They do not have to do the work or make decisions.
But try to look at it from the other side. Policymakers cry out for evidence of efficiency and effectiveness; practitioners want research to tell their side of the story and to portray their efforts in a good light. The former want conclusions, the latter often want illumination of how tough it can be to do the work.
And in order to serve either need, researchers have to collect information. They also have to invoke a methodological process that carries sufficient credibility. They are not just tellers of good stories. In qualitative research, which is my area, an established technique to produce persuasive argument is known as "triangulation".
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