Translating pilot project success into national policy development: Two projects in Bangladesh

Prescriptions for policy change pervade the research literature on population programmes. While the audience for such conclusions may be receptive to the wisdom imparted, established bureaucracies resist systemic renewal and reform. Even if policies are modified in response to research, the promulgated changes often fail to influence what public-sector programmes actually do, since bureaucratic traditions outweigh reasoned responses to research outcomes.