Background

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of demand-driven research in shaping effective policies and programs. Demand-driven research is characterized by its responsiveness to the needs and priorities of stakeholders, including policymakers, practitioners, and communities affected by the issues being studied. This approach emphasizes the need for research that is directly relevant to the challenges faced by decision-makers, with the goal of informing evidence-based policy and program development.

The call for demand-driven research has been driven by several factors, including:

·      The increasing complexity and interconnectedness of global challenges, which demand a   more nuanced understanding of the issues at hand and tailored solutions that take into  account local contexts and priorities.

·   The recognition that traditional, supply-driven research approaches, where researchers determine the focus of their work without direct input from stakeholders, may not always produce relevant findings for policy and program development.

·     The growing emphasis on evidence-based policymaking, which requires the integration of the latest research findings into policy and program design to ensure their effectiveness and efficiency.

·       The need for more inclusive and participatory approaches to research, which recognize the value of engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the research process to ensure that diverse perspectives and experiences are taken into account.

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of demand-driven research, there are numerous challenges in translating this approach into practice. These include difficulties in identifying and prioritizing stakeholder needs, fostering effective collaboration between researchers and policymakers, overcoming resource constraints, and measuring the impact of demand-driven research on policy and program outcomes.

Objectives

It's against this backdrop that, the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) in partnership with the African Alliance for Partnership (AAP) is hosting a public dialogue on promoting demand-driven research in Africa. This will be a virtual event and it will be held on Friday 2nd June 2023 from 2:30-4:00pm CAT/3.30-5.00pm EAT. 

This public dialogue is titled “Leveraging Demand-Driven Research for Evidence-Based Policymaking and Program Development: Challenges and Opportunities”, and it is part of AAP and member institutions to promote dialogue and policy engagement on topical issues related to the development of the African continent.

Participants will include faculty and students from universities, funding agencies, non-governmental organizations and others.

Expected Outcome

It is expected that by the end of the dialogue participants will come up with a range of interventions and road map for strengthening capacity for design and delivery of demand-driven research in universities and research institutions in eastern and southern Africa.