African Economic Research Consortium

SPS: Research Meets Policy in Africa

Lemma W. Senbet

SPS, AERC-UNECA Partnership, Addis, April 9-10, 2014

Birth of AERC

Founded in 1988 as a not-for-profit organization Governed by US and Kenya laws

Evolved into a premier capacity building policy research and training organization based in Africa with a global reach.

Supported by a Consortium of global partners IDRC and USAID since inception

Our Vision and Mission3

Vision Sustained development in

sub-Saharan Africa grounded in sound economic

management and an informed society

Vision Sustained development in

sub-Saharan Africa grounded in sound economic

management and an informed society

MissionTo strengthen local capacity for

conducting independent, rigorous inquiry into problems pertinent to the

management of economies, through a synergetic programme combining research with post graduate training in economics

MissionTo strengthen local capacity for

conducting independent, rigorous inquiry into problems pertinent to the

management of economies, through a synergetic programme combining research with post graduate training in economics

4

Capacity Building Framework

*Thematic research

Research

*Collaborative research

*Special workshops

*Collaborative Masters

Programme (CMAP)

*Collaborative Masters in Agri &Applied Economics (CMAAE)

Graduate Training

*Collaborative PhD Programme (CPP)

Hallmark: Rigor, evidence, collaboration, policy relevance

AERC Research and Training Network Coverage

Uganda Kenya

Ethiopia

Tanzania

Zambia

Namibia

South Africa

Botswana

Zimbabwe

Mozambique

Swaziland

Lesotho

Malawi

Nigeria

Cameroon GhanaCôte d’Ivoire

Guinea Sierra Leone

Mauritius

Liberia

SudanChad

DR Congo Rwanda Burundi

Gabon

Congo

Madagascar

MaliSenegal

Burkina Faso

Communication and Outreach

AERC AERC

EconomistsWebsite

Research/other papersWorkshops and seminars

On-line library accessOn-line research/other

papers

Policy MakersSenior Policy Seminars

National Policy WorkshopsTargeted dissemination

packagesWebsite

FrancophonesFrench website window

Simultaneous interpretationStrategic bilingual capacity

in SecretariatSelected translations

AERC SecretariatCorporate papers/reportsMajor print publicationsResearch/other papers

Website On-line library access

Civil SocietyTargeted dissemination

packagesMedia outreach

Website

Researc

h

Policy

Dissemination of

Research

findingsSenior Policy Seminars

&

National Policy

Workshops 

Feedback on

Policy

relevance

Research Meets Policy

Research Meets Policy

Senior Policy Seminars Senior African Policy makers at the level of Ministers,

Governors of Central Banks, Advisers to Presidents, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of government departments

Share and deliberate on research findings

Evidence-based policy making 2013 SPS XV, Kigali, Rwanda

Youth and unemployment in Africa 2014 SPS XVI, Addis Ababa on Capital Flight to be

co-hosted by UNECA

Support for National Policy Workshops

Research meets Policy (cont)

Biannual Research workshops plenary sessions Regular dissemination workshops at the conclusion of

AERC collaborative research projects A recent example on a collaborative research project, the

World Bank/AERC partnership on Service Delivery Indicators (SDI) Initiated by AERC in 2007 Currently being piloted on a project in 3 African countries, to be

extended to others

CMAAE Theses dissemination workshops

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Accomplishments

Policy Relevant Research

Supported close to 1000 thematic research projects involving researchers from 43 countries in Africa.

The AERC website now has about 500 publications and working papers:

AERC Research Papers Policy briefs Framework papers Country case studies

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Accomplishments (cont)

Individual Capacity Building Supported over 3,300 researchers Supported over 2,600 masters graduates

Working in government ministries, central banks, national policy research institutes, universities, international organizations, etc

Supported over 400 through the PhD programme Nearly all retained in Africa Majority (71%) have become faculty members in universities

Over 1,200 Senior African policy makers are in AERC’s high-level policy network

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Payoff to Capacity BuildingAERC Alumni as Senior Policy Makers

AERC Alumni - currently senior policy makers at: Ministries of Finance/Treasury, Economy and Planning

Commissions of Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda

Central Banks of Ghana, Lesotho, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC)

East African Community (EAC)

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Some examples of AERC Alumni Policy makers: Pedro Couto, Deputy Minister of Finance, Mozambique Benno Ndulu, Governor, Central Bank of Tanzania Njuguna Ndung’u, Governor, Central Bank of Kenya Louis Kasekende, Deputy Governor, Bank of Uganda Kupukile Mlambo, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of

Zimbabwe Cyril Chami, Member of Parliament and former Minister of

Commerce and Industry, Tanzania Arsene Balihuta, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of

Uganda to the UN in Switzerland Maxwell M. Mkwezalamba, former Commissioner for

Economic Affairs at the African Union Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana John Ddumba Ssentamu, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University

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Payoff to Capacity BuildingAERC Alumni as Senior Policy Makers

AERC towards the next 25 year phase

A new strategic plan for 2015-2020

Priorities emerging Inclusiveness

Improved strategies for underrepresented groups Partnerships and linkages

National, regional and global Private sector engagement

Mutually beneficial research and training Technology integration

Delivery of programmes and operational efficiency Enhancing diversity of resources for sustainability

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Moving Forward: Key Pillars

Privatization

Africanization

GlobalizationTechnology

Integration

*Public-private research agenda

*Value proposition

*Public-private research agenda

*Value proposition

*Cuts across all pillars

*Technology integration

*Data repository

*Cuts across all pillars

*Technology integration

*Data repository

*African govts

*AERC alumni

*African perspectives

* Inclusiveness

*African govts

*AERC alumni

*African perspectives

* Inclusiveness

*Research & Training Programmes

*Research & Training Programmes

*Institutional linkages

*Best global practices

*Institutional linkages

*Best global practices

THANK YOUAfrican Economic Research ConsortiumConsortium pour la Recherche Economique en AfriquePO Box 62882 – 00200 City Square, Nairobi, KenyaMiddle East Bank Towers, 3rd Floor, Milimani RoadTel: (254-20) 273-4179 / 273-4157Fax: (254-20) 273-4173exec.dir@aercafrica.org / research@aercafrica.org / training@aercafrica.org communications@aercafrica.org / publications@aercafrica.org www.aercafrica.org