Deepening evidence-based policy capability in Africa's science granting councils
Gender equality is a key strategic goal promoted at the national, regional and global levels, but STI policy reviews seldom cover national gender policies. Photo: Freepik
In sub-Saharan Africa, national systems of innovation take distinctive forms, and science granting councils play a central role, balancing multiple mandates to direct, coordinate and monitor national research and innovation activity. The HSRC’s Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators leads a project aiming to strengthen the capacity of these councils. By Il-haam Petersen and Glenda Kruss
Typically, African science granting councils work with limited funding, human resources and organisational capacity. In this context, the HSRC’s Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) is part of an international consortium to enable more effective use of evidence in policy and decision making by science granting councils. Known as Evi-Pol, this continental project sees CeSTII adopting a participatory approach in leading participants towards achievements of the project goals.
Science, technology and innovation (STI) are key to addressing deep-rooted social and economic challenges. Science granting councils play a crucial role in a country’s national STI landscape: they set national research agendas, manage funds for research and innovation activities, gather evidence on STI, and advise on STI policy. To strengthen their capacity to perform these functions, the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) was launched by a consortium of international funding agencies, led by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Currently, 16 sub-Saharan African countries participate in the SGCI from east, west and southern Africa.
The Evi-Pol project, which was launched in November 2020 and runs to February 2023, responds to a theme under the second phase of the SGCI focused on strengthening the role that science granting councils play in identifying, managing and using evidence in policy and decision making. In collaboration with the consortium lead at Kenya’s African Centre for Technology Studies and partners at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar in Senegal, CeSTII leads two Evi-Pol work packages: one on strengthening capacity to conduct reviews of national STI policy, and the other on sound data management.
Rather than follow a traditional model of parachuting in experts to transfer skills and knowledge, the Evi-Pol project has taken a participatory approach to technical assistance. The project design emphasised consultation from the start, including the co-creation of solutions, working with local consultants and building local networks. Flexibility in the design and process is encouraged. With this model, much of the project’s first year was spent developing work plans, frameworks and instruments through virtual consultative meetings and workshops. Therefore, the technical assistance provided is demand-driven and customised to the needs and capabilities of each science granting council.
Over the next year, the team will work with the science granting councils through interactive training workshops, peer-to-peer learning opportunities and one-on-one coaching. Key deliverables include a set of toolkits to conduct reviews of STI policies, including mapping intended change pathways for policy and building sound data-management systems that align with science granting council mandates and capabilities.
EVI-POL WORK PACKAGE ONE
Supporting science granting councils to review their STI policies in relation to national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals
Rather than base policy reviews on STI and economic and industrial policy only, this work package encourages science granting councils to assess their alignment with socioeconomic policy more broadly. Using a systemic approach to STI policy review developed by the CeSTII team, science granting councils are encouraged to consider policy reviews as evidence-building exercises to inform policy and decision making. For example, gender equality is a key strategic goal promoted at the national, regional and global levels, but STI policy reviews that inform the drafting of new national STI policies and policy-implementation plans seldom cover national gender policies.
EVI-POL WORK PACKAGE TWO
Strengthening science granting councils’ data-management frameworks and systems
Collecting, managing and analysing grants management and other STI-related data is a core function of science granting councils. The evidence they collect and manage must be relevant, timely, rigorous, and affordable – all of which requires sound data management. A major challenge for most African science granting councils is the dire lack of funds and human resources to carry out this core function. The CeSTII team is working with each science granting council to assess their current capacity and map a process to build their data-management systems in a way that supports long-term sustainability.
Authors: Dr Il-haam Petersen, a chief research specialist, and Dr Glenda Kruss, the executive head of the HSRC’s Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII)