Monitoring and Evaluation for Development | ICED Eval
KEYNOTE SPEECH BY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA, DR. MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA ON 11TH JULY 2019 AT THE 2nd AFRICA EVIDENCE TO ACTION CONFERENCE, ISSER CONFERENCE HALL, UNIVERITY OF GHANA. LEGON.The Hosting Minister, Hon, Dr. Anthony Akoto OseiCabinet Ministers PresentMembers of Parliament Members of States from other Africa CountriesUniversity of Ghana Faculty and StaffChief Executive and President of ICED, Dr. David Ameyaw,ICED Board of Directors present,Partners and Sponsors of the E2A Conference Conference delegates present,All Protocols Observed,Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:Thank you all for the warm welcome.First and foremost, on behalf of the Government and the people of the REPUBLIC OF GHANA, I wish to warmly and formally welcome all delegates attending this Conference here in Ghana.I am extremely delighted to be here today to preside over this historic occasion marking the official opening of the “2nd AFRICA EVIDENCE TO ACTION CONFERENCE”. The theme of this Conference; “Responsibility and Accountability: Strengthening Evidence Generation and Use in Support of Africa Policy Reform and Development Agenda” is very appropriate given the fact that development of policies and practices in Africa based on research and evaluation findings can transform the lives and livelihood of our people. We need strong evidence-based recommendations to achieve economic growth based on the Ghana Government High Priority agenda and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2063 of the Africa Union. From the onset, I want to congratulate the International Center for Evaluation and Development (ICED) and the Ministry for Monitoring and Evaluation and all the partners involved in organizing this important conference in Ghana. Also, I would like to express special appreciation to the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) for hosting this conference in this great hall at the University of Ghana Campus. My understanding is that ICED is the first Africa-based international think-tank that combines research and innovation with extensive practical experience in evaluation for development in Africa. I am reliably informed that ICED is collaborating with the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation and other such ministries across the African continent and the entire Global South to enhance the value of monitoring and evaluation to impactfully achieve Sustainable Development Goals and Outcomes. As ICED’s focus is not just on Africa but the global south as well. I am extremely delighted by their choice to open an office in Ghana, creating an exciting platform for learning and sharing across countries. This is a clear indication of the confidence regional players have in Ghana. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:“On 1 January 2016, the?17 SDGs of the?2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?— adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an?historic UN Summit?— officially came into force.? Over the next fifteen years, with these new Goals that apply universally, countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. Sustainable development (SD) is defined in the Brundtland Report as “development that meets the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Thus, sustainable development is the organizing principle for nurturing the finite resources necessary to provide for the needs of future generations of life on the planet. This definition implies the two cardinal principles of leadership – Responsibility and Accountability - the responsibility and accountability all countries, poor, rich, and middle-income to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.As we talk about SDGs, there is also the Africa’s Agenda 2063 to consider. The Agenda 2063 is the African vision and commitment to a shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development, and a global strategy to optimize the use of Africa’s resources for the benefit of all Africans. Agenda 2063 was the result of the 2013 African Union Summit. It is our blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future, and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African RenaissanceOver the past decade, Africa has witnessed a growing interest in research and evaluation to support policy making and development initiatives. Many national governments including the Government of Ghana and development practitioners are increasingly becoming aware of the critical role that research and evaluation can play in informing and shaping the development of effective policy-making, program design, implementation and governance at national, regional, and global levels. Ghana’s current Government is the first Africa National Government to have a Cabinet-level position as Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation and a full Ministry under the Presidency as the Ministry for Monitoring and Evaluation. In moving towards Africa’s new path for attaining inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development agenda, Governments and development partners need credible evidence to inform policy and decision-making processes. However, while the value of research and evaluation is increasingly appreciated on the continent, determining what evidence to use for decision-making – and how to use it – has been a challenge. The responsibility to provide the research and evaluation agenda and the resources requirement and the holding accountable of those entrusted with the resources to generate the sound, rigorous, and solid evidence that can be used for policy making and practices has not been well defined. While it is the responsibility for policy makers and development professionals to demand solid, rigorous and sound evidence for policy making and action to contribute to the SDG goals and should be accountable of the use of these evidence at all time and provide resources needed, it is also the responsibility of researchers and evaluators