Utafiti Sera: Evidence-based research policy at it best 

The Utafiti Sera houses have continued to register impact on various fronts, for instance, ongoing houses (Urban Governance house Nairobi, Urban Governance house Kigali, and Youth Employment Creation House in Kenya) continued to expand frontiers of evidence-based convenings, providing important platforms for policy actors as well as researchers to engage to rethink policy work across multiple frontiers. For instance, in July 2021, the Urban governance house convened the 5th Utafiti Sera forum begin harvesting practices, policies and procedures that guide design and implementation of public infrastructure in Kenya. On the other hand, the urban governance house in Rwanda continued to build on its work by leading a series of socio-economic studies that examined the key drivers of the development of secondary cities in Rwanda. The house hosted a national forum in Kigali to discuss urban governance challenges faced by secondary cities. The forum identified key issues related to City Master plans facing the secondary cities as they usher into implementation of the Master Plans. 

The culture of evidence use being developed and anchored by our urban governance houses are: 1) strengthening decision making and accountability in partner government institutions such as the Council of Governors and the urban and municipal boards in Kenya; 2) resulting in the realisation of equitable and just cities where citizens can enjoy access to physical, social, infrastructure and essential services; 3) transforming the teaching in academic institutions and thus, the functioning of professional bodies that promote urban governance based on the principles of human dignity and spatial justice. Moreover, the urban governance houses are using evidence to challenge and transform the cultural norms and attitudes in how government interphase with citizens, including the language and narratives that often shape policies and outcomes. 

The Research and Policy department has concluded 14 new partnerships with regional think tanks, universities and CSOs to support research and uptake work delivered through 14 young professional research fellows (PRFs) under the Accountability for Water (AfW) collaborative research and uptake programme.[1] An important marker if this programme is a mentorship framework that links the PRFs to individual senior mentors to support their research as well as scientific publication to produce and share research, knowledge and evidence to strengthen accountability for water supply, sanitation and hygiene services, water resource management and good water sector governance. 

Through the Youth employment creation house in Kenya, the RP collaborated with the Centre for Africa Bio-Entrepreneurship (CABE) and Alternatives Africa to conduct a study on Youth Employment Creation (YEC) in Agribusiness and Agro-processing in the potato and mango value chains. The study harnessed evidence-to-policy research that can transform these priority value chains. The study focused on potato and mango value chains because they present the highest potential for jobs creation in the country. The study targetted youth agri-preneurs engaged in potato and mango value chains in Makueni, Nyandarua and West Pokot Counties between August and December 2020. The key finding suggested that addressing these challenges could potentially create 3.2 million jobs in the mango value chain and 3.3 million jobs in the potato value chain annually through inter-sectoral linkages: agriculture, MSMEs, e-commerce and transport services. In agriculture, for instance, this can be realised at different stages of the value chain,including soil analysis, seed production, weeding, spraying, repair and maintenance, harvesting, transportation, value addition, aggregation, marketing, and training.  

Drawing on this evidence, the Utafiti Sera partners have established Learning Exchange and Resource Networks (LERNs) and platforms comprised of key stakeholders in the public and private sectors. The project has since engaged with these stakeholders to test its findings and share key messages. As a result, the project has produced draft policy review and empirical data papers, E-fact book, policy briefs, infographics, blogs, newspaper articles, and reports. In addition, the project has engaged the youth through meetings, agribiz WhatsApp platforms and -e-Dialogues, to increase youth traction and heighten their interest in agribusiness. The increasing digital space for agricultural value chains indicates how youth can take advantage of the continental trade agreement (e.g., opportunities for export of mango and potatoes beyond the traditional markets. 

Through evidence sharing, engagements, and collaborations, the project has realised an increased ‘interconnectedness’ between value chains, national and county governments, policy actors, and practitioners. It has also enhanced an appreciation by the youth on the policymaking processes, as can be seen in the desire by West Pokot to develop a county youth agribusiness development strategy. Building on these experiences, the project aims to convene a national conference with a thematic lens on job creation agri-business within the potato and mango value chains focusing on Kenyan youth. Based on the study findings and the house knowledge products RP organised a successful national conference in February whose objectives were; 

To share and discuss policy and regulatory options based on the evidence generated from the Youth Employment Creation case studies and engagements on mango and potato value chains in Kenya. 

To facilitate learning and innovation across value chains by sharing practices of the youth engaged in the different stages of the potato and mango agribusiness services. 

To leverage the private sector through multi-stakeholder partnerships and effective business models to address youth unemployment through the country’s agro-industrial agenda as part of the Big 4 Agenda. 

The African Youth Aspirations Research (AYAR) held a success project inception workshop in August 2021 enabling research teams across 7 countries to co-create and co-produce the research plans, and facilitating knowledge transfer and mentorship for 16 young African social science research associates (RAs). With this project, we have committed to support the RAs in the area of scientific writing in the hope that they will develop a keen interest in a scientific career. The RAs will be mentored to author a peer-reviewed journal article from the research work. Those in a PhD (50%) will be supported to finalise the PhD as part of producing a critical mass of the next generation African social scientists.   

Similarly, the Research Policy anchored a major pan–African hybrid conference on 26th – 27th August 2021 attracting 568 participants across Africa and 40 in person attendees. The conference was opened by the Hon Simon Chelugui, the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection in the Republic of Kenya. The conference lived to its objective of leveraging the voices of non-state actors as well as voices of the marginalized, recipients and civil society actors especially women, youth and the informal sector to chat a renewed path for social protection in the continent. 

PASGR Mango & Potato – Google Drive