In our recent webinar, we explored the Swedish International Cooperation Agency’s (Sida) help desks and how our research network can help connect academic expertise with real-world decision-making. Sida’s help desks are a valuable tool for strengthening evidence-based decision-making, but their effectiveness depends on strong and accessible links to the research community. This is where SweDev comes in.
Photo: NASA/Unsplash
How can research more effectively support development policy in practice? In our recent webinar, we explored the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) help desks and highlighted how our research network can play a role in connecting academic expertise with real-world decision-making.
On 11 March 2026, we at SweDev had the pleasure of inviting our members to a webinar exploring Sida’s helpdesk functions and discussing how our network can contribute to strengthening evidence-based development cooperation.
The webinar brought together practitioners from Sida, help desk providers, and our research community to exchange perspectives on how research and policy can be more effectively connected in practice.
Bridging research and policy
A key message throughout the webinar was the growing need for qualified, research-based expertise in development cooperation. As global challenges evolve, actors like Sida increasingly rely on up-to-date scientific knowledge to inform decisions, strategies and evaluations.
Sida’s help desks are one tool in this. They provide on-demand support to Sida staff and Swedish embassies, including:
- Analytical support and policy briefs
- Country and thematic overviews
- Reviews of project proposals
- Monitoring and evaluation inputs
Opportunities and challenges
During the webinar, we heard how the help desk system enables access to specialised experts and creates opportunities for collaboration with researchers. At the same time, the demand-driven nature of the model brings certain challenges:
- Short timelines for assignments
- Limited predictability in planning
- The need to balance scientific rigour with rapid policy process
Our role as SweDev
For us at SweDev, this discussion clearly highlighted the role we can play as a bridge between research and policy.
Through our broad and interdisciplinary network of expertise connected to areas central to Swedish development cooperation, we can, through our platform and researcher database:
- Provide relevant academic expertise through our network
- Identify researchers for specific assignments
- Facilitate collaboration across disciplines and institutions
- Contribute to strengthening the use of evidence in policy and practice
In this way, we act as knowledge brokers – making it easier to access and mobilise research when it is most needed.
The way ahead
Sida’s help desks are a strong tool for strengthening evidence-based decision-making. At the same time, their effectiveness depends on strong and accessible links to the research community.
This is where we come in.
SweDev is more than a network – we are a platform for knowledge, collaboration, and impact. By mobilising our members and connecting expertise to practice, we contribute to making informed, effective and sustainable development cooperation easier.
We are here, we are many, and we are ready to contribute.