ABSTRACT

This book asks how governments in Africa can use evidence to improve their policies and programmes, and ultimately, to achieve positive change for their citizens. Looking at different evidence sources across a range of contexts, the book brings policy makers and researchers together to uncover what does and doesn’t work and why.

Case studies are drawn from five countries and the ECOWAS (west African) region, and a range of sectors from education, wildlife, sanitation, through to government procurement processes. The book is supported by a range of policy briefs and videos intended to be both practical and critically rigorous. It uses evidence sources such as evaluations, research synthesis and citizen engagement to show how these cases succeeded in informing policy and practice. The voices of policy makers are key to the book, ensuring that the examples deployed are useful to practitioners and researchers alike.

This innovative book will be perfect for policy makers, practitioners in government and civil society, and researchers and academics with an interest in how evidence can be used to support policy making in Africa.

The Open Access version of this book, available at https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003007043, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license

chapter 1|12 pages

Introduction to the book

ByIan Goldman, Mine Pabari
Size: 0.16 MB

chapter 2|21 pages

An introduction to evidence-informed policy and practice in Africa

ByIan Goldman, Mine Pabari
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chapter 3|20 pages

Using evidence in Africa

A framework to assess what works, how and why
ByLaurenz Langer, Vanesa Weyrauch
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chapter 4|21 pages

Mere compliance or learning – M&E culture in the public service of Benin, Uganda and South Africa

ByIan Goldman, Wole Olaleye, Stanley Sixolile Ntakumba, Mokgoropo Makgaba, Cara Waller
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chapter 5|17 pages

Using evaluations to inform policy and practice in a government department

The case of the Department of Basic Education in South Africa
ByNedson Pophiwa, Carol Nuga Deliwe, Jabulani Mathe, Stephen Taylor
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chapter 6|23 pages

Use of evidence in a complex social programme

Case of an evaluation of the state’s response to violence against women and children in South Africa
ByMatodzi M. Amisi, Thabani Buthelezi, Siza Magangoe
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chapter 7|18 pages

The influence of local ownership and politics of the use of evaluations in policy making

The case of the public procurement evaluation in Uganda
ByIsmael Kawooya, Timothy Lubanga, Abdul Muwanika, Edwin Muhumuza, Rhona Mijumbi-Deve
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chapter 8|19 pages

Rapidly responding to policy queries with evidence

Learning from Rapid Response Services in Uganda
ByIsmael Kawooya, Isaac Ddumba, Edward Kayongo, Rhona Mijumbi-Deve
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chapter 9|17 pages

The potential and the challenges of evaluations to positively influence reforms

Working with producers in the Benin agricultural sector
ByBonaventure Kouakanou, Dossa Aguemon, Marius S. Aina, Abdoulaye Gounou, Emmanuel M. David-Gnahoui
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chapter 10|19 pages

Parliament and public participation in Kenya

The case of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013
ByMine Pabari, Yemeserach Tessema, Amina Abdalla, Judi Wakhungu, Ahmed Hassan Odhowa, Ali Kaka
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chapter 11|18 pages

The contribution of civil society generated evidence to the improvement of sanitation services in Ghana

ByLaila Smith, Dede Bedu-Addo, Mohammed Awal, Anthony Mensah
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chapter 12|18 pages

Using evidence for tobacco control in West Africa

ByPapa Yona Boubacar Mane, Abdoulaye Diagne, Salifou Tiemtore
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chapter 13|18 pages

Lessons for using evidence in policy and practice

ByIan Goldman, Mine Pabari
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