Welcome to the new tool developed by MOST to produce customized policy reports.

The MOST Tool supports decision-making by drawing on a series of comparative criteria selected by users, and by proposing relevant case studies and policy briefs.

The tool enables users to obtain customized comparative reports using criteria such as specific themes, geographical location, target audiences, stakeholders, and numerous other variables.

Launched in November 2007, the MOST Tool has been functioning with a series of documents from the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge.

The current version is the second generation prototype of the tool. With a view toward constant perfectionism, the tool now also proposes more documents on various themes related to social transformations and will be regularly improved to offer increased support to policy analysis and policy-making.

Since 2009, the tool proposes 6 thematic collections:

• Knowledge for Higher Education and Research Policy
• Analysis and proposals of Human Rights based measures to combat violence against women
• Building Linkages between Social Science Research and Policy
• Experiences of socio-economic capacity building based on Human Rights for the eradication of poverty
• Regional Integration
• Prevention of youth organized violence

1. Search the categories to retrieve Policy Briefs and full original documents.
2. Create a collection of selected Policy Briefs.
3. Edit the table of contents* to produce your comparative report.
   (*) Sections to choose from: Abstract; Context and issue; Policies and Programmes; Research results; Recommendations; Operational aspects; References.

User guide [PDF, 105 KB].

The present guide aims at assisting you in:

• searching the categories to retrieve Policy Briefs and full original documents;
• creating a personal collection of select Policy Briefs; and
• editing the table of contents to produce a comparative report.

Fact sheet [PDF, 56 KB]
This UNESCO project aims to support good governance standards and evidence-based policymaking, using the best of current technology for knowledge management.
The “Policy Research Tool” is modeled on a classic legislative research service to perform policy-oriented information research, analysis, processing and custom writing. It aims to be an interactive “one stop shop” for policy-relevant knowledge, delivered in comparative context.
The Tool offers a model for how to contribute to the realization of effective policy through structured knowledge management, and for structured international exchange of knowledge and experiences.

Background, design methodology and application [PDF, 275 KB]
MOST Policy Research Tool provides online speedy access to policy-relevant comparative information and enables users to obtain customized replies to trans-disciplinary questions by drawing on select content from original documents. Owing to innovative interactive functions, scientifically comparable categories are used to assess the relevance of policy options available from different case studies.

For further information please contact the secretariat at most-tool(at)unesco.org.