The first workshop of the CSPP South Asia Regional Consultation was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on the 5th and 6th July 2005, in collaboration with the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA). The day and a half long resource persons' workshop on 'CSOs, Evidence and Policy Influence' was attended by 28 researchers and others representing civil society organisations, think tanks and the research community in Sri Lanka and provided a forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges for CSOs to use evidence to inform policy, learn about the latest worldwide research and practice in this area, share experiences about ongoing activities and identify opportunities for collaborative work.