Mobilizing Local Expertise for Evidence Based Policy Planning and Implementation

Ousmane Badiane

Director for Africa, IFPRI

MOBILIZING LOCAL EXPERTISE

FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

OUTLINE

1. KEY MESSAGES

2. LINKING KNOWLEDGE, DATA AND POLICY

3. CREATING CONDITIONS FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY

KEY MESSAGE #1

Good Policies are not a solution for everything

Bad Policies are a problem for everything else

Policy Reversal would jeopardize ongoing growth recovery across Africa

Risk of return to failed policies of 60s and 70s• No institutional memory• New generation of leaders• Stronger fiscal positions• More open, democratic systems• Populist pressures and tendencies

WHAT DEFINES GOOD POLICIES

Are based on local / relevant evidence

Have clear, measurable targets, milestones

Undergo rigorous reviews: technical, social, environmental

Are adequately tracked and evaluated

Are open to inclusive consultation and dialogue

KEY MESSAGE #2

GOVERNMENTS AND POLICY MAKING ORGANIZATIONS

RESEARCH AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

IFPRI/Badiane

DISCONNECTED KNOWLEDGE AND POLICY SPHERES

o Limited use of evidence

o Bias towards foreign expertise

o Ad hoc use of local expertise

o Weak planning capacities

o Focused on training

o Bias for academic research

o No strategy to engage policy

o Weak collaboration

GOVERNMENTS AND POLICY MAKING ORGANIZATIONS

RESEARCH AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

IFPRI/Badiane

LINKING DATA, ANALYSIS, CAPACITY, & POLICY

CONNECTED KNOWLEDGE AND POLICY SPHERES

CARRIER POLICYPROCESSES

ANCHORORGANIZATIONS

OPERATIONALACTORS

CARRIER POLICYPROCESSES

ANCHORORGANIZATIONS

OPERATIONALACTORS

DEFINE CLEAR STRATEGY, PROGRAMS, AND ACTION

AGENDA: CAADP/MALABO

COORDINATE GOV ACTION,EMPOWER LOCAL ADM;

WORK WITH CSO: AUC.NPCA/RECS

INVEST IN GOV EXPERTISE; BE INCLUSIVE OF NON

STATE ACTORS CNC/CAP-F

ALIGN RESEARCH AND CD AGENDA WITH POLICY

AGENDA: ReSAKSS

ESTABLISH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH

LEADING ORGANIZATIONS ReSAKSS/AGRODEP

NETWORKLEAVE DESKS, AND LABS, ENGAGE

SAKSS/AGRODEP

GOVERNMENTS AND POLICY MAKING ORGANIZATIONS

IFPRI/Badiane

KEY ROLES AND ACTIONS

LINKING DATA, ANALYSIS, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND POLICY

RESEARCH AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

You need data before you need them!

What to do / How

o Data clusters: production, trade, hh status, prices, costs, expenditures, etc

o Working Groups/Task Forces: bureau of statistics; NARs; data units in finance; trade, sector ministries

o Common platform: harmonized data standards and exchange protocols

1. IMPROVED DATA SYSTEMS

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION

KEY ELEMENTS

A serious policy maker NEEDS constant access to high quality technical team.

What to do/How

o Network: build AND maintain a network of leading national centers of expertise

o Engagement: create mechanism with a plan to engage and use local expertise agreement on long term strategic research

vehicle for ad hoc, short term technical input

2. READY-TO-USE TOP EXPERTISE

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION

KEY ELEMENTS

Oil the system!

What/how

o Dream team: set up qualified planning team, first from existing staff, later dedicated team

o Feed the beast: define demand for policy research and link to research networks

o Connect!: ensure access to evidence and its use in policy formulation

3. EFFECTIVE COORDINATION / BROKERING FUNCTION

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION

KEY ELEMENTS

Cultivate knowledge.

What/how

o Infrastructure: create up-to-date IT platform

o Knowledge base: build, maintain, and expand knowledge base: start with collecting existing key data, reports, and policy documents

o Right to know: eliminate barriers to accessing knowledge

o Never Forget: build memory of actions, processes, outcomes – lessons learning to avoid past mistakes

4. OPERATIONAL KNOWLEDGEMENT MANAGEMENT

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION

KEY ELEMENTS

Collective wisdom is best

What/how

o Dialogue platform: institute broad, informed debate about key strategic issues and choices

o Review culture: evaluate and track commitments, performance and progress

5. INCLUSIVE POLICY DIALOGUE

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR EVIDENCE BASED POLICY PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION

KEY ELEMENTS

EXPERTISE AND TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS AND REVIEW The Country SAKSS Platforms

EXPERTISE AND TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS AND REVIEW ReSAKSS Platform

EXPERTISE AND TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS AND REVIEW ReSAKSS Platform

GIS Based platform

o Geographic data disaggregationo Tracking of 100s of indicatorso Typology, prioritization and evaluation

o Web basedo Easy accessibilityo Interactive

Millet Yields in 2012

EXPERTISE AND TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS AND REVIEW The Country eAtlas

10-12 TRAINING SESSIONS

ANNUALLY

~ 200 MEMBERS

~ 30 COUNTRIES

~ 30% FEMALE

27 GRANTS FOR RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCESIN 2015

The African Growth And Development Policy Modeling Consortium

20 MODELS

500 DATA SETS

20+ TECH REPORTS

EXPERTISE AND TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS AND REVIEWAGRODEP

THANKS