Championing the use of evidence in policymaking, DIWA organized a workshop for political parties in Ghana on incorporating evidence-based insights into the development of their manifestos, moving beyond the norm of vote-seeking promises.
Our two-day capacity-building workshop, held on June 26-27, 2024, was incredibly insightful and engaging. Our cherished participants, representing various political parties, were excited to learn how to generate and use credible evidence to develop party manifestos.
Prof. Charles Amoatey, Director, and Richard Otoo, Research and Evaluation Manager, facilitated the workshop sessions. The sessions highlighted the importance of evidence in policy decisions, covering areas such as the logic of interventions, problem analysis, stakeholder analysis, logical framework, theory of change, and evidence generation and use. These topics were thoroughly explored over the two-day training.
Our participants engaged in hands-on practical exercises on the various topics covered. They identified various issues and, in groups, presented their problems, objectives, and theories of change for the solutions.
The final day of the workshop featured a panel discussion involving Dr. Opare-Djan Nana, Prof. Philip Duku Osei, and Mrs. Dede Bedu-Addo, who deliberated on the use of evidence for policy decisions. The panel discussion addressed the role of evidence in developing political party manifestos, discussing challenges like data access, finding the right expertise and resources.
It highlighted cultural and ideological barriers, the need to balance political values, and ensuring evidence quality and impartiality. The panel further emphasized systematic evidence use, actionable steps like establishing research units/think tanks within parties, and recommendations for continued dialogue and collaboration beyond the workshop.
We are excited about the success of the workshop and the significant strides we have made in promoting evidence-based policymaking. We strongly believe that the insights our participants have gained will positively impact their approaches to addressing issues in the country.
