Linking & learning at the DPRN closing event

23 February 2011

To mark its closure, the Development Policy Review Network (DPRN) organised its final event entitled ‘Linking to Learn & Learn from Linking’ on 18 February. The event was aimed at exchanging experiences related to efforts of DPRN to enhance cooperation between scientists, policymakers, NGO staff and business people. Participants recommended that further cooperation between these various constituencies of development experts should be stimulated.

The objectives of DPRN are to stimulate informed debate and enhance cooperation and synergy between scientists, policymakers, NGO staff and business people. During the final event more than 100 people participated in lively discussions about which lessons could be learned from more than eight years of DPRN experiences. A booklet with an overview of lessons learned by DPRN was symbolically handed over to NWO. NWO-WOTRO has funded the DPRN activities since 2008.

The meeting was successful as participants came up with several recommendations to further stimulate cooperation between various constituencies of development experts. It also became clear that a DPRN like organisation is needed to foster this. The meeting report as well as the booklet with lessons learned will soon be available on the DPRN website.