In today’s piece, criminologists from Maynooth University discuss how research partnerships can help translate research evidence into policy and practice, with a response from the Department of Justice’s Research and Evaluation Unit.

Criminologists from Maynooth University

Imagine if researchers, policymakers and practitioners worked in partnership to create an Ireland in which everyone was safer from harm and can access inclusive justice services that meet their needs?

This is the goal of the Criminal justice Open Research Dialogue (CORD) Partnership. Established last year with funding from the National Open Research Forum, CORD brings together research, policy, practice and oversight professionals from Ireland’s community, criminal justice and higher education sectors to determine collectively how they might work together to achieve this goal. By ‘open’, we mean to ensure that research benefits society and involves people outside universities in knowledge creation and communication.

As part of this work, we did a deep dive into literature on criminal justice research partnerships in other countries. We found partnerships between researchers, policymakers and practitioners in many different countries and justice contexts – from policing and probation, to forensic hospitals, drug services, legislative bodies, victim services, prisons and problem-solving courts. What they had in common was a desire to collaborate across professional lines, either to conduct research that could inform policy and practice, or otherwise to ensure that policy and practice were based on research evidence.

In studying these partnerships, we identified a number of factors that seem to contribute to their success, and pulled out the implications of the findings for the development of research partnerships on different themes.

What makes a criminal justice research partnership ‘tick’?

Our main finding was that research partnerships required positive relationships to be successful. These often, but did not always, exist in advance of the partnership. Where positive relationships existed, they were characterised by trust, respect, and a recognition that their work together must be reciprocal, with all parties contributing to mutually beneficial activities. The implication is that it is necessary to dedicate time to building relationships in partnership work: getting to know each other and trying hard to understand each other’s perspectives, experiences and boundaries.

Practically, in successful research partnerships, leading stakeholders from partner organisations came together to develop and agree formal governance and decision making structures. In some partnerships, senior leaders formed subcommittees to develop memorandums of understanding to which partners could refer when circumstances changed or misunderstandings occurred. This provided for structured communication processes that helped partners check in with each other, update each other regarding their needs, and hold each other to account.

Partnerships also enabled partners to share their resources. For example, police forces and other participating agencies can provide access to data and help come up with applied research ideas, while practitioners could access research funding, technical assistance with data analysis, and academic literature through their affiliations with researchers. More than this, partners benefitted from spending time in each other’s working environments, helping them understand each other’s needs, institutional contexts and professional lives.

Finally, partners must be willing to learn and change. For academics participating in partnerships, they found they had much to learn about how to disseminate research findings accessibly, and in ways that influence policy and practice. Practitioners and their agencies gained a better sense of how they could build research into learning and training. Together, partners’ priorities changed as the collaborative development of ideas nudged parties away from their niches, personal interests and self-interests, towards making a difference to society as a whole.

What can people in any policy area learn from this?

Our review suggested that an extensive programme of new (partnership) research requires formal structures and substantial external or co-contributed funding. At the same time, it appears to us that making change happen through partnership work is as much about relationship building and facilitating dialogue and shared learning, as it is about new research.

Every country and sector is different, with different people involved and factors playing a different type of role in informing policymaking, professional cultures and research collaboration. Yet, the implications of this review are about processes rather than prescribing outcomes. In other words, we think that people who wish to enhance communication between research, policy and practice communities in any area of policy – whether criminal justice, child protection, education, climate or mental health, or another area – would benefit from facilitating dialogue between stakeholders as a core element of partnership work. By providing a space for dialogue, partnerships – including those with limited resources – can help partners to share experiences and knowledge, empathise with each other, understand each other’s environments and reflect together on how research can be translated into policy and practice for the benefit of society.

Dr Ian Marder (Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University) and Patrice McCormack (Research Assistant in Open Criminology, Maynooth University)

Department of Justice

The Department of Justice welcomes the partnership approach introduced by the CORD initiative, which aligns closely with our ongoing work and vision for a more inclusive, research-driven justice system. We share the belief that collaborative partnerships among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners can significantly enhance how justice services are designed and delivered in Ireland.

Current engagement with research and policy development

The Criminal Justice Sectoral Strategy 2022-2024 highlights the Department’s strong commitment to research and data as foundational drivers for evidence-based policymaking. This Strategy also acknowledges the importance of partnerships, such as those with the Central Statistics Office (CSO), to enhance data analytics and support real-time decision-making.

Over the past several years, the Department has actively commissioned high-quality criminal justice research, collaborating with leading academics both in Ireland and internationally. Recent research commissioned by the Department includes:

• “An Examination of Delays in Processing Criminal Adult Sexual Cases” by Conor Hanly and Tamara Cassidy, focusing on mitigating extended timelines in sexual offence cases within the criminal justice system.

• “Understanding Reoffending: Push Factors and Preventative Responses” by Megan Coghlan and Dennis Gough, which explores the key drivers of reoffending and informs strategies for prevention.

Additionally, the Department has several forthcoming publications including one exploring the approaches to ethnic monitoring within the criminal justice systems of other jurisdictions. At the time of writing, we are also seeking to engage with research to undertake a significant study on the issue of homelessness within the criminal justice system.

The ongoing collaboration with the CSO on the Sexual Violence Survey, first conducted in 2022, provides important data and insights to inform the work of Cuan, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency.

In September 2023, the Department hosted the first in a planned series of workshops between policymakers and academics at the Probation Service’s offices, aimed at strengthening links through collaboration and dialogue. The event highlighted the Department’s interest in deepening ties with Higher Education Institutions.

As an active member of the Government’s Civil Service Research Network, the Department of Justice is working collaboratively with colleagues across Government to continue to improve the framework for engagement with Higher Education Institutions. The partnership model offers an interesting opportunity to meaningfully engage, benefiting both policymakers and academics.

The Civil Service Renewal 2030 Strategy provides a broader framework for these collaborations, prioritising evidence-informed policymaking. It sets out clear pathways to further integrate research across government departments. This emphasis on structured communication processes and resource sharing resonates with CORD’s objectives, ensuring that our partnerships are both impactful and sustainable. 

Challenges of collaboration

As noted, the broad range of stakeholders in criminal justice partnerships is both a strength and a challenge. Bringing together policymakers, civil society organisations, and criminal justice practitioners fosters a deeper understanding of not only our collective strengths but also the constraints we face, which may not always be fully appreciated by either side. Academics often contend with long research timelines, limited resources, and publication pressures, while policymakers face political pressures, urgent deadlines, and budgetary constraints. By strategically engaging, we can enhance mutual understanding and collaboration. The more openly researchers and policymakers engage with each other, the better we can understand these realities, ultimately leading to improved collaboration.

A shared commitment to learning and adaptation

At the core of both CORD’s vision and the Department’s mission is a shared commitment to continuous learning. We recognise the importance of being adaptable, changing our approaches based on new evidence and evolving societal needs.

In conclusion, the Department views collaborative partnerships, such as the CORD initiative, but also partnerships more generally, as essential in strengthening the relationship between research and policy in the justice sector. By continuing to foster these partnerships with academic institutions and aligning our efforts with broader strategies like Civil Service Renewal 2030 and Impact 2030, we can work toward a justice system that is more informed, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving needs of society. Partnership working will be central to achieving these goals and driving lasting improvements.

Barra O’Duill, Research and Evaluation Unit, Department of Justice 

• The previous article from this series on procedural justice in policing, with authors from the Policing Authority, Maynooth University and University College Dublin, can be found here.