Using African Policy Data to Monitor trends in Public Policy
This virtual webinar by TCC Africa, KIPPRA, ATPS, and Digital Science aimed to shed light on how African policy data can be effectively used to track and analyze the evolution of public policies in the region.
by Nicholas Ozor, Eliud Moyi, Mike Taylor, and Joy Owango
Published onAug 23, 2023
Using African Policy Data to Monitor trends in Public Policy
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Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) and Digital Science converged for a webinar titled ‘ Using African Policy Data to Monitor trends in Public Policy’, with an aim to illuminate on the untapped potential of African policy data which when harnessed effectively can serve as a guiding light for policymakers and governments to steer decisions towards impactful outcomes.
The webinar’s theme was broken down into the following key sub-topics:
1. Introduction to African policy reports and its significance in monitoring public policy trends.
2. Techniques and methodologies for collecting, organizing, and analyzing policy data from African countries.
3. Case studies highlighting the role of African policy data in identifying policy trends and measuring their impact.
4. Best practices and tools for utilizing African policy data to inform evidence-based policy decisions.
5. Opportunities and challenges in accessing, utilizing, and sharing African policy data.
Highlights from the speakers
Dr. Nicholas Ozor, the Executive Director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) challenged the lingering sense of hesitation by African policymakers to rely on evidence from research emerging from the continent, noting the consequences of this underinvestment in the scarcity of policy data and reports. He stressed on the importance of utilizing policy data to inform evidence-based policy decisions and the opportunities that lie within this process.
Mr. Eliud Moyi, the Principal Policy Analyst at KIPPRA, highlighted the agency’s contribution in designing policy research and analysis tools aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and expediting the policymaking process. He also elaborated on an initiative that KIPPRA is currently working on—the formulation of a public policy handbook for the government of Kenya and its agencies to harmonize the existing variations into a cohesive guideline.
In his presentation, Michael Taylor, Head of Metrics Development at Digital Science, introduced Altmetrics, a dynamic company, looking to broaden and deepen understanding of the value of research and its influence on people and communities. He offered a computational perspective on the significance of indexing policy documents and gave an overview of the current state of policy indexing on Altmetric.
Recording of the Session
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About the organizers
Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA)
The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) was established to support the government in strengthening the public policy-making process by developing human and institutional capacity and providing evidence-based policy advice through objective research and analysis.
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a trans-disciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors and policy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use and mastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
Altmetric is part of the Digital Science portfolio of companies all working together to help researchers make a difference. Our mission is to broaden and deepen our understanding of the value of research and its influence on people and communities.
The Training Centre in Communication(TCC Africa), is the first African-based training centre to teach effective communication skills to scientists. TCC Africa is an award winning Trust, established as a non-profit entity in 2006 and is registered in Kenya. TCC Africa provides capacity support in improving researchers output and visibility training, scholarly and science communication.
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