators” have ties to many sectors and can often see opportunities to share useful information among these sectors. However, this type of brokering comes with its own set of challenges: new knowledge tends to stay in the environment where it was created, and it can be difficult for a cross-pollinator to identify which parcels of knowledge could be of use to another sector.

“Matchmakers” are brokers who, like cross-pollinators, bring knowledge creators and knowledge users together. They are often asked to facilitate workshops between different sectors in order to foster mutual agreement and understanding. A matchmaker will also help build useful and strong relationships between potential partners. Using a matchmaker can be extremely beneficial, but also presents possible pitfalls. Matchmakers can sometimes spread themselves too thin between too many clients, or they can remain overly focused on a too-small group of clients, thereby limiting new sources of knowledge.

Knowledge brokers who are “translators and processors” interpret and adapt information from one sector so that it is clear and useful to another sector. However, translating and adapting new knowledge is a tough job: the greater the differences between the two sectors, the harder it is to translate information while keeping it compelling.

Brokers who use “multiple dissemination routes” employ different strategies, not just the written word, to get new knowledge put into practice.

Brokers who consider themselves to be “articulators of user perspectives” not only pass on new knowledge, but they also bring back information on users’ needs and help users identify the kind of information they’re looking for.

Broker with care

While knowledge brokers can be an asset to putting new knowledge to work, there are also things to watch out for, says Sin. Depending too heavily on brokers to deliver valuable knowledge can lead to problems, since not all brokers have equal skill when it comes to interpreting research, and each broker is bound to have different agendas and interests when it comes to getting new knowledge put into practice.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

Sin Chih H. 2008. “The role of intermediaries in getting evidence into policy and practice: some useful lessons from examining consultancy-client relationships.” Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice; 4(1): 85-103.