to supply well documented and systematic reviewed evidence and be accountable to present research and evaluation results and findings in a manner, format, language and timeframe that can be used by the policy makers and governments for effective decision making that “meets the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”There is a growing interest in and demand for research and evaluation (R&E), but in Africa and even in Ghana R&E has not yet reached its full potential. There continues to be a great disconnect between knowledge and evidence generation and the utilization of evidence-based interventions for policy decision-making and implementation processes. This must now change, so that the role of research and evaluation is understood as an opportunity for organizational and individual learning, to improve performance and accountability for impact. There is an ardent need to translate research and evidence into policy relevant actions for decision-makers, including developing effective communication products and strategies for sharing and disseminating to a wider public. These challenges are not insurmountable. Addressing this disconnect is an achievable goal if national government and research institutions assume responsibility and are held accountable by their citizens to demonstrate the results of funding for research and evaluationFriends, I am a firm believer that sound data and evidence can be used to improve policy and ensure we achieve the expected progress. I am aware that Governments and research institutes are committed to evidence-based policy, to improve economic development. However, I must admit that developing professional skills in this area is a major challenge. I believe this conference provides policy representatives with an opportunity to discuss actionable strategies to drive improvement in policy evaluation, formulation and implementation. The need for strong evidence to better-inform development professional, policy makers, donor community and private sector investors is greatly needed at this time more than ever before. We must use research and data to ensure that images of forlorn looking, desperate hungry citizens are no longer part of our evening news. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:It is a well-known fact that research, evaluation findings and recommendations have not been effectively implemented in Sub-Sahara Africa. Most research and evaluations are still funded by foreign donors and Western Research Institutions. There continues to be a gap between the generation and creation of new and solid evidence from agricultural and development systems research efforts and the translation of that same evidence into data-informed policy action. Policy makers struggle to find, collate and understand context specific evidence to support their own decision-making needs. With the right level of support, by being responsible for contextualized evidence generation and holding each other accountable for the use and translation of rigorous and credible evidence into actionable policy and programmatic guidance, the goals and aspiration of the continent are achievable.The good news however is that there already exists a huge body of research and evaluation work that can be immediately reviewed, translated, contextualized, and disseminated to assist policy makers and development practitioners to effectively encourage the social, economic, and cultural transformation needed in Africa and Ghana. This is our responsibility and we should be held accountable to the use of these resources to improve the standard of living, quality of life and well-being for all our citizens. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:I am most impressed, ladies and gentlemen, by the fact that there is a new vigor towards an evidenced-based approach to policy making and using existing research to enhance government agenda and priority setting. This convening will change the landscape of how evidence is being used in Ghana and in other Africa countries and to inform policy making and development agenda. The delegates assemble here for these next two days will have the opportunity to discuss strategies for enhancing the dissemination of research findings and ensuring that the process achieves the desired impact. The Conference is a laudable initiative which will improve efficiency and I would urge all partners to work closely with the all arms of Government’s across Africa to ensure the recommendations coming out of this conference are implemented. Governments within the Ghana and other parts of African are keen to ensure that they attain social, economic and structural transformation. It is for this reason; I urge all delegates attending this conference to be bold during discussions and provide us with new and courageous ideas to guide our policy decisions. I challenge you to go beyond the usual conversations to think outside the box and come up with radical ways in which governments can use evidence-based policy and evaluation to drive development. As I conclude, I wish to express my appreciation to the conference partners for choosing to organize this Conference here in Ghana. I also wish to express my gratitude to all delegates for taking time out to attend the conference. Thank you for believing in the future of our continent. I look forward to receiving the recommendations derived from the Conference because they will contribute to our planning and programming processes. Further, I wish to remind our visitors that Ghana, the city of Accra, has a lot to offer and urge you to enjoy our beautiful country. Please make time to visit our beautiful markets, sample the local cuisine, and interact with our hospitable people before you go back home. There are a lot of interesting places to visit right here in the city. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, with those few remarks, it is my pleasure to officially declare the second Africa Evidence to Action Conference officially opened.God bless you all! ................
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