PASGR Blog

Maureen Sylvia Kusiima’s relationship with PASGR dates back to 2014. The Master of Research and Public Policy (MRPP) student from Uganda Christian University credits PASGR for honing her research skills to include public policy issue analysis, lobbying and advocacy. The student, who describes herself as “determined, hardworking, and self-driven” has acquired tools, design and other […]

The Kenya Revenue Authority’s granting of five-year tax exemption was a major milestone for PASGR in 2016. In a year marked by bold attempts to execute projects efficiently and effectively, the exemption starting October 31 was a major achievement. “The concession ensures that whatever funding we get will not be subject to income tax,” Finance […]

Africa is hitting new heights in terms of its democratic process, macro-economic growth, and constitutional commitment to social welfare. However, the continent lacks the financial and institutional capacity – and in some places the political will – to honour its pledges to the poor and vulnerable. About 90% of all citizens, many of whom are […]

“The course opened up my professional horizon and gave me a new perspective about research. The facilitators are patient, understanding and caring. They readily help trainees to quickly comprehend the topics offered.” This was a testimonial by one of the participants at the end of the Professional Development Training Programme held in April, 2017  in […]

In 2016, several instructors in the PASGR Advanced Research Design and Policy Oriented Research Professional Development and Training programme undertook a joint research project. The idea was to ground what they teach participants on the practical application of various methods in research. The instructors identified a common problem in Africa and applied their expertise to […]

In the fifth and final blog in a series on Interrogating Decentralisation in Africa, Kassa Teshager Alemu – assistant professor at the Ethiopian Civil Service University – uses his research on the role of informal actors in Addis Ababa’s solid waste management system to reflect on the recent Koshe landslide and how a similar disaster […]

In this blog, the fourth in a series on Interrogating Decentralisation in Africa, Daniel Doh investigates the impact of staff motivation and competence levels within local government on the quality of service delivery in Ghana’s district assemblies Kejetia Market, Ghana. Image credit: Nyani Quarmyne/Panos Decentralisation in Ghana One of the most discussed and acted upon […]

In this blog, the third in a series on Interrogating Decentralisation in Africa, researchers from Kenya dramatize – through Kenyan storytelling – their recent study on citizens’ perceptions of the impact of decentralisation on healthcare in Kenya. The characters in the story are fictitious. Photo: Availability of ambulances at sub-County level has not only translated […]

In this blog, the second in a series on Interrogating Decentralisation in Africa, Emilly Comfort Maractho reflects on the differing success of public primary education in Uganda. Last year, as I addressed the Nebbi Makerere Students Association at a function organised to help students making the best of their time at university, I spoke to […]

In this blog, the first in a series on Interrogating Decentralisation in Africa, researchers from Nigeria share insights from their recent study on citizens’ perceptions of elected versus ‘selected’ local government officials. In 1999 Nigeria returned to democratic rule after a long spell of military rule. Democracy opened up spaces for political debates and contestations, […]