This short paper looks at four research policy networks in Cambodia though the eyes of a function-form approach developed by the Overseas Development Institute to study and support networks. It uses the Cambodia cases to draw tentative conclusions about the relations between the structural characteristics of networks and the roles and functions they carry out. The paper concludes that while networks can carryout various functions simultaneously, structural differences mean that some are able to specialise on and develop some functions more than others. It also addresses the effects of the external environment on network, in particular, local aspects of interpersonal relationships (namely, trust) and how that may affect the fulfilment of the networks’ functions. Finally, the paper considers the usefulness of the framework to improve our understanding of networks and how they work.