ACBF Strategic Studies Group key to political and social stability for transformational change in Africa - ZIPAR

The Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR) says the inauguration of the Strategic Studies Group (SSG) is one of the major milestones in the work of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in promoting political and social stability for transformational change in Africa.

 

In her welcome remarks during the opening session of the SSG inaugural workshop at Hotel Intercontinental in Lusaka on 7th March 2014, the ZIPAR Executive Director, Dr. Pamela NakambaKabaso noted that while it was undeniable that most African countries had recorded high economic growth rates over the last years; nagging poverty, inequality, increasing conflicts and terror, high levels of youth unemployment, climate change and increased natural disasters remained a challenge.

 

ZIPAR emphasized that decision makers on the continent more than ever before needed evidence based on high quality studies to undertake policy and development reforms to tackle the challenges faced by countries, hence the SSG was one of the milestones in promoting political and social stability for transformational change in Africa because it would enhance capacity to engage and regulate the productive sector and to track policy impact on the continent.

 

The commencement of the operations of the SSG brought new hope to the African continent because the impact of development research on policy action could not be assumed but had to be consciously and concertedly developed.

 

The SSG will be invaluable in contributing to the identification of key policy and emerging issues that are relevant to Africa’s development agenda.

 

ZIPAR commended the ACBF for the exceptional gesture of setting up and initiating activities of the SSG which made it possible to have diverse voices and experiences proactively engaged to identify critical capacity issues facing Africa and also propose good fit solutions centred on evidence-based research.

 

ZIPAR stressed that the increasing importance of the use of evidence based policy implementation and practice in Africa could not be over emphasized. The SSG was aware that it will not only work with ACBF to identify research themes, but will also serve as a ‘review panel’ that shapes, examines and evaluates the high level studies that will emanate from competitive calls for proposals commissioned by the Foundation in line with ACBF’s strategic objectives.

 

The divergent views and experiences that the knowledge experts in the SSG brought to the fora will facilitate the adoption of high level studies that will produce evidence that can dramatically change the face of the African continent for the better.