From Marathon Dreams to Couch-to-5K Wins: A Shortcut to Real Policy Impact
If you’ve ever tried influencing policy with your research, you know it can feel like running a marathon—long, gruelling, and often uphill. But what if there was a shorter, smarter route to the finish line?
Welcome to the “Couch to 5K” of policymaking: Parliament.
Why Parliament?
Many researchers pour their energy into publishing papers and presenting at conferences, hoping somewhere along the line, their work will shape decisions. But very few actually take the most direct route: engaging with politicians. And yet, politicians are actively looking for solutions—solutions that evidence-based research can offer.
I conducted a global survey of MPs and the message was loud and clear:
🔹 54% want more access to research.
Parliament is often overlooked, yet it’s one of the most accessible and impactful routes to change. Whether you're dealing with an open-minded government keen on innovation or a more closed-off administration, or even one nearing the end of its term, Parliament remains a powerful ally.
What Makes Parliament a Shortcut?
Engaging with Parliament offers tangible benefits that you won’t get by going through traditional departmental routes:
✔️ Formal citations – Parliamentary submissions and proceedings allow you to present your work exactly as it is.
✔️ Bypass the filters – Civil servants can be selective in what ministers see. Parliament lets you speak directly to decision-makers.
✔️ Ministerial accountability – If Parliament highlights your evidence, ministers may be compelled to respond.
✔️ Momentum for change – A committee recommendation or a parliamentarians support can kick-start policy shifts, attract media attention, and even inspire NGO and academic backing.
Get Involved—Smartly
Want to get started? Here’s your policy impact “toolkit”:
Sign up for legislative alerts to track relevant debates and policy proposals.
Connect with Parliament’s research services—they often brief parliamentarians ahead of key decisions.
Reach out to committee secretariats and let them know your area of expertise.
Submit your research to relevant committees—and yes, send it by post too. Letters still carry weight.
Meet a politician for coffee—never underestimate the power of a face-to-face conversation.
Use parliamentary debate databases—they’re the Google Scholar of politics.
Make It Stick: Three Key Tests
To ensure your work gets noticed, apply these three filters:
1. The Grandparent Test – Is it clear and simple enough that someone outside your field could grasp the core idea? Politicians say presentation is nearly as important as the credibility of the source.
2. The Human Security Test – How does your research improve real lives? Health, safety, financial wellbeing—spell out the impact.
3. Put a face on it – Share a story. Whether it’s a rural community using renewable energy or someone living with Long Covid, stories make research real.
In Conclusion
Policy change is a marathon. But engaging with Parliament can be your Couch to 5K shortcut. It’s about making smart, strategic moves that bring your research to the people who can turn it into action.
So take that first step. Sign up, speak up, and show up. Because silence from those with solutions? That only fuels the problem.
Reach out to me at denis@InnoSphereConsulting.org