Work from the Research and Policy in Development programme has outlined the impact research can have on policy-making and developed a framework for analysing and maximising research impact: the RAPID outcome mapping approach, or ROMA.

This chapter reviews why standard models for tracking research impact are inadequate within the complex context of policy-making and poverty reduction. It suggest why transdisciplinary research may be a promising approach for research working at the interface of science and society. And it describes the ROMA model and how it was adapted to the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South programme.

The rest of the book presents six case studies from the NCCR North-South programme that illustrate the use of the ROMA approach in diverse contexts.