Local, national and international policy engagement to address economic inequality and poverty

Research linked to policy engagement work

Sanghamitra’s policy engagement activity is based on research situated at the intersection of economic growth and development economics. Her work delves into how economic growth can facilitate economic development, with a particular focus on addressing inequality and poverty. 

Sanghamitra has leveraged her research across various policy engagement activities, which are outlined below.  

Project 1 – Department for International Development
Sanghamitra collaborated with policymakers from the Department for Information and Communications, part of the former Department for International Development (DFID), to inform policies that promote inclusive development and address socioeconomic disparities. The connection initially arose through her affiliation with universities seeking experts in relevant fields. As the project expanded and received funding, it became a collaboration with the World Bank. DFID tasked Sanghamitra with examining the impact of telephony (technology associated with interactive communication between two or more physically distant parties) and increased internet access to assess how these technological advancements influence poverty levels in developing countries. Through the partnership with DFID, Sanghamitra helped expand access to various media, such as the Internet, newspapers, and radio across rural areas in developing countries. This had a particularly strong impact amongst farmers. More phones in rural areas meant farmers could check market prices and adjust accordingly, making their products more competitive. While it’s difficult to assess whether this access to devices has led to a reduction in poverty levels, the project did convince major phone companies to offer cheaper plans in developing countries which has helped to increase access to telephony.

Project 2 – Department for Work and Pensions
In this project, Sanghamitra worked with the UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to address the challenge of measuring poverty. She developed a simple algorithm to calculate the percentage of people who were marginally above the poverty line, suggesting that their quality of life was not significantly different from those just under the poverty line. As a solution, she recommended implementing a "poverty band" rather than a poverty line, a concept that the department likely adopted. 

Project 3:  - Tower Hamlets Council
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Tower Hamlets Council approached Sanghamitra to address the issue of patients not collecting their prescribed medications. This was leading to complications in patients’ health conditions. She advised the authorities on how to identify these individuals through surveying techniques. Her recommendations were presented at a large meeting attended by hundreds of regional healthcare professionals. Despite being a short project, her input provided valuable insights into addressing the healthcare challenges in the local area.

Sanghamitra highlights that the main merit of doing policy engagement work is knowing that her research matters and is making a difference. Seeing her work in action has been a huge source of satisfaction. 

Challenges

It was challenging to find the time to balance her policy engagement work alongside her teaching responsibilities; it was a constant struggle to allocate enough time to both effectively. Additionally, managing large teams posed its own set of challenges, as coordinating efforts and ensuring everyone remained on the same page could be a lot of work. Furthermore, Sanghamitra added that logistical constraints, such as the need to travel to other countries for fieldwork, could present difficulties, especially when faced with financial limitations. 

Sanghamitra's tips for getting started with policy engagement

• Attending conferences and networking events is key to meeting relevant people and staying updated on current issues. Stay connected with organisations that offer engagement opportunities in your field. 
• Starting with small projects, even if there is limited or no funding involved, can provide valuable experience navigating the policy world. 
• Engaging directly with policymakers and organisations will help you to understand their needs and priorities. 
• PhD students should consider accompanying their supervisor or mentor on their projects to gain firsthand experience and insights into the academic-policy engagement process. 

This case study was supported by Audrey Tan (Policy Partnerships Manager, Mile End Institute) and Maja Wawrzynowicz (Policy Associate, Mile End Institute). If you’re interested in learning more about how you can build policy engagement into your own work, check out the Queen Mary Policy Hub’s Learning Resources and Policy Engagement How-To Guides.