The sixth consultative forum of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) supported Policy Institute Committee (PIC) on the theme, Effective utilization of knowledge products for policy impact in Africa,”was held in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe on 10 April 2016.
The PIC that came a day after the Think Tanks Summit held from 8-9 April was an opportunity to reflect on effective dissemination and utilization of knowledge products for enhanced policy impact on the continent.
“Now more than ever, Africa needs the support of Think Tanks to help in the implementation of the Africa Union Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said ACBF’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie while making his opening remarks.
“The debate on the implementation of the two agenda’s is drawing attention all over the world. Think Tanks should now be aiming to ensure that policies being implemented at country level are based on the two agenda’s,” added Prof. Nnadozie.
According to Prof. Nnadozie, Think Tanks must ensure they incorporate reforms, pay attention to results which should be shared widely, ensure the knowledge products are relevant and ensure they have resources to effectively implement policies. They must remember capacity development is central for implantation.
The PIC is a dynamic and functional community of practitioners close to African policy and decision makers. They are considered the driving force to country based policy implementation and advisors to governments to ensure proper implantation to enhance development.
“Research products have to be disseminated to the right people, at the right place and at the right time,” noted the PIC Chair, Eugenia Kayitesi and Executive Director for the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) Rwanda.
“The capacity for the utilization of knowledge products in the continent needs to be enhanced. We must not only have dialogue with policy makers about what should be done to implement but also engage the public so they understand what Agenda 2063 and the SDGs are all about and how they will impact their lives,” she added.
The PIC was launched by ACBF in June 2013 to offer a platform for ACBF-supported think tanks/policy institutes to meet regularly, exchange information and ideas on African policy developments, present and examine country reviews, discuss strategic policy issues, and share knowledge and experiences on the management of think tanks and policy institutes in Africa.
28 organisations from 28 pan-African countries were at the PIC meeting and agreed to do country reviews that will identify the capacity dimensions needed for the implementation of the Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.
“The PIC members discussed and agreed on how to do country reviews that are critical in supporting policy implementation that incorporates Agenda 2063 and SDGs,” said Dr. Thomas Munthali, ACBF’s Director for Knowledge Monitoring and Evaluation.
He added, “It was agreed that we shall have regular and timely sharing of experiences on the utilization and dissemination of knowledge products so that countries pick on the best practices.”
A task force from the PIC members was also formed to review the ACBF Africa Capacity Index (ACI) that looks in. The task force is to check whether the ACI is still relevant in the collection of data used in the ACBF annual flagship publication, Africa Capacity Report. The data analyses the country’s policy environment, processes for implementation, development results at country level and capacity development outcomes.